Hospital Recovery And Recurring Wafer Issues

gutenberg

Sep 09, 2009 5:07 pm

I know this is a mixed up question, but here goes: Around Xmas time I came down with pneumonia, I don't remember the event, guess I was pretty ill at the time. Anyway shortly after release from hospital I woke up having hallucinations and sweating profusely, I had a wine colored sheet wrapped around me and when the paramedics showed up I can still see my image on that sheet, thought of the Shroud of Turin, but I digress. Back in hospital my skin was still slippery, I was told I went into shock because of a potassium over/under? problem. Anyway it was quite a trip. And that's when the problems with the wafers falling off began, 6, 7, 8, times a day, I wouldn't leave the house for fear of looking down at my shoe and seeing wafer and pouch. "Hay, it ain't mine" probably wouldn't work. Sorry, I digress again. This problem lasted for about a month, kept the pharmacy happy, and finally went away.
Question finally: has anyone ever come across a problem like this.

janice

Sep 09, 2009 11:25 pm

no i haven't and hope i never have to! sorry u had to go thru it.

jenepooh

Sep 11, 2009 2:14 am

I've had issues at times early on in my relationship with an ostomy. The pouch and the flange just didn't seem to like me or each other for that matter. Do you use any paste around the area before applying the appliance?

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Posted by: Primeboy

Hi Mike and all. I am not sure how panoramic my perspective really is as my peripheral vision shrinks with each passing year. I can tell you that when I came to this website six years ago I was truly ;impressed by the positive attitudes of so many members, especially the younger folks who refused to let their ostomies define who they were or what they would become. I also came to appreciate that having an ostomy is not the same thing as having a disease. Pardon ;my pun now, but ostomies and cancer don't belong in the same bag. One is a solution, the other is a problem. Celebrating National Ostomy Day ;is also well outside my comfort zone. That's like celebrating National Wheel Chair Day. Come on!

I think there is a ;need for improved ;public awareness of ostomies, but I am not sure how that's best done. There ;remains ;some social stigma attached to our situation, and it's acutely felt among our young. We need to get out of the dark ages on this issue, but not by going 'in your face' to everyone else. I think Bill and NDY are 'spot-on' when it comes to telegraphing the right message to friends and family. People will know how to react when they ;see ;how we accept the cards we were dealt. I also appreciate the contribution some people here are making to this effort through their publications.

On a personal note, my son has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for years just like I did. I am very concerned because people with UC are at a higher risk for colon cancer. Years ago my GI told me to get annual colonoscopies to be on the safe side. I am glad I did because he eventually found pre-cancerous cells which led to several surgeries and my becoming an ostomate. Since then I have always ;conveyed a positive attitude to ;my son about wearing a bag because it has kept me alive to enjoy many more years with my loved ones. I think he got the message. We both go to the same gastroenterologist in NYC and get scoped on the same day. Father and Son moments!

Someone once wrote that our children are the letters we write to the future.

junopete

Sep 11, 2009 4:16 am

I have had kind of an on going potassium problem.  The problem is to much potassium.  On several occasions after a blood test i would get a call from the hospital saying come into emergency right away, your potassium is to high.  Also at the same time I was getting bad readings on my kidneys.  They would have me drink this almost carmel tasting stuff and give me 3 litres of salin IV, and I mean they would just dump it in.  A bag would go in, in under 10 minutes.  Another test an hour later I would be fine.  The idea was to flush me out.
The potassium problem seemed to be simply lack of fluids because I was loosing so  much fluid thru my ileostomy.  Once i got enough fliulds in me on a daily basis the potassium and kidney problems went away.
OK meanwhile while this was going I would get the sweats, once the potassium level was normal the sweats would stop.
I got very good with the wafer staying tight and no leaks or irritation around the stoma.  However once I strated to sweat all bets were off.  The wafer with Eakin seal might stay on for an hour at best, the sweat would just ruin the seal.

One more thing, most the manufactorers say it doesn't hurt to get the wafer wet from like swimming.  In my case, I found that not to be true at all.

Rick.....

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gutenberg

Sep 11, 2009 10:08 am

I really never expected such wonderful information, certainly never heard it from my doctor or the kidney specialist, maybe they knew but everything you said , I been there but without the answers. Damn I hope I can print out your answer, even down to getting the wafer wet, in the future I shall be asking for more tests, you know fix it before it gets broken.
Many, many thanks. Ed

Hospital Recovery and Recurring Wafer Issues

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