Feeling Frustrated with Colostomy Complications

I got a colostomy on May 17th of this year. As hard as I tried, I still got a hernia. I feel so stupid. I also have another medical condition and haven't been able to talk for almost months. I'm so frustrated...my bags keep leaking....

I live in a rural area and my ET nurse isn't always accessible. I feel like just giving up.

My thoughts and prayers go out to you. Leaking wafers are so frustrating! Is there a specific area where it leaks....maybe you could try an Eakins seal or Brava ring. They are pretty good at absorbing the liquid. I use some stoma powder around my wafer for moisture absorption and it helps. Don't give up....sometimes you just need to try different products to find the best one for you. I would also research a hernia belt. It will provide support. Take care and keep posting your questions. You came to the right place for support and guidance as others here have very helpful suggestions. Best wishes. Sincerely, LH

Thank you. I've tried the Eakins and barrier rings. I just got some paste to try. I hate feeling so isolated communication-wise. I just want to cry all the time...this is not how I expected my life to turn out.

Hello becrhomat. Sorry to hear about your situation. Having a stoma and catering to its needs  can indeed be very frustrating at times.  Please don't beat yourself up about getting a hernia - it is really common, even with those of us who have tried extremely hard to avoid it.

At the risk of repeating myself (many times) I note that you have a colostomy, which means that you might be suitable for trying irrigation. This would most likely resolve the problems you mention.

I often used to  have problems with the wafers coming away from my skin ( I wear a stoma plug!) and sometimes  a small amount of output would leak out. I thought about reverting back to bags but decided to try tucking an incontinence pad under my hernia belt to catch the output. What it actually did was apply enough continuous pressure to effectively seal the wafer to my skin and keep it there so that there were no more leaks. I've been doing that ever since!

Best wishes

Bill

Have you tried calling one of the places that make the ostomy supplies, like Hollister, Coloplast, or Convatec? Often, they have nurses on staff that can help you figure out what products might work well for you. And lots of times, they will send samples of products for you to try out too.

Hope you are able to find something that works soon. Give some of those companies a call and get some ideas from them.

Take care.

Cry if you need to but never give up! You can and will find the right product if you just keep trying. Leaks really are frustrating and most of us have them every now and then, but it took a lot of samples and questions and trying to get it where we are doing okay.

Take it one step at a time, watch some YouTube videos, send some emails out to the manufacturers or have a relative or friend make the calls with you there.

What do you think is the biggest problem with why you are having the leaks? Are you being careful with your diet? When I eat too much of the wrong things, then I get leaks.

Blessings to you, and I bequeath you some of my patience. It takes a while to get it right at first. Hang in there! It will get better!

I got a hernia as well, mainly because I was not as careful as I should have been when I started feeling all better, and trying to do all the things I used to do pre-ostomy. Oops. Now I get my husband or my son to do any lifting that needs to be done, and I am experimenting with what exercises put less pressure on the stoma area. No crunches any more!

The other problem is your feelings of isolation and depression, which create a cycle that just drives it worse and worse. At least, here, you don't have to TALK in order to COMMUNICATE. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU !!!

There can be a number of reasons for leakage, and the correction would depend on where exactly the leak is occurring. If the wafer itself is letting go of the skin and not adhering properly, you might try Stoma Seal made by Costa Medical. This is an ultra-thin ultra-flexible layer like plastic wrap which goes onto the skin around the stoma, and provides a better surface for the wafer adhesive to cling tightly to.

If your wafer is lifting away from the skin from the inside, next to the stoma (allowing waste to infiltrate beneath the inside of the wafer hole next to the stoma, then the barrier paste you have coming will probably help considerably. Just remember to have the warm water trickling in the sink as you apply it - wet your finger to smooth on the paste directly onto your skin in a circle around your stoma, and a matching ring around the inside of the wafer. Remember not to spread the paste across the entire sealing surface of the wafer. In spite of its name, it's really a flexible barrier, not an adhesive.

If your pouch itself is not sealing properly to the wafer, or is letting go, try some samples of different positive-lock wafer/pouch combinations. I like the Hollister New Image - snaps shut strongly like Tupperware, but Coloplast makes some different ones as well. Try out some different ones. The makers will be happy to send you samples. If you order through Edgepark, I know they will send you samples as well (they did for me).

If leaks occur through the re-sealable end of pouches with closures, you might consider the closed pouches you just snap off and throw away and put on a new one - no closures to let go at the bottom.

At any rate, you WILL find out what it takes to have a more normal life. It is NOT the end of the world. We WILL be here to encourage and help you whenever you need us. It's not always easy, but it IS always possible.

Keep going, we love you.

Thank you so much. I'm trying a few different products so I'll play around with those. I see my ET nurse in a couple of weeks, so I look forward to that. I got some good suggestions about dealing with not being able to talk. I've contacted the Canadian Hearing Society to see if they have anything that might help me.