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Posted 5/14/2012 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
yeah  Day 4 and we changed the bag. NOT because it leaked but because we figured it was time. It's been on for a few hours this morning and so far so good. We just couldn't be happier, for Mom and even for ourselves which isn't meant to sound selfish but it took minutes to take the old bag off and put the new one on as compared to before the ''EAKIN SEAL''.  I've been asking for it and sending for samples when Kaiser said we didn't need it. Now we have it and they will order it for us from now on. What a relief.

I can't thank you all enough for being there for me and letting me vent when I needed too.

Have a great day everyone, again, we plan on it.

toritoo

Posted 5/14/2012 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
As long as she has no itchies or smells coming from the bag, its best to just leave it on as long as possible. The changing is hard on the skin! I go 7 or 8 days, but I've been doing this a long time,lol.
A good way to know if the bag would have lasted longer is by how hard it is to get off. For example, if on day 3 you change and there is still a lot of stickiness left and. Adhesive to clean off next time try another day. When I change mine it comes off very easily with no adhesive left behind!
Good luck!
Posted 5/14/2012 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats, that's excellent!

I know people get a lot more days, but at the beginning I was told to change every 4 days -- her stoma is still probably changing a lot, and you just want to keep tabs on things. After a few months, you can try for longer.

Also, if the Eakin is the key, they degrade after 4-5 days...

That's my two cents. It's really trial and error for everyone.... too much error for all of you.

What a great mother's day present!
Posted 5/14/2012 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hello to All!!

I haven't posted in a while, but I "visit" daily!

Just wanted to say what a great site this is that allows us to come and discuss what is an essential part of our lives now.

The regular posters, and you know who you are, do such a wonderful job patiently explaining things. I do appreciate every word you type!!


Love to All,
Mollie
Posted 5/15/2012 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Daffodil,
You are so right about how great this web site is and how nice some of the members who have been here awhile can/are the best. This situation that Mom is in is new to us so having someplace to go for advice is just fabulous.

Thanks again everyone.
toritoo
Posted 5/17/2012 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have colostomy - I change every 4 days but don't wait too long.
Posted 5/19/2012 9:08 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Everyone,

 

  Sorry it's been awhile but I've been ill with an UTI and the "Heaven sent" Easkin seals have not been working for us. More likely it is us but we're lucky if we get a bag to last 24 hours. I'd like to tell you how we are doing it as per the stoma nurse, if you don't mind?

  after washing and drying the area well with paper towels and the gauze pads

  we mold the eakin seal to flatten it out

  put powder then spray around the stoma

  put the bag on

  tape it all around like a picture frame

and that's it. Those eakin seals are not at all what I thought they were. I thought they were very thin - like saran wrap thin and clingy but it's hard and malleable. So I'm not sure what that is that I was thinking of.

Are we doing something wrong? Is there a special way to flatten the eakin seal besides using your thumbs

and fingers? We make sure the edges are beveled.

  Mom is hanging in there and is feeling better, they are talking about doing the reverse surgery in July if she

is well nourished and her blood level is ok. Last week she came home from the hospital, again, because

she needed 4 pints of blood! She is also on an IV 16 hours a day and off at night. Lactate\ringers to keep

her hydrated.

  Thank you  again for all your words of wisdom they are much appreciated believe me. Hope to hear more

after this. lol Have great weekends everyone.

toritoo

Posted 5/20/2012 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
Don't use the powder! Or if you absolutely have to use it, hit it with a no sting barrier wipe/sponge instead of the spray - then make sure it is "dry" before you try to apply pouch, eakin, whatever else you are going to use.

Have you tried the paste? I use the stomahesive paste and that combined with the convex wafer I swear has saved my sanity. *knock on wood* no "accidents" for going on 8+ weeks now.
Posted 5/20/2012 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
My Mom says we have tried the paste and it didn't work. Me, I can't remember but I thought using the powder with the spray made a paste when together? My sister put this last bag on Mom on friday and knock on wood it's still adhereing quite well so I figure we are safe for another couple of days? I hope.
Thanks for the advice though, as ever it's deeply appreciated by not only by me but anyone else who reads these posts. : )
toritoo
Posted 5/20/2012 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
Only put the paste in a ring around the opening for the stoma and be sure it hugs right up to the edge. My WOCN was telling me at my last appt. she went to visit someone who was having problems and they had put paste all over the entire wafer. I'm glad whatever your sister did is working!
Posted 6/7/2012 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a little confused here. Was the nurse putting the appliance on in the hospital an actual ostomy nurse or one of the floor nurses? My experience is that an ostomy nurse is the person to speak with when problems come up - not a home healthcare nurse or the floor nurses. These ostomy nurses have EXTENSIVE training in all areas of this issue - the others do not. They aren't bad nurses, they just don't have the training or experience in ostomies.
Posted 6/7/2012 6:31 PM (GMT 0)

Went out and had an appt. with the Stoma Nurse tues. I can't believe that we've still been struggling with this issue for months. If a bag lasts a whole day and night then breaks we feel lucky that we at least had one night of good sleep! More often then not though we've still been having to change them sometime 2 or more in a 24 hour period and it's exhausting. So after who knows how many different bags, one or two piece we have again gotten a new one piece bag with an adhesive around the edges to help it stay on. I know we can't but I sure wish we could just leave it on for as long as it lasts but the stoma nurse said to change it after 3 maybe 4 days max. So we will be changing it soon and we will see how well it works out when we do it ourselves. Fingers crossed everyone.

  We have found a way to deal with the gas problem (having to go burp it every 15 mins. is a drag.) The stoma nurse gave us these little tabs that you stick to the bag close to the top of it and then you use a pair of scissors and puncture the bag behind the tab, put the cap on and tada when she has gas she just has to lift the cap off letting the gas out of the bag without having to empty the whole bag. Mom's pretty jazzed about these things.

So anyways we will keep on trying up to the time she is ready to go back and have the surgery reversed in July around the 18th or so. Since this all began with an obstruction back in January we have been dealing with the bag issues for the past 5+ months. Through it all though Mom has been awesome and we are so proud of her.

Thanks everyone for the all helpful advice you've been great.

toritoo :-)

Posted 6/7/2012 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
Read my posts and you will see that my husband went through the same thing. Everyone said to get the CONVEX wafers and they do work like a charm. I also contacted the companies and they sent nice sample boxes. We are changing every 3rd day because we don't want to push our luck either. Good luck to your mother! ALSO make sure your mother applies her hand over the wafer when you first put it on....the heat is needed to help "set" the adhesive. We don't use the Easkin seals....just the convex barrier works well when it is fitted snugly around the stoma. We use 1-1/4" stoma opening and gently STRETCH it horizontally to 1-1/2" oval shape and then it fits just right.
Posted 6/8/2012 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
Will do trafficdonna and thanks. We're going to be changing the bag pretty soon and she has all these appt.s for infusions and the blood tests and everything else I will read your post and let you all know how things are going as soon as I have enough free time. We both had a free day today with no appt.s and it was heavenly. Ran errands and caught up on some things that needed doing and now off to bed.
Good night everyone,
toritoo
Posted 6/9/2012 7:07 AM (GMT 0)
Every time I write here about my Mom's bag the darn things leaks, This time at 1 a.m. and again at 6 a.m. this morning. I've just finished changing it, again and so I'm off to bed. Just wanted to leave a note for those who read this thread.
toritoo
Posted 6/22/2012 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All.
Well its been a few weeks since. I wrote but things haven't changed that much. Still having the same issues with getting them to stay on and all the gas and a foamy substance in the bag. One big change is that Mom has learned to change the bag herself. First time she did it we didn't even know and it lasted 3 days! So proud of her and how well she is doing. She's had the test to see if she is ready for the surgeery to put it back together. Waiting on results. Wait and see time. Thanks again for all the best wishes, advice, help in general. I don't know what I wold've done without all of your help and letting me just vent. So thank you thank you thank you.
Toritoo
Posted 6/22/2012 4:01 PM (GMT 0)

I'm new at HealingWell.com, and am just cruising around on this slow day at work.  Our best friend has been dealing with colon cancer, surgeries, and reversals so I'm trying to know more for him.  After about 4-5 years he's only now able to talk with my husband about it in any detail.  We're proud of him, too.  It sounds like your mother sure has terrific support from you and is a strong woman herself.  Many times they'll surprise you!  Remember that the love will carry you through.

Posted 6/30/2012 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

  Once again thank you for all your words of wisdom and caring. My Mom is amazing! She's one of those women that thinks of others before herself, that once you meet her you become friends with, that is more worried about others (us) then herself. She is just awesome! She has now mastered putting on her own bag and has even begun driving! All of her Dr.s love her and wish that all their patients were like her. Same with nurses and all medically involved people she sees regularly.

  Only 3 weeks til the reversal surgery and she is fit and ready for it. It's a lil frightening for the rest of us kids but when this all started as a blockage in her intestines and they rushed her into surgery they gave her a 10% chance of survival! She made it though and ended up having 2 more surgeries with the same odds on the following 2 days. She found out yesterday from one of her dr.s/surgeons that every single surgeon on staff at Kaiser worked on her durring at least one of her surgeries! She is a strong woman and I hope I can be just like her in that respect.

  Thanks again everyone,

toritoo yeah

 

ps I am a bit worried about the unknowns involved in the reversal. Dr.s said 5 to 7 days in the hospital and at least 6 weeks to recover after. Is that right? Are there things I should know but you only can learn from someone that has been there? Special tips etc. Whatever happens we will handle it and take good care of her.

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