Pardon the terms I use, I am very new to this, just had surgery six weeks ago.....I will try to make this fast, any help would be greatly appreciated....use a two-piece system, never had the actual bag blow out, but the stoma sticky cover, every day, two or three times, which makes really bad sores where the placement is, I have a few stretch marks (thank you kids ha ha) they are open and bleeding.....I use adapt paste on the sticky part of the place that goes over my stoma, I also have been using protective powder to try and heal the areas that are bleeding....any advice....got some great ideas for a guy on here, however, he is in the UK and some of the stuff I had no idea what it was.....please help, not leaving the house because I am worried about it happening....want my life back
Sorry to hear about your troubles, I had the same problems when I first started with the bags. My parastomal skin was not even, and I also had problems with sores. First, I would check in with an ostomy nurse for some help if you have that option. What I finally did was go to a 2 pc. Coloplast pouch system, snap lock type that has a mild convex barrier that eliminated the seepage problems and also the sores on my skin. I cut them to fit, and I use a protective skin solution barrier wipe before putting on the barrier, then I'm good to go. I only wear the pouch for two days so it does not form a really hard stick to get off. Hope this helps you, good luck, Bill.
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Thank you so much, Bill. I will take the advice. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer.
Learn more about caring for children with an ostomy on vacation.
Sorry but just a quick comment on your name. It reminds me of that song...if you asked me to. I used to ask my daughter that all the time. Would you...please clean your room? She used to look at me and say ... If you ask me to...
Ok so on to your questions. I had my first ileo back in '83 for on year. My current ileo was done in '93. Both were very different in many ways but one thing was consistent both times. The first 3-6 months were filled with one experiment after another.
I had various skin issues as well as a difficult time with the right appliance. Back then information wasn't as free flowing as it is now. There are typically a few suppliers/specialists in every region now. Become your own librarian and accumulate as many resources as you can. Soon you'll find you have your own local team of people to help you deal with these issues.
Specifically it sounds like the combination of issues can be dealt with individually.
Personally I never had any luck with a 2 piece system for the very reason you are talking about. Blow outs at this early stage can happen because of a poor fit and or a poor seal. Your stoma will change sizes and excrete moisture inconsistently at this point so beyond just getting a good fit try different "fillers" like convex wafers you can cut to size and place around the stoma in addition to your paste of choice.
As for the skin abrasions they can be anything from an allergic reaction to simply post operative wear and tear. Finding a good ostomy nurse/dermatologist etc.. Will go a long to making life easier in your first year.
We all have our ow version of advice on stuff like this but I would suggest getting a proper diagnosis, especially in your first year after surgery.
The other suggestion is to go to every different supplier/manufacturer of osteomy related products you can and ask for samples. It can get costly in a hurry until you find the right combination for you. The good news is this is now a near billion dollar business and most of them are crawling over each other to get a bigger piece of the pie. They'll throw free product at you forever...if you ask them to ;^]
Good luck!
Michael
Life is Good!
Michael,
Thank you kindly for your support and great advice. I did get some great freebies from every company, however, they were all really the same. Could you please explain why you like the one piece, rather than the two....I have heard this a lot. I just feel completely overwhelmed, but, I never even thought about a , going to look into that. I would appreciate any thoughts that come to your mind and got a really big smile about your comment on my name, very cute. I wish you the best and thanks again for the great ideas....until we speak again...Leslie
Leslie,
That's a great nickname. It brought back a great memory of my daughter.
I certainly don't have all the answrrs. I just know what works for me. I wish I had this kind of resource when I got started. My first few months were pure misery. I'll share what I know now because I'm a firm believer in paying it forward.
When I was first educated by an ostomy nurse she explained to me that two piece was the best option for me so I could easily change bags w/out changing the seal around the stoma. Back then conventional wisdom was the less you change your wafer the less irritation to your skin. Apparently the first few months your skin goes through all sorts of adjustments because of the adhesive/sweat glands getting accustomed to a lack of air and plain old wear and tear.
So I bought in to that mindset and tried all kinds of systems. Different thickness and flexibility of wafers/adhesives/ring sizes and precut as opposed to cut your own size.
Over time by process of elimination I found the right size (your stoma will get smaller even if only minimally) and the right style of wafer. The right skin barrier also helps alot. BUT, the one problem that remained was the 'blow up' or off depending on how you view it.
I was using a 1 inch pre cut convex wafer with a regular sized ring and a 12 inch bag with a clip. I tried a belt to help keep it on and it didn't work. I tried an elasisized waist support (actually a back support product) but that didn't work. Then I tried a one piece convex and that made all the difference for me.
In my case I have a stoma that sticks out and points down but the skin at the base of the stoma curves inward. Imagine placing a raspberry on a toasted marshmallow. The weight of the raspberry would make the top of the marshmallow cave in a little (I know it's not a great visual but it's all I have for now). On top of it all I have an inconsistent output.
A convex precut opening of 7/8 works for me now with a skin barrier and Adapt paste. This gives me a snug fit around the stoma. The one piece works for me because my output is inconsistent and usually looser which means it comes out sporadicaally. The one piece with a snug fit is safer in my opinion because there is little to no chance of separation of the seal.
