I was also going to suggest Chelly cut her own hole in her wafers too.   I wanted to remind her that a good cut comes from tracing the size on the wafer then "turn the wafer,  not the scissors" when making the cut.  I often hang onto the piece being removed to help me give a slight tug as I'm going around the cutting line I traced on.  Once I learned that it was a game changer for me.  

I was sent the convatec pouch to try when I first had my stoma & it actually was SO wrong that after removing it after the first day bcuz it caused so much discomfort,  I found many bruises where the wafer had been.  It was a nasty situation for a good 10 days while things healed up.  

7/8 inch may be too constricted but in the 1 inch I was getting a lot more water feeling.

Having converted to millimetres, those two sizes are at least 3 mm difference, which could be significant if we're talking about fit! If I had to personally choose between the two, I think I would stick with the smaller size, but it will be good to measure your stoma and see how close (or far) those sizes are! 

Good luck!

 I ran out of measuring cards and maybe this precut 7/8 inch may be too constricted but in the 1 inch I was getting a lot more water feeling. I need to contact my supplier to get more measuring cards. 

Thank you, you give me a lot to think about here. 

Some wafers do this more than others, so a little gap may not be problematic, depending on what you're using. 

I've used some brands where a perfectly sized hole could cause the stoma to be constricted once that swelling expands, so those needed to be cut a little larger.

The downside I've found with wafers that swell a lot, is that the hydrocolloid that has expanded tends to get gummy and break down much faster than one that hasn't expanded much.

This could be explained by the difference between wafers intended for colostomies vs ileostomies, or "regular wear" vs. "extended wear" appliances, which each using a different formulation in the baseplate.

My convatec convex bag does not come in cut to fits so that is the issue with this bag. I have a couple flat active life here that are cut to fit. I can always use one of those in a bind if need be. 

I get precut wafers and right now im in a 7/8. I am watching closely for any changes in size. 

If you find that your stoma's size fluctuates even just a millimetre here or there, I would go with cut-to-fit, personally.

Of course, cut-to-fit also runs a risk that the hole is not cut exactly as it needs to be, so go with whatever is most reliable for you.

Ive been using a plastic water bottle and at times I have used the cups like you did. I have some Styrofoam cups here I could use in case I run out of water bottles. 

So far im pretty happy with the job the surgeons did and so far its still an outtie. The surgeons did a good job. Im still using convex bags though. They just seem to work better. 

They secured down my abdomen with a little more mesh but in the stoma area they did not because they want to make sure the stoma was working correctly. Should I wind up with a hernia in that area down the road, then he will fix it. 

Also, when rinsing, one thing I did before I had a Bidet hose set up for rinsing was ... I bought cheap plastic party cups at the dollar store, I filled two or three of them with fresh tap water after each rinse leaving the water to come to room temperature. 

But with you, you're still healing, so you do need to, as you said, you need to measure your stoma area every time you change. I think I measured mine with every change for a good 6 months them I went to every second change & dropped it according to stoma healing times. I'm  trying to cheer you on here, Chelly,  You have been thru SO VERY much! 

I'm sorry,  my eyes are not enjoying screen time at all so I can't chase down your surgery posts.  I am wondering how you happy you are with your stoma revision ??  How did the two Surgeons do??  Do you have a good size outtie ??? 

I had forgotten that you have to pay out of pocket for your pouches. I'm happy to hear that you  have found some that are working out for you. I would be in some real trouble if mine were not covered. 

Many wafers don't have those extra release liners, which can sometimes be a challenge.

What pouches are you currently wearing? What are you liking about them? 

🤭very inexpensive bags off Amazon under the Deraymi brand.

They are *not* perfect by any means, and I do run into issues sometimes. But since I developed a sensitivity to Hollister wafers, these have worked well at a fraction of the price.

The biggest concern is that a no-name brand like that can (and usually do) simply disappear, which would leave me stuck looking for something else. I don't think I could afford the $15+ dollar appliances if I was forced to go back, even with the ostomy grant money.