Is the area the same impression as the waffer product adhesive? Is there drainage? Any eruptions on the skin?

What is the “bag tip” to help catch stool when changing barriers that is mentioned in the thread?

Also, my husband has very excoriated skin around his stoma from liquid output. He just had his colectomy on May 1st. His stoma is flush or somewhat retracted. He is being seen by wound care once per week but they are limited to only Coloplast products.

We have tried crusting and that did not work. Using a barrier ring seems to make the convexity of his wafer that he needs due to his flush/retracted stoma useless. The ring creates too much height. 

We are in a vicious cycle of excoriated, weepy skin causes products not to stick which then exposes weepy skin to more leakage/liquid output.

We have received samples from other companies. 

Please help! Thanks!

Hi Skcarver, welcome. Take waste bag a tuck into the waist band of the shorts open out and I works a treat. It sounds like your husband needs a convex wafer, the skin will only be properly healed when the leaks are stopped. It sounds like it’s not a stoma nurse who is dealing with this and they would best placed to measure and suggest a suitable appliance. The stoma so soon after surgery is still changing and needs to be measured to get a good fit for the wafer. 

Kscarver34-Welcome! Just as John said, take a plastic bag,tuck it into the waist band of your britches when you do a pouch change. This helps spare your clothing. It is a great catch all for trash too,tie and toss. To keep the skin as dry as you can in a change, Eric recommends wrapping some non sterile gauze around the stoma changing as need be. You can often find it in a bulk package, ask a store manager they may bring it in for you.  Barrier Rings can be softened by the heat of your hand and manipulated to be made thinner, wider, or a different shape or to fill in a dip if you have one. I never liked the stickiness of it on my fingers so I have done this between kitchen plastic wrap. Several years back I had a stubborn area that did not want to heal around my stoma, so I used the baby diaper rash cream Penaten and using a q-tip placed a thin layer on the area and then the stoma powder. This worked fabulously and I had it on hand. I have resorted to it a few times since. Rest assured that eventually the skin toughens up, swelling goes down and you figure out your own tips to share here. All the best to you both. It is always great to hear of another supportive spouse in action! Keep up the good work, you found the best site available here and any questions or concerns you may have, just log in, say so or feel free to create your own forum. All the best!  ';D. 

Posted by: Kscarver34

What is the “bag tip” to help catch stool when changing barriers that is mentioned in the thread?

You can see photos and a video of what I do here:  https://www.veganostomy.ca/how-to-change-an-ostomy-appliance-ostomy-tip/

It's worked for me for over five years and it's something I would recommend to anyone! 

I am an new ostomate has surgery 3/18/2019. It has been extremely difficult preventing the leaks. We know exactly where the spot is. So we put the hollister thin rings on the area but still get leaks. I have many crevasisis in that are so we use the puddy to make it flat but still no results. I have been recommended to get convex which I have but I have notice a lot of debris behind the wafer when I remove it. Just seen if I can get any recommendations this is preventing me living a normal life because of been afraid if leaking in meeting or event. Please help anyone thank you

Posted by: Andy

I have many crevasisis in that are so we use the puddy to make it flat but still no results. I have been recommended to get convex which I have but I have notice a lot of debris behind the wafer when I remove it. 

Hi Andy, 

Convex wafers will likely be the solution or at least a step towards a more consistent experience. If you have access to a stoma nurse, I would highly suggest scheduling an appointment with them to assess your situation and come up with a game plan. 

Good luck!

Hi Andy, 

I have had the same problem. What is working relatively well for me is a combination of a convex wafer, either a one piece or two piece with adhesive, rather than the snap in place type connection, and some paste, all around the skin around the stoma.  The stomadhesive or brava paste work for me, but the eakin paste does not. And the rings don't help me. I get leaks every time. I also use the curved bracket things to secure the wafer in place, at least on the one piece appliances.  I'm still pretty new myself, but that is what seems to work for me. 

Liza

I have a horrible sore hole next to my stoma from leaking. I have been bagless for 6 days now trying to heal. What is the best thing to heal the sore so I can put a bag on? I am miserable!
Please help. I have been laying on dog pads and diapers catching the urine.

