Think I just give up on healing the skin around my stoma

It seems unhealable. I've been stuck with this patch of raw skin for months. Not even Friar's basalm has healed it.

What's your skin around your stoma like? I'm more interested in hearing from those with end ileos, as that's what I have. No idea if this is normal or not. All I know is, I've been stressing myself out over it every single time I change the bag, but I don't think I can be bothered caring about it anymore. Just feel stuck with an ileostomy I wish I didn't have.

I do have a stoma nurse (who I have an appointment with on the 6th Feb), but I'm not convinced she's going to be able to help.

At least I haven't had any leaks for a while. It gets a bit sore and itchy under the wafer at times, but apart from that, I don't think I have any issues serious enough to warrant an earlier appointment. I think I do just really give up: I just don't want the skin to get even worse :-/

ncot
Tell us what your change procedure is. Maybe we will have some suggestions.

Dan

@ByeByeUC - Malox or Mylanta? *googles*. Woah, they seem to be heartburn treatments. Would Gaviscon do? >_>

@windy city - What do you mean by 'inverted' stoma? Your first two paragraphs sound exactly the same as what I have. The tip of my stoma tends to curl upwards, and the very bottom of it goes in, like the middle of an hourglass I suppose. I don't think it's quite a normal shape and that bugs me, considering I've got another 40-odd years of this.

By the 3rd day, my wafer has broken down quite a bit. Not enough to cause a leak, but enough so that it looks like there is a rubber seal plastered on there: even though I haven't used any seals for a few weeks. If it's diet, then I dunno what I'm eating which causes it.

Yeah, could take a picture and post it, I suppose... :-/

@polish dan - For ages, my procedure looked like this:

*remove bag with adhesive remover
*have shower
*blot stoma area thorougly with kitchen paper
*apply cavillon spray and let it dry
*apply rubber seal (used Dansac ones for ages; I then tried Eakin but got a leak)
*more blotting
*plonk on bag (Salts' 1-piece non-convex)

I still mostly do all that, but I stopped with the seals as they didn't seem to be doing a thing. Tried stopping the cavillon, but I think it's marginally better with the cavillon than without. I'm experimenting with bags at the moment; have tried tried Salts' 1-piece convex and Coloplast Sensura's 2-piece: I like the 2-piece, but would like to try a convex one.

And then I'll give up... :-/

Oh yes and I have also tried Friar's basalm. It only arrived a few days ago, so I put it on at my last bag change, which was a Coloplast Sensura. I applied the basalm all round the wafer area with a cotton bud, including over the sore part. It didn't sting as much as I expected, and that bothered me slightly: I remember reading it really stung when it was applied, but it didn't with me.

Either one...Malox or Mylanta ... It's a liquid antacid in a bottle. It's white and when it dries it makes a coating that was soothing to the irritated skin. I'm not familiar with Gaviscon.

I have a spot to the left and under mine that itches a lot, and it is usually a little red, sometimes the skin is broken a bit. I don't put anything on it, I just put a little cold water on it when I change and then dry it really well. I don't change that often, especially when I have problems I find that makes it worse. Obviously if I can see a leak I change but otherwise I just leave it.
If you stand up when you change your bag you might try laying down. I can't get a good seal if I don't lay down. Also after you apply the wafer use the hair dryer for a bit and warm it up and press down on your skin. I think it helps it stick better.
I use paste on the wafer and that's all. I usually get 7 days. I could probably go longer but the bag starts to get yucky and I don't like to change the bag alone. I think it's too hard.

try changing your wafer more frequently. If you say its "breaking down" by the third day. Then change every two days.
and if you feel a wierdness or itch under the wafer. change immediately.

and try the convex wafers

and if you really do have raw skin under a wafer right now... you should be seeing an ostomy nurse tomorrow. If you don't get some new tricks going to fix that it will get worse. And the worse the skin gets... the more likely a leak will happen.
good luck

I never use any kind of adhesive remover. I find that adhesive remover causes more skin irritation. There is nothing wrong with leaving a bit of residue on your skin when changing. I simply wash with warm water and plain soap. and I don't worry about having a bit of gunky residue left if the soap and water don't get it off.

I second ddd45's suggestion that the adhesive remover may be the irritation, and that leftover residue or even bits of eakin (or whatever type of) ring on the skin are a non-issue- the new ring will melt right into the old stuff, you dont need to bother removing what doesnt come off easily in the shower on a change day. I have not used any sort of powder or caillpn spray or wipe other than a couple days early on in my stoma experience. My last stoma nurse told me that is the skin isnt weeping not to worry about it- certainly, using that sort of stuff can reduce adhesion of the wafer.

Thank you, folks, for your replies. I do appreciate them. Unfortunately I got a "teensy bit" down in the dumps again today, but I'm over it (until tomorrow or next time...) >.>

Based on what people have said, I'll try skipping the adhesive remover.

It's harder to define 'raw' skin than I would have expected, but basically the top layer has peeled off and it looks red and shiny: no bleeding, but it feels sore.

Forgot to mention, I have also tried orahesive or whatever it's called :-/

Re what crohnielass said: I find it impossible to measure the stoma completely accurately. The stoma nurse just plonked a pre-cut paper template over my stoma to measure it, but I think the hole was too big. Certainly after I had worn the bag she put on, my skin was even worse than usual. Speaking of which, does anyone have any good tips for getting an accurate measurement? It's complicated even more by having a stoma that is a bit oval shaped. (I'm also rubbish at cutting the wafers. I want to go back to pre-cut ones!)

Blueheron - Your "crust" is a work of art >_>. And your peristomal skin is flawless enough to make me weep with envy. The Duoderm looks like a good idea though. I'll see if I can order that through Fittleworth.

@Eva Lou - My skin does often feel sore, tbh, but it's usually ignorable: only when I become aware of it does it bother me.

Anyway, I'd better go to bed now: the end of another fantastic day... :-/

Raw skin is my worst nightmare with the ileostomy. :( In fact, I would love my ostomy a lot more if my skin wasn't always driving me insane with itchiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, I learned some things from the comments on this post. It is truly a learning process.

Ncot, Fittleworth do supply duoderm I use to use it a few years ago and am with Fittleworth. If I was you when you go back to the stoma nurse in Feb tell her about the skin issue and ask for your stoma to be re-measured and get her to cut the bag and put it on your stoma See how that goes if the skin starts to heal then you have the right measurement and can the get your orders pre cut again xx

NCOT, Yes you can just order 1 think it will probably come in the post rather than them send a courier out. The duoderm comes in a box of 10 and each sheet measures 10X 10 hope it works for you xx