problems with ostomy bag

abroad31
abroad31 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi my name is Angie and I am posting on here for my grandmother who is a cancer survivor for 19 years now. PTL! She does have a Ostomy bag and I was wondering if there is anything anyone knows about any special clothing made for people with these bags. She has so much trouble with hers just coming off and she has a mess and it is a daily occurence sometimes 2-3 times a day. She gets so upset and embarassed so she doesnt even leave the house anymore. She says it is like she can never get a good seal, she has the belt also which she says push the fecal matter up or down and it makes it worse. I just feel so bad and if there is anything out there that can help her I want to find it so she can try it and be able to go out with the confidence that she won't have any accidental leakage. So if anyone knows of any product or has experienced the same problem and has found a solution please let me know. Thank you all so much. God bless you. Angie

Comments

  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #2
    Hi Angie
    First, congratulations to your grandmother's 19 years!!

    I'm sorry to hear of your granmother's ostomy bag problems. Seems that it is not that unusually but, there so many solutions depending on what the root of the problem is. I'm sure othters will weigh in but I'd like to make it probably easier for you to get the information you need since there can be so many ways to solve the problem. Try joining and posting here: http://www.ostomy.org/forum/index.php

    There are many osomites that will be happy to help. Not all are cancer surivors but, all have a great deal of experience, some even more than the 19 years of your grandmother.

    I hope it gets better for her because becoming housebound du to her ostomy is not a good thing. Good luck!
  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #3
    Hi Angie
    So sweet of you to try to find an answer to your grandma's problem.

    I have only had my ostomy since March, but have learned a few things which might help.

    First of all, when she bathes or showers she needs to make sure not to use a soap that has any kind of lotion in as it could cause the seal to fail. If she does use that type of soap then needs to clean the area for the seal with a plain soap then rinse well. She should also dry the area with a paper towel, not a regular towel which may have had a fabric softener used.

    Second, there are internet sites which sell ostomy clothing. Do a search on that. They have underwear that has a pouch for holding the bag.

    Next, she needs to make sure not to let the bag get more than 1/3 to 1/2 full. The weight of the bag can cause the seal to fail.

    There are also skin cleaning and preps that are available. I use an adhesive cleaner when changing to make sure to get all the old off.

    For additional information/help there are two more sources. There might be an Ostomy Nurse at the local hospital who could offer advise as to type of appliance which might work better. There is a lot of variety out there. Also the major appliance manufacturers (ConvoTec, Holester, etc) also have qualified nurses who can be reached by phone who might have additional suggestions.

    That's what I know. Tell her from one grandma to another...don't let this keep her in...there is a solution out there...just got to find the right one.

    Hugs,

    Marie who loves kitties
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    #4
    ostomy bag
    lovekitties pretty much said it all.What kind of system does she use.I use the 2 piece coloplast one ,another person I know uses the 2 piece hollister one.The 2 piece system works well for me, but I have to make sure the area around the stoma is clean ,and dry.If I go anywhere I carry a bag with extra supplies with me,and keep it handy.Loose clothing also helps alot.Not letting the bag get too full is very important.Good luck,we are here if you have any questions.Ther are alot of different systems,may she should take a look at some other ones.
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #5
    Most hospitals have a ostomy
    Most hospitals have a ostomy nurse- try calling and see if you can find one and get your grandmother into one. They are WONDERFUL to work with and have all kinds of tricks and probably leaking bags in their area of expertise!

    I had a temporary bag and definitely had seal issues. I initially used a 2 part bag, the kind with the ring (used clay like wax to try and get a good seal) and a belt- never really had any blow ups, but definitely could not get a good seal. I could smell it and could see the break through on it when I changed it. It was an ostomy nurse who got me to try diffferent bags and finally got hooked up with a smaller one piece bag. She also worked with me and a huge magnifying mirror *eyesight is horrible* which I would put on the bathroom counter so that I could get the bag exactly right. WOW what a difference that made!

    Definitely encourage her to work with a ostomy nurse. They are so good, patient and really know their stuff!
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #6
    Patteee said:

    Most hospitals have a ostomy
    Most hospitals have a ostomy nurse- try calling and see if you can find one and get your grandmother into one. They are WONDERFUL to work with and have all kinds of tricks and probably leaking bags in their area of expertise!

    I had a temporary bag and definitely had seal issues. I initially used a 2 part bag, the kind with the ring (used clay like wax to try and get a good seal) and a belt- never really had any blow ups, but definitely could not get a good seal. I could smell it and could see the break through on it when I changed it. It was an ostomy nurse who got me to try diffferent bags and finally got hooked up with a smaller one piece bag. She also worked with me and a huge magnifying mirror *eyesight is horrible* which I would put on the bathroom counter so that I could get the bag exactly right. WOW what a difference that made!

    Definitely encourage her to work with a ostomy nurse. They are so good, patient and really know their stuff!

    Need some info.....
    1...Brand she uses
    2...start to finish steps on what she does as she puts it on (she may be doing something wrong now after all this time some body features most likely have changed and the fit needs to be changed as well...
    3...yes as Patteee says ..an ostomy nurse will spot the trouble instantly if shes worth her/his salt...
    4...if the stoma is an inny then that may be some of the reasoning for the leakage...Mine is an inny and after 2 days I have to change it...It gets under the seal and starts to smell a tad...a longer stoma will get it away from the seal far enough that it doesn't normally "pancake" and work its way under to start escaping..........

    Good Luck, Buzz
  • tanker sgv
    tanker sgv Member Posts: 124
    #7
    Call Hollister at
    Call Hollister at 1-888-740-8999 they'll ask a few questions about the problem and send u some free samples. U can also call nu-hope but i don't have thirty #. If the bag fits well it could be an adhesion issue ask Hollister for a catalog on 3M products. But i know Hollister or3M came out with a nylon style belt that covers the whole bag to reduce crinkle noise.they also have non reflux charcoal filter bags if gas build up is causing an air leak, the list goes on, but call that# and they'll get u headed in the right direction
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #8
    tanker sgv said:

    Call Hollister at
    Call Hollister at 1-888-740-8999 they'll ask a few questions about the problem and send u some free samples. U can also call nu-hope but i don't have thirty #. If the bag fits well it could be an adhesion issue ask Hollister for a catalog on 3M products. But i know Hollister or3M came out with a nylon style belt that covers the whole bag to reduce crinkle noise.they also have non reflux charcoal filter bags if gas build up is causing an air leak, the list goes on, but call that# and they'll get u headed in the right direction

    ConvaTec is another manufacturer of ostomy supplies and
    knowledgeable nurses generally answer the phones......1-800-422-8811

    Its a shame after all the pain from her operation that your grandmother isn't getting back into life. You can live a worthwhile life with a colostomy bag and many of us doing so will so attest.........steve
  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    #9
    coloCan said:

    ConvaTec is another manufacturer of ostomy supplies and
    knowledgeable nurses generally answer the phones......1-800-422-8811

    Its a shame after all the pain from her operation that your grandmother isn't getting back into life. You can live a worthwhile life with a colostomy bag and many of us doing so will so attest.........steve

    Im still learning myself but
    Im still learning myself but Ive found after washing the area as mentioned above make sure its good and dry. I use a hair dryer 4 the area on air only, then wipe with alcohol wipes. air dry again.
    Is she having pancaking problems made need a ring seal.

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