The two piece, so I was told, was originally designed for people with a colostomy and a consistent, solid output. That way you could change the bag every day and only have to change the wafer a coupe of times a week. With that kind of output you don't have to worry about collection of the output around the wafer whcih can lead to a deterioration of the seal.
Most people with ileostomies have loose stool which comes out when it wants to (like when you're lying down or sleeping or just wearing tighter fitting clothes). When output collects where the ring and the bag connect you have a greater chance of seepage when you don't have an airtight fit. With a proper fitting one piece and a tight barrier at the base of the stoma (the convex generally fits tight at the base of the stoma along with paste for an airtight fit) there is almost zero chance of a leak and a blow out, in my humble opinion.
I hope that helps Leslie. Again it may not solve all your problems but I hope it gives you a little perspective.
As for being overwhelmed I'm sure as a mom of 2 you get that feeling a lot. Please do yourself a favor. Don't try and solve it all at once. You're going to solve each issue as it arises just like you have with your kids. This is a big deal and until you get past the first stages of dealing with your newly adapted body part there will be plenty of challenges. There are a lot of great people on here with great advice and can help fill in the gaps.
I only hope in some small way I can help as well. Feel free to contact me anytime about anything.
Be well,
Michael
Life is Good!
You are amazing, thank you so much for taking all that time to explain. I am learning too much and the more I learn, the better I feel. I appreciate the great detail you went into and I am going to request a one-piece system. Thank you again, I will keep asking the questions, as why try to reinvent the wheel when I have the best experts right here. Have a great weekend. Leslie
Thought I would throw this in. I have a colostomy, very liquid and use the two-piece Convatec system with convexity. One big advantage...for me...and I see you are looking to meet a male...is you can take off the bag and snap on a mini-pouch or even a stoma cover...should the occasion arise. Then put the larger one back on again. I love this feature.
Good luck! It will get better.
Lynn
o:p /o:p
From whatyou describe it seems as if your wafer leaks or comes off. I am also sorry tohear about your damaged and bleeding stretch marks.o:p/o:p
I have hada stoma (permanent) these past two years and have had many problems with waferleaks and (worse!) wafer coming off. This is particularly embarrassing when ithappens when you are out. Another problem o faced was the peristomal skin wouldget irritated by the stoma discharge accumulating under the stoma and becomeraw (even bleeds sometimes). Have tried stoma powder and paste to no avail.Also tried different types of appliances (Convatec, Braun, Coloplast etc) andfound Coloplast best (for me) in that it comes off the skin easily and leaveslittle gooey residue. Was using atwo-piece Convatec Alterna (Assura) because I was advised that the constantfrequent peeling off of the wafer would damage the skin. Despite the paste bitsof discharge would accumulate in a little pocket in the wafer and startirritating the skin. o:p/o:p
But morethan the skin irritation, the wafer coming off was the problem for me.thishappens especially when the discharge is pasty. Recently was introduced to mouldablerings and found then a help, but therewere still problems, though not as frequently as before.o:p/o:p
A stoma nurseI consulted in London (UK) advised me to try the convex wafers, and to use adhesive remover spray when peeling offthe wafer. I have since seen a great improvement only one instance of wafercoming off in the last two months; the peristomal skin is healthy with no more sores ,and the wafer stays in place for from 4 to 7 days. And is very clean when I peel it off. Inaddition because of the shape it is easy to clean the wafer area around thestoma when I have to empty the pouch. I am using Coloplast Alterna convex waferand closed pouches with liners. o:p/o:p
I know Idon't have stretch marks but perhaps the adhesive remover spray would help toreduce stress on the skin when you peel off the wafer, and again less frequentchanges of wafer may help too. During wafer changes I give the stoma a goodairing (let the skin around get some fresh air and light). o:p/o:p
I don'tknow if any of this is relevant to your situation, but I think much of stomamanagement is case of trial which brand is most suited to your needs andwhich type etc. I am sure you will soon learn to manage and get over yourproblems good luck! Cheer up things will certainly improve.o:p/o:p
o:p /o:p
Srio:p/o:p
Leslie, I have a new colostomy and my situation may be different than yours. Some things are still the same, however. Since I live on meager Social Security, I need to be frugal. I know Convatec is probably the most expensive supplier, but their products work better for me so it is actually an economy to use their two-piece system. I did quit using the paste and started using barrier strips. I use 1/2 strip each time I change a wafer or, if you use a one-piece system, each time you change a bag. Roll it between your hands until you have a long thin "worm" of material and form it into a ring the exact size of your stoma. When you place the wafer on top of it, you get a good seal without adhesive next to your stoma. You can use smaller flat strips of it to fill deep cracks (like where my belly button used to be) or cover your tender stretch marks. By the way, be proud of those marks; you earned them becoming a mother and there is no higher calling on earth than motherhood. In my experience, the barrier strips and wipes are the most important parts of the process, but everyone has a unique experience, so experimenting is important. And the fact that Hollister, Coloplast, and Convatec all look the same can be deceiving. Even Convatec has multiple versions of their products. There are tiny differences in each product that make huge differences on your skin. For instance, Convatec has two lines of adhesive remover and skin barrier wipes. I must use the Sensi-Care line because they are alcohol-free and do not sting my injured skin. Keep us posted. Don.
