HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

How many days do you wear a pouch?

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
Typically, how many days do you wear a pouch?
1 or less - 3.4% - 1 votes
2 or 3 - 13.8% - 4 votes
4 or 5 - 44.8% - 13 votes
6 or 7 - 27.6% - 8 votes
8 or 9 - 6.9% - 2 votes
10 or more - 3.4% - 1 votes
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/18/2011 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Just curious. People mention how many days they can wear a pouch, but I don't think I've seen a poll on it; thought it would be interesting to compile results. As always, pick the choice that best fits, even though the choices aren't going to work for everyone.
Posted 12/18/2011 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
First thing in the morning on Sundays and Wednesdays for hubby. I am always here on those days as a rule and although he is self-sufficient to do his own change, we have a system that literally takes a few minutes from the moment he gets out of the shower so we do it as a team. The extra pair of hands just make it a "piece of cake" and a swift process.
Posted 12/18/2011 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
great idea! was thinking exactly the same thing just the other day. I change every other day usually.. if it's itching or just annoying me then sometimes every day. Depends on my mood!
Posted 12/18/2011 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Well if it's the pouch I can change that every 2-3 days but ther wafer can go 5 days, do you mean wafer or pouch?
Posted 12/18/2011 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I meant wafer -- I wear a one piece, so didn't make that distinction, sorry.

Boy it is so hard to write the simplest survey and be clear -- a good lesson.

I am getting more time on bed rest than I used to. Makes sense. One of the perks, I suppose.
Posted 12/19/2011 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
I usually get 6 or 7 I went 8 the week and maybe could have made it longer but I got really nervous!
Posted 12/19/2011 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
I usually do about 4. I tried 5 this last time and the eakin seal had started to wear away too much around the stoma (that's the reason for my changes at 4 days), and my skin was so raw!! I knew better...shouldn't have chanced it.
Posted 12/19/2011 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
I do 6 or 7. If I need to I can do 8.

Dan
Posted 12/19/2011 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Yikes, just had my first leak in a long time, when I was going to change tomorrow on day 7.... the wafer had been peeling up a bit, and I meant to put a sure seal on before I showered again, but then I didn't etc..... have the sure seal on now.... before I was mostly on bed rest, I went 4 or 5, but I've been going 6 mostly now, but I did 7 once and it was fine, but not this time..... oh well. Wasn't that big a deal, which is pretty amazing ...
Posted 12/19/2011 3:38 AM (GMT 0)
I change every 3 or 4 days. Generally on a Monday since that is one of my days off of work and then again on Friday. That one is hard because I have to wake up extra early to do it before leaving for work.
Posted 12/20/2011 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Brandon changes it every 4-5 days.   it seems that the barrier ring starts to wear down at that point and the adhesive from the wafer starts to come up.   Usually Sunday nights and Wed-Thursday nights.   We have had great luck with the Colopast two piece appliance and the Hollister Adapt barrier rings.

 

Posted 12/20/2011 2:04 AM (GMT 0)

I am still testing things and am wearing them as long as I can--just to see.  My surgery was 5 months ago.

I chose 8-9 days on the poll.  One time I did get 14 days wear, but would not do that routinely.   I am getting around 7-10 days with Convatec and Hollister 2-piece convex appliances.  I think once I get a handle on what works best I will shoot for once a week.  Beginning in January, my insurance will not pay anything until I meet a high deductible, so I will need to stretch my supplies as long as I can.

Convex wafers and Eakin seals are a must for me.  I was only getting 2-hours to 2-3 days before.   I have also been using Sure Seals in my test runs.   Not sure they are necessary for my daily life, but I am liking the added security.   Opsite Flexifix tape works the same way, just not as ''neat''.

Posted 12/20/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
I've been doing 3 or 4 days, but I just started wearing Sure Seals on top of the wafer and am thinking I will get another day or two out of the wafers now. What is the recommended wear time for the bags themselves? I just change them when I change the wafer, at this point, but if I were to start wearing the wafer longer, how often should the bag be changed?
Posted 12/20/2011 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
I wear a one piece, so the bag there lasts as long as the wafer. With the coloplast, I sometimes put some sticky velcro from the hardware store over the velcro that comes with it and which sometimes gets loose after several days. I guess if I had a two piece, I might change the bag then, but what I do works (it gets loose because I forget to dry off the inside after a morning shower, and then it sits wet for hours).

It would be interesting to know how the brands compare in wear time.... but that's a more complicated poll.
Posted 12/20/2011 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
     I use the one piece Coloplast sensura.  Last year, when I had some irritation under the wafer, my surgeon said the longer you can leave it on, the better.  He meant 6 or 7 days.  It gives the irritation some time to heal, which makes sense.  I now change  every four days. 
Posted 12/20/2011 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
I use convex, Convetec moldable with Eakin. I get 7-10. Usually I can tell on the 7 if I can push it another day or so. If I use sure seals, I can get longer because of a bad dip by my incision, the sure seals keep in down more security.
Posted 12/21/2011 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Blueglass,

I wear a pouch everyday! LOL!

I have been changing pouches at least twice a week, but lately have been doing 3 because the old charcoal filter seems to be getting clogged...I don't like having to burp the bag on top of everything else...

I have been changing wafer once every 7 days (Sunday being change day). But, I am toying with the idea of changing on Thursday/Sunday since I notice micro-leaks(as I call them) that don't get past the eakin seal, but irritate the skin a little....I may do that over the Christmas/New Years break and see if I can get up early enough so I can do it on a Thursday work day.
Posted 12/22/2011 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Touche, Enigmawrap.... and I meant wafer anyways.... let me rephrase, "How many days do you wear one particular wafer before changing to a different wafer?" Is that clearer?

A 7 day cycle would be so convenient. I don't think it's going to work for me either, though....
Posted 12/22/2011 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
Well I used to do 5-6 with the Adapt rings and the Hollister New Image. Ever since they changed the design, the rubber part of the flange that you cut to fit, just melts right away. Within a couple hours of installation, it actuall melts over the stoma and almost swallows it. I have to actually roll up a peice of toilet paper and clean it out till the next day. Then after about 3 days it starts lifting up. So now I only get about 4
Posted 12/22/2011 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Sometimes every three days, other times four times a day. I never know.
Posted 12/26/2011 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
My STN always told me I could wear my bag (one piece) for up to three days, but I could change it everyday if i wanted to. Basically said to go with whatever I feel comfortable with.

So I change my bag every day. I do occasionally have it on for two days, but thats only if I'm hung over in the morning and don't want to worry about changing it. But I feel sooo much better if its a new bag!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply