@jattzl 

Joanne,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful message. That is very kind of you. It is so hard to stay positive, but I am doing the best I can and encouragement like yours goes a long way!!

@dlkfiretruck 

Thanks Linda,

I appreciate you saying I’m a tough cookies, because some days I feel like anything but that. Thanks for the tips and all the encouragement!!  I’ll take hugs any time, virtual or not. 😀

@kedikat 

The stress of interviews is something I hadn’t even considered. And yes, maybe I have been more adventurous with my diet. Still not too much, but I was just overly cautious for such a long time. Probably the biggest thing is eating more nuts, and occasionally pineapple, which I try to be super careful with. 

Thanks for your response and encouragement!!

Update:

After almost 2 weeks of daily leaks, I had a crazy run with my last change. I changed Thursday, then drove over 3 hours to my mom’s house. Driving often causes problems, especially long drives. I was expecting to have to change Thursday night, but was still hanging on. Lasted all day Friday, then I planned on showering and changing it on Saturday. After the shower it was still hanging in there. Then Sunday we spent the day at the river. I rode the jet ski out to the little island and back to the marina at the end of the day. I even had a bit of a dunk in the Columbia when my foot got stuck in the mud getting back on the jet ski. Then back at Mom’s I had another shower and it still was holding on. Then the drive home. Finally I took another shower Tuesday and took it off even though there was no leak. I have no idea what I did differently. Oh, and for those wondering, I had to change again today. 🤣

Something else I didn’t mention, that isn’t a new thing over the last few leaks, but does contribute to my leaks—I have a loop ileostomy. The primary opening goes to the right a bit, but the second opening is right at skin level, to the left, right where I get all my leaks. I think it is hard to get the wafer to stick when that second hole is right there. I’m hoping I can get this changed to an end ileostomy??  But right now hospitals are packed and not doing an elective surgeries. 

And finally...

I got a call Thursday on one of the jobs I interviewed for and they offered my a job!!!  I signed and returned the offer letter yesterday. I don’t have a start date yet. It is a government contractor, so they do a background check, drug test, and education and employment verification. I’m not worried about any of those things, just hoops to jump through. Then I have the issue of my planned trip to Hawaii mid-October. So it looks like I will either start Oct 4th or Nov 1st. They like people to start at the beginning of a pay period, so it depends on whether the manager wants me to start ASAP or wait until after vacation.  Assuming we are still able to go with the latest Covid surge. 🤞

That’s brilliant news 👍👍 the very best on the new job 

The ostomy/hernia belt from nu image really fits tight around the flange, And u  can adjust the tightness..this might help to keep it tight against skin

Posted by: @squeakyandliza

Something else I didn’t mention, that isn’t a new thing over the last few leaks, but does contribute to my leaks—I have a loop ileostomy. The primary opening goes to the right a bit, but the second opening is right at skin level, to the left, right where I get all my leaks. I think it is hard to get the wafer to stick when that second hole is right there.

Hi Liza!

So good to hear about the job and that you are planning a vacation!  I hope you are having better luck with finding the right system that will help with your leaks.  I also have a loop ileostomy along with the hernia dips.  My stoma was like yours and the second opening is flush with my skin and sometimes even goes lower!  I know that this is the reason for my problem with leaks.  It took about a year but now I can go 6 days between changes.  I use a skin barrier film and blow dry so that it is completely dry.  I use Mio one-piece light convex with an Eakin slim barrier ring attached to the pouch.  I heat it up with the blow dryer right before putting it on and then press it down for a minute or so.  That makes a big difference.   Also, after a year or so of using the convex pouches my stoma changed and is now above my skin.  Who knows why.  I wish I would not have gotten the loop.  It seems to make leaking much more of a problem.

All the best to you!

Joanne

@jattzl ...your very welcome! I'm glad to have hopefully helped! 

SqueakyandLiza...heres  hoping issues have settled down for you by now. You truly are a "tough cookie"! I remember well reading your 1st posts & wanting to pack you up and take you home with me! Lololol...but you had/have your Tom who has been so amazing at helping you on every corner & challenge & changing your dressing, not something every hubby can stomach. Your a very lucky Lady!  Hang on tight to this fellow of yours! How is your situation now with the  leaks, any improvement? 

