Yesterday was a shocker. I started back to work last Wednesday after 4+ weeks of medical leave. I received my ileostomy on March 23.
Things at work have been going pretty well. I brought an "emergency kit" with me each day, just in case. It contained an extra pouch (that I precut), gloves, wipes, underwear, a shirt, and pants. I was beginning to think that I didn't need it -- the pouches seemed to be working fine for me. Think again.
As I sat at lunch, I looked down to see a stain on my light brown (of course) pants. I thought, "Uh oh, something's wrong." When I reached into my pants to check, I was surprised that there was poop on my hand. Arrrrgggggghhhhh!
I cleaned up in the bathroom and went home. "What went wrong?" I wondered. The bag was relatively empty, it wasn't bloated with gas -- I had no sign that this was coming.
Since then, I've done some research and contacted an Ostomy Nurse at my local hospital. Do I have the wrong bag (Hollister 5561)? My temporary ileostomy does have a "mound" on it. Does that mean that I need a convex pouch? Am I trimming my wafer too close to the stoma? I talked to a local pharmacist who mentioned wipes, stoma paste, and other products. There are so many types of pouches and accessories.
What do I need to do in order to feel secure in public? I do not want this to happen again.
Things at work have been going pretty well. I brought an "emergency kit" with me each day, just in case. It contained an extra pouch (that I precut), gloves, wipes, underwear, a shirt, and pants. I was beginning to think that I didn't need it -- the pouches seemed to be working fine for me. Think again.
As I sat at lunch, I looked down to see a stain on my light brown (of course) pants. I thought, "Uh oh, something's wrong." When I reached into my pants to check, I was surprised that there was poop on my hand. Arrrrgggggghhhhh!
I cleaned up in the bathroom and went home. "What went wrong?" I wondered. The bag was relatively empty, it wasn't bloated with gas -- I had no sign that this was coming.
Since then, I've done some research and contacted an Ostomy Nurse at my local hospital. Do I have the wrong bag (Hollister 5561)? My temporary ileostomy does have a "mound" on it. Does that mean that I need a convex pouch? Am I trimming my wafer too close to the stoma? I talked to a local pharmacist who mentioned wipes, stoma paste, and other products. There are so many types of pouches and accessories.
What do I need to do in order to feel secure in public? I do not want this to happen again.