This topic is about dealing with an unexpected ostomy supply shortage after experiencing a night-time blow-out. The person involved found themselves without their usual supplies and had to use a substitute that caused skin irritation. Here are some helpful tips and advice to manage such situations:

1. Create an "emergency kit" with a spare bag and wafer, along with scissors, wipes, disposal bags, and other essentials. Keep these kits in various places like your car, purse, briefcase, travel bag, closet, golf bag, attic, and even the refrigerator.

2. Always have at least a month's worth of supplies at home. This is a common recommendation from ostomy nurses to ensure you're prepared for any situation.

3. Include a change of clothes, especially undergarments, and an extra roll of tape in your on-the-go kit to handle unexpected leaks.

4. Use waterproof tape, such as Hy-Tape, or regular medical tape around the edge of a flange to secure a loosening wafer. This can help you buy some time until you can do a full change.

5. Reach out to ostomy supply manufacturers and request free samples. These can serve as excellent backup options during emergencies.

6. Consider using products like Stoma Seals from Costa Medical, which act as a protective layer over the stoma and can help when using unfamiliar wafers.

7. Identify local specialty pharmacies, medical-supply stores, and hospital pharmacies. They might offer limited emergency ostomy supplies if your usual source is unavailable.

8. If a leak occurs in the middle of the night, some people find it helpful to lay a towel under the appliance and go back to sleep, delaying the full change until morning.

9. Ensure that your wafer opening is the correct size, as leakage and skin irritation often result from an ill-fitting flange.