ok...my first experience w/coloplast assura extended wear system was not a great one

so...i put  the wafer on and i loved it! it doesnt seperate from my skin by my belly button like my convatecs did. it fit snug and it wasnt so conspicous. no big white tape around it yay! so the bag.....

i put the bag on fine, lock it or whatever, and i go out shopping w/my mom.its going great until my stoma starts putting out air. i didnt feel it like i usuall do, but the bag started ballooning! i hate that, especially when im in work clothes, bc my dresses are pretty thin. So the genious that i am...i'm thinking i can do like i do with my convatec i just grab the top tab on the bag and open it a little and let the air out. As i mentioned in another post, at work i can do it sitting at my desk....its that quick! So im in daffys (looking for swimsuits) and i push the button to unlock the snap, pull it a little bit away from the flange, close it and snap it back shut. NO swimsuits at daffys so im headed to target.

So while im in target about 15 mins, getting ready to try on swimsuits...i start to feel something wet on my stomach! i pull my skirt from my waste and lo and behold, my bag is literally just sitting on my skirt. away from my flange, its completely off! and apparently im just spilling on myself! so of course i freak out....run to the bathroom with my ostomy bag...

ahhh hello genious u didnt put n e more of the coloplast flanges or bags in ur spare bag!!!

but! i have the convatec moldables! so yay i can change it! doing this with one hand while my stoma is putting out  is very difficult. Not to mention, there are people in the stalls on both sides of me and the flange keeps falling on the floor! (in the wrapper) so ikeep sticking my foot under the stalls to keep getting it back, and i know the lady is like what is this that she keeps dropping?!

So thank goodness i finally get the flange on (convatec moldable) that i dont have to cut and i look in my bag and guess what!! NO BAGS!!!!!!! now im freaking....starting to cry (not sob loudly, but my tears are welling up in my eyes) so i tell myself to calm down and breath, i dont know what i'm going to do.  I have some papertowels, so im thinking if i can cover up the stoma with the paper towels and use the plastic bag i have to catch whatever until i drive the 30min drive home, then i can get home to a bag.  As i go to use the paper towel i see one folded bag! THANK YOU LORD! i clean myself up, snap it on and go on to finish with swimsuits....i found two cute ones by the way.

N e way, i say this to say that that totally sucked! and to ask, what do u guys do to stop the ballooning, i have a total fear now of even attempting to open the bag from the top.

Praying, you amaze me! You were able to change your flange in the bathroom at Target??!! I just added to the thread I started about my daughter's issues changing the wafer and she does that at home, in her room, laying down.

I think you did great. And got 2 bathing suits too!

My daughter has sometimes opened the bag from the bottom (holding the tail up--learn from experience!). It will let just enough air out.  She is still at the stage where she just goes to the bathroom and releases the gas and the output together.

You are VERY funny prayingforhealing. I can only imagine how you felt. I got a sample (never used it, though) of a product called like "easy vent" or something. It is like you connect it to your bag so you can vent any of them without having to open it.

My dilemma that I do and I kick myself every time is that I will be sitting somewhere and think that the top of the pouch is filled with air and then I open it to "vent it" and poo comes out. I end up having to jump half out of my skin to stop it and then have to go to the bathroom to clean up the mess. I actually have taken a couple of days off from cleaning out my bag. I ordered a box of the closed pouches (for recreational etc things where emptying is so hard to do). I have spoiled myself for the past couple of days by using those opposed to the drainable ones. It has been such a nice break from messing with the poo and emptying the bag.

Thanks for the story.....my first time empyting in public, someone opened the door on me (locks didn't work well) and I was so embarrassed. But your story tops that times ten!!

I, too, let out the gas from the top and have ended up with output all over....glad to know I'm not the only one who does that!

That's why they usually give you 2 or more of the products to sample, cos usually you don't apply the first one correctly due to inexperience. Try it again and see what happens :)