Tracy, that sounds like a difficult situation. Do you have access to a stoma nurse? I find that skin can heal very quickly (24-48 hours) when given the right environment, even with a wafer on. But if left untreated, it may just continue to get worse. This hole you describe might be the cause of the leaks, so that needs to be addressed and a stoma nurse should be able to assess and treat that sort of thing. I truly hope that you're able to find a solution soon. 

There are no stoma nurses here anywhere. I went to Birmingham, 2 hours away, and she did not help either.

Hi Tracy, Have you contacted a Doctor to see what they could do or organise. 

I echo what John suggests, and in addition to that, ask whether a telenurse would be an option for you. 

You may also want to contact your national ostomy association: http://www.colostomyuk.org/

They may be able to provide you with additional support and assistance with finding a nurse.

Hi Tracy,

If you can't find a stoma nurse is there a dermatologist in your area that you might see about healing your skin?

They might have some suggestions. You do need help, and soon. The only way to get the wafer to stick properly is to have a good place for it to stick too. Thats sounds simpler than it is.

If you do find someone to consult with, be sure to take all the things you use for your stoma care with you to the appointment ( bags, wafer, pastes, powder...everything) so they can see what you are dealing with. Most doctors have no idea what the 'stuff' we use actually looks and feels like.

Good luck. Let us know how this goes.

Welcome Andy and Tracy.  Getting past a leaky time is hard. Making sure your skin is dry and the whole fit is good and some pressure and warmth applied to the new wafer area will help a pouch stay on. Spend extra care around the hole you cut. Measure often. If you need more  paper charts ask a company to send you a handful.  if you are using the barrier wipes, it is possible to use too much in trying to protect our skin. Have you tried just using the wafer only, no pastes and such? If you have not, maybe experiment. With the barrier if you use it of course.

Tracey, you really need to be seen in  emerge. If you have no one to drive you then call an ambulance. This way there is no wait in chairs. You need to advocate for yourself here.  A few words doctors pay attention to...I think it is infected.  Even if it does not look infected, say so. Let them decide. Tell them you can't do this alone and need the help to figure out what is going on. Also tell them you have no quality of life because you have no clue what is wrong  and how to fix it. Cry of you ga e to. You are so strong I  trying g to work this out for yourself, but now it is time to insist on help. Do as Donna said, and do your best to make them understand. You Re too new to this to be trying to figure this out on your own. If you develope a major infection that is no good either.  Please get some professional medical advice ASAP. Let us know what happens.

Hi,
My mom had an ileostomy a few months ago and she gets a fair bit of leagage lately. Is it normal for the area that is affected most by the leakage to burn and itch after the appliance and wafer have been attached. The itch and burn isn't spreading, just localised to the area that was most affected. I've been worried about another leak, but the area seems really dry.

Glad I found the site. You've been invaluable.

In the late 70’s (ileostomy in 1974) I saw a ostomy nurse in OKC. She recommended this procedure. Get a new small bottle of original non flavored Milk oh Magnesia. DO NOT SHAKE. Pour off the liquid watery part. Now, shake. Gently pat on a thin coating of the thick white stuff left in the bottle. This feels great on skin. Now, dust with stoma powder. Then spray on a thin layer tincture of benzoin. Let dry about 60 seconds. Touch skin without the milk of mag goop. It should feel tacky. If not repeat spray routine. Then put on the Eakins seal and then faceplate, and the bag. I’ve had my ileostomy 45 years and have been a pharmacist 42 years. I’ve explained this procedure many times and it usually helps.

Experience speaks for itself. After many years respect

Hi Suzanne, one of my stoma nurses had me do the same with calamine lotion (i.e. pouring the liquid off and using what's left on the skin). I do recall it helping, but I'm glad there's another option - and your tip sounds like it stood the test of time :)

Don’t get discouraged... it takes practice and lot of it. I was in tears because it seems that I had leaks every day, some times more often in a single day. Now I’m comfortable with changing my appliance about once a week... although few days ago I had a “pancaking” situation going on which was a mess but I kept calm and worked through it. Relax, set everything that you need out (even things that you may not have used) and work through it all! ?
I’m a colostomy mate since October 2018 and still feel like I’m new at this. YouTube by veganostomy and others like him really go a long way for learning... glean information from many of the Ostomymates and apply what works... but make adjustments when things change, like the size of your stoma and such. I wish the best for all those who read this.