This has been a record week. I had 2 changes Monday, 2 Tuesday and today I just got my third leak. This is three changes today in about 6 hours. 😡 Ugh. I have to get this figured out before I start my new job. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Lisa, so sorry to hear this. I scare leakage as well. I understand how you feel.

Lisa, is your output watery ? Anything like your diet, dressing, etc, changed before end of August ?

If you feel comfortable, would you like to post a picture after leakage right before you change, then another picture after you change it and post them here.  Hopefully our family here can take a look and see if anyone can see and help you find out the cause. 

@squeakyandliza ...Oooo... that is  upsetting to say the least!! Plus you have  your  birthday trip coming up too!! 

I have had more frequent & not very nice leaks lately including one massive one while sleeping. I discovered it on standing as output hit the top of my feet!!   I'm doing nothing different either.   Has anyone else had more frequent leaks as if late??

Anyone else had the velcro spontaneously open up for you.... twice????  

Honestly I'm beginning  to wonder if our pouch makers have been forced into further changes with the plastics  involved in making our pouches that are causing extra leaks & a lot more water usage, toilet tissue usage & obviously a lot more pouches in the  " landfill??!!! "   how are these changes easier on the environment??? 

Last week the velcro opened up on me out of the blue! Once was okay but a second time! Ugh!!!!  I've been wearing & opening & closing these suckers multiple times a day for over 12 years & I know I'm doing it the same way as ever... so, whats going on?  After closer investigation I had to wonder if the velcro strips were shorter in the pile more then usual or not?  Length possibly?? I have no old pouches to compare the length to.  Is it a bad box batch?? 

Ugh! I'm not even coming close  to what our Liza is dealing with either. So how about it. Anyone else having more leaks these days??? Needing more frequent changes due to a noticable quicker softening of the wafer?? 

Liza, I hope you can figure this out ASAP! 

Liza, I am sorry to learn of your aggravating trouble with leaks; I am thinking of you and hoping that this gets resolved (in the next five minutes). There are so many different reasons for leaks, and on top of that our bodies do change, adding to the challenge. Your situation sounds difficult; I am sending vibes and good thoughts your way.

LK, I believe you are right - the materials used in manufacture are not the quality they have been.  My ostomy is three and a half years old, and I have seen this deterioration. The plastic is noisy and brittle, bags smell after a shorter time, the velcro is of a flimsier quality, I do go through more bags because of the “leaking” of smell. On top of it all, the price of our supplies has increased as the quality has decreased.

LL

Liza

Can you remind us which type of bag and barrier ring you are using.

I have been through a major chase around various manufacture of bags, convexity, barrier rings. The ostomy nurse (5 visit 6 nurses- almost throws their hand in air) the companies have been great with samples I myself came up with the unusual solution that works for me!

Some barrier ring melt with the output, some don't. If the skin has become sore and moist its hard for them to stick at all causing more leaking. 

The crusting technique stoma powder/barrier spray/stoma powder might help with the drying, any little sneaky dribble from squeaky will defeat the sticking. alternating  changes with calamine lotion can help to retreat the spread of the leakage.

If you put some weight on the contour of the surrounding moat might of changed, so what worked last week doesn't anymore.

Hang in there I almost gave up I can assure you but I have for me a solution it took a lot of time effort and frustration and I learnt a lot from it

Hi Liza, That’s tough going! It’s a catch 22 you leak change which can be rushed, the skin gets damaged and so on. Always a temptation to overdo products to heal and help. Check the leak route, keep products simple. Plus and this one is easier said than done! Don’t get disheartened. Any leak shakes morale. And do keep at the medics as your stoma has is problematic. The folks here have yer back 👍

@squeakyandliza 

I am sorry to hear that you are still having issues. I wish there was an easy answer. Reading over the responses from the others, it could be anything that is causing your problem 🤔. 

A couple of weeks ago, I went from a 1 1/8" barrier to a 1 1/4" as I was having issues of constantly going flat and pancaking. I was changing out every one to two days  It seems that my stoma needed the extra room. 😊 Could this be any help to you?

I hope you resolve this problem very soon. I wish I could give you better advice 😔, but this really is perplexing.

Stella

What are all the details of your equipment, products and methods? Any skin or body issues in that area?

I have got to a consistent 7 day wear time. But I think I have pretty ideal situation physically, luckily.

Of course it comes down to adhesion right round the stoma. To leak so quickly, it seems a very poor initial adhesion. Or else a lot of skin oils / sweat being produced quickly. I never had such quick failures.

