Trouble with Irrigation Sleeves - Need Suggestions!

Hi,

I have a stoma which has developed into a hernia. I am irrigating, but have a lot of trouble as I need longer time to irrigate and use more water, but the sleeve is not getting stuck for the full time. It comes off and starts to leak in the middle of the process.

Does anyone have a similar experience and can suggest some other ways to irrigate? I use Coloplast brand.

Thank you

Hello Ella-1. I used to have this problem and it certainly becomes a big problem when the sleeve comes off mid-flow so to speak. When I contacted Dansac to complain, they sent me a batch of sleeves which stuck so tight that I had a job to get them off. Eventually I made my own baseplate which is held on by two adjustable elastic belts. This resolved the problem and the sleeves last for months as they do not rely on the wafer sticking to the skin. I stop the baseplate from slipping by applying a very small amount of medical adhesive spray  and spread it about with my finger. That works very well. It occurs to me that it might also work on the sleeves themselves, but I have not found it necessary to try that route once I made my own devices. 

There is a picture of my baseplates on my profile along with a plastic bend pipe which guides the output down the sleeve rather than having it splash where I don't want it to go. 

I hope this is helpful 

Best wishes

Bill

Hi. They have irrigation sleeves that are made to go directly on the skin. They have no adhesive and are held on only by a belt, which you can put on as tightly as needed. To use them, you would have to remove the skin wafer, though. But those, you could leave on as long as necessary. Hope this helps.

Hello Ella-1. I am in the middle of proof-reading a book on humour as it relates to illness which has a working title of 'Laugh or Lament. That aside, I have just re-read one of my old rhyming verses which helped me to come to terms with the sort of situation you describe so I'll copy you in, Hoping you enjoy the rhyme.

Best wishes

Bill

INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS.

This tale is of an ostomate
but told for those who irrigate.
For I feel it maybe they
who will envisage what I say.

Today I had an incident,
a torrid horrid accident.
Right in the middle of my flush
it all came out in one big rush.

This would not have been so bad
except the wafer came unclad.
Now those of you who know this scene
will know exactly what I mean.

When you’re flushing pressure grows
then stomas act like volcanoes.
The faeces always takes its course
erupting with enormous force.

There’s little I could do although
I quickly tried to stem the flow.
But a cupped hand won’t stem the tide
of all that faeces held inside.

In the first explosive wave
I knew not how it would behave.
With no way of controlling it
I was head to toe in slimy shit.

Then when I thought I’d do no more
shit shot across the bathroom floor.
It showered like a rainy squall
and soon was spread on every wall.

Though I showered and cleaned as well
I failed to clear up all the smell.
And then it took me half the night
to try to put this whole mess right.

But now I’ve given up instead
and think that I’ll just go to bed.

B. Withers 2013

Hi Bill,

This is a true story!!!

How to Adjust to Life with an Ostomy with Bruce | Hollister

Ella,

I have had trouble using any belt to hold the sleeve in place. It slides and partially covers my stoma and water/poop goes everywhere! I changed to a two-piece system where the sleeve snaps onto the flange and after you are done, easily unsnaps and you snap on your pouch or cap. The different brands are not interchangeable, so you have to use all or nothing of one product. The flange and drainable pouch each last me 6 days!

Puppyluv

Thank you, what brand is your system?

Currently, I use all the Convatec products. I did not like their one-piece products, but the two-piece seem to work well for me. I have had lots of recommendations for the Coloplast products, so I may be ordering them for the next 3 months. I liked the Coloplast one-piece better as well; the pouch seems more heavy-duty and lasts, and the irrigation water bag has a temperature gauge in it. Convatec does not; it has just the wheel! I also use the Brava Y-shaped barrier strips by Coloplast! They are the key for me! I feel secure with them and have not had a leak since July when I started using them.

Puppyluv

Awesome poem, Bill, and so accurate! Been there! LOL

I use a 2-piece system from Hollister. When I use it with a base plate, the sleeve stays on and it works really well. Sometimes, I use the sleeve without the baseplate. For this, you must "belt up". If you don't pay attention, I guarantee an increased potential for leaks....they happen.

To minimize, I usually have an old towel under my feet and an old cloth nearby. I also keep the discharge in the sleeve to a minimum. This means more flushing. I keep a sudsy container of warm water close by and rinse the sleeve as I go. I find that the clips still allow a little drip, so this keeps the drips cleaner.

Lastly, I often hold onto the sleeve to take off any extra weight that may make it slide off. If you have a hard time seeing the stoma, use a mirror to make sure the opening is placed correctly.

If someone could make a mess.....I've been there, sadly more than I would like to remember. I've had my ostomy for 6 years now, and the odd slip-up still happens.

Hope this helps.

Andy

Andy,

I am a believer in the two-piece for sure! Especially with irrigating. Just had a funny thing happen yesterday. I was sent some barrier rings to try from different companies. I had not used them because I really saw no need. Well, I tried one under the flange on my last change 4 days ago and when I went to irrigate, the water started coming out from under the flange and barrier strips! Haha, it was a mess! I did have to get a belt out after removing everything to use with the sleeve! It worked better for me this time than the last time I tried it but still pretty messy. One thing though, my bathroom rugs have never looked better getting washed so often! Needless to say, no more barrier rings for me ever. To top it off, when I went to wash my rugs, my front loader washing machine messed up and would not drain so I had a load of soaking rugs! Grrrr! Lol just got back from buying a new one. Maybe that was a good thing after all! Lol

Hello Ella-1,

For my part, now after my 1500 cc of water, I kneel in front of my toilet and all the residues go straight into the toilet. I do not waste time with the long sleeves anymore. 30 minutes and I'm done... I still have small residues after a few hours but it's worth it... And look at my photos, you will see what I wear the rest of the day... No one or two pieces anymore.

Hey, shit happens.

Have not talked to you in a long time! Hope you are well!

Ella, as for the irrigation, I stand in front of my sink to irrigate with the water bag on a clothing hook that I have over the door behind me, but the wheel is laying in the sink as I irrigate. When I was on my cruise, I sat on the toilet the entire time to irrigate and it worked well too! You just have to be careful of any splashback! That only takes 10 minutes. I use clothespins in the bottom or the sleeve, and as soon as I finish with 1500cc (I fill it with over 2000 cc), I just move around the corner to the toilet and sit on it with the bag in the toilet but not touching the water. I release the clothespins gently and let the rest do its thing. This takes just 30 minutes and I read or play on my phone as I wait. When done, I take the remaining 500cc and rinse the bag into the toilet. I then can go back to the sink to clean the sleeve really well with Dawn dishwashing soap and pack everything back up. Because I use a two-piece, I only change the pouch and flange every 6 days, so when I take the pouch off to attach the sleeve, I put Listerine on a folded piece of toilet tissue and put it over the opening in the pouch and lay it aside while I irrigate. It takes care of the odor completely! Unpacked, irrigated, cleaned up, and packed back up in approximately 45-50 minutes. A little longer on the 6th day when I change everything! Works perfectly!

Ella, hope you are able to do this! It is awesome!

Puppyluv