Is your stoma circular or odd shaped? Is a loop stoma always going to be oddly shaped? Not familiar with that.

My protective ring seems can break down easier compare to few months before. When I change my bag now, I could see a big piece of the ring broke. Barely use it for 3 days. I remembered it was in good shape even I used it for 4/5 days before. 

Stella, I have noticed this, also, with my Adapt barrier rings, the breaking off of pieces from where the ring has risen into the bag. I have taken to flattening the inner part, closest to the stoma, before putting it on, to see if that might help - but it doesn’t. 

Here is one positive thing I have found lately - that using a little of both Adapt lubricant and M9 seems to work well. I had been using M9 only, but the chemistry seems to create a more effective odor control as well as the teensiest improvement in dealing with pancaking.

I can’t even begin to tell you all how much I appreciate all your comments and suggestions. I love this group!!

Let me try to answer your questions as much as I can. My memory isn’t what it used to be. 😂

My loop ileostomy is an odd shape, which makes it difficult to fit the appliance. Plus my stoma nurse compared it to a mushroom in that it is wider at the top than close to my skin. But the second opening right at skin level is very challenging. When I am putting the wafer on I can push it down enough so my stoma sticks out but it doesn’t stay that way when I stop pushing on it. Especially once I start being active at all. 

I am using coloplast Sensura Mio 2 piece click with a deep convex wafer. I use a thin brava protective ring and sometimes I cut a piece of another ring to reinforce the spot where all my leaks are. After I cut and warm my wafer, I put the ring directly onto the wafer overlapping the hole and then tuck the edge of the ring through the hole to guarantee the ring is up against the stoma instead of the wafer. My stoma nurse taught me that trick. 

I have an ileostomy, so output is generally more on the liquid side. My contour (I like the tactful way you put that, Chris) does fluctuate occasionally, so that could be part of the problem. I do think I have been more active, but not more than an average person. I think bending is a problem, but lately I’m getting leaks with next to no activity. 

Fortunately, I haven’t had any problems with my Velcro. But maybe it I kept a bag on more than a day, I might. 😂

I will try to snap some good pictures. The problems with leaks is Squeaky doesn’t always cooperate and behave during the changes. 😂 💩Ultimately, I think a stoma revision might help. Getting rid of the loop and trading for an end ileostomy. But I do need to fix the problem in the short term with a big vacation in 3 weeks and starting my new job right after. 

Thanks again to everyone for offering suggestions, questions and especially encouragement. 😊

Liza

I had already guessed you had a loop iliostomy and were using a mio 2 piece convex.

First loops  are always a bigger problem than an end. What I've noticed is the redundant part of the loop is level with or below the skin, they ooze some liquid mucus (its clear and hard to see) moisten the skin and sneak around the stoma reducing the adhesiveness of the seal.

The Mio convex wafer has a large ridged section as far as the belt loop, can cause a effect like a gang plank (think of pirates of the Caribbean and walking the plank) putting pressure on the last 1/4 inch of the wafer especially if the skin contour curve away ( have I explained that well?) lifting the edge and making an air gap all the way to the barrier ring edge.

this is how I solved the problem.

I tried a Dansac TRE wafer with a Hollister 89530 Adapt Convex barRing 27-38mm with a brava barrier ring it work a treat because the convex  ring has a smaller dia and the wafer is more flexible and sticks well --- ONLY I got a skin reaction to the adhesive of the TRE :-? 

So a mio flat wafer with the Hollister ring attached to the wafer and then a coloplast Brava ring put around the stoma checking its stuck well down more for matching both together  WORKS for me!

Coloplast deep convex wafer is 3 inch diameter ridged for the convex section 1/2 inch more than the click base ring on the flat is marginally more than the ring on the flat wafer and is more flexible.  Since my stoma is close to my scar its difficult to match the contour and stick down on or near the scar. as the Hollister convex barrier ring is smaller in diameter gives a greater opportunity  for the wafer to adhere in a difficult area. 

I have already feed this info back to Coloplast and everyone is impressed with my ingenuity and the nurses are very relieved a revision of my stoma would be difficult.

If your stoma is on a very curve part of the body you might have the same problem?

hope this description of my problems give you some ideas.

PS. I tried one piece convex's they were even worse for gang planking (A new term for not sticking around a curved stomach). :-D 

Chris