First time skin issue

I think you need to figure out why it's irritated. if it's because it leaked, you may want to use a ring. If it's because you didn't have a good seal, or you didn't cut it close enough, you may just want to use powder and barrier protector and see if you can get it to heal and adjust to get a better fit when you change. A lot of people do a layer of powder then pat with barrier protector and repeat that 3x. I use convex because I never got a good seal with flat and that caused me a lot of skin irritation. My loop is a nightmare anyway...

notsosicklygirl said...
I think you need to figure out why it's irritated. if it's because it leaked, you may want to use a ring. If it's because you didn't have a good seal, or you didn't cut it close enough, you may just want to use powder and barrier protector and see if you can get it to heal and adjust to get a better fit when you change. A lot of people do a layer of powder then pat with barrier protector and repeat that 3x. I use convex because I never got a good seal with flat and that caused me a lot of skin irritation. My loop is a nightmare anyway...

I've had a couple of seal issues due to the lack of good supplies here with the shape/situation of my stoma and think it's due to stomach acid creeping below the seal. I'm so ready to get my free samples and see what truly fits me properly so I can get some good bags. I had the nurse put on the powder then blow off the excess then use a barrier wipe around the rest of the skin. I'm ready to get home and get this bag off and let the skin breathe for a bit.

I hate to say it, but you're kind of screwed if you're in the hospital and you don't have any of your own supplies. My hospital doesn't seem to have convex, nor do they have any brand other than coloplast. I didn't hate the supplies they have but I never have good luck with flat. I've never loved adhesive coupling either. If I am going to use that, I could just wear a one-piece. With step 2, i brought my own supplies and I changed after a few days, but the first few days, I was stuck wearing the flat wafer. Whoever put it on actually did a good job considering it was flat and I need convex.

Did you order samples? You could probably do it while you're there, something to do :) Did they give you the measurement?

Gordon
If you read my post I have no idea where Deepak came from. It should say Edgepark.
Less is better!! Forget the powder and rings. Get some BCT and try my method. .
Dan

Be careful if you use the Holister Flextend extended wear as the skin prep can cause the seal not to stick. Best with the rings to protect the skin.

Having a bad day there Tom!!! There could be loads of reasons why friars might not be suitable or indeed needed. what if its just the hole in the skin barrier has been cut too large? cut the hole to fit, job done. Friars doesnt fill large dips so a paste or seal would be more suitable in that instance. Truth is we can't really tell the cause of the skin issues from a forum post. We can only politely suggest what has worked for us. we are all different so one persons routine will not work for others.

Dan, I do agree with you that friars does work well. After all its not been around for hundreds of years for nothing. And its great you are letting everyone know about it, I only vaguely remember it from childhood so you reminded me of it. I still use it now and again if I need to. As you say yourself "less is more" so if my skin is fine, I dont bother to use it. But when Tom posts that everyone is stupid for not using it isn't really being helpful.

Danny.

Oh yeah, I think convex will help. I can't believe they didn't tell you it's 100% necessary with that length. Mine was like .25 longer and I couldn't go 2 hours with a flat... I think convex alone will help. I'd use powder and barrier wipe with the convex until it heals. The tincture should help too but I heard it stings and I am a wimp.

Dan
I very rarely get open skin these days. Fortunately my wafer usually sticks well to my skin. When I do get open skin it's always just in the dip directly under my stoma. My output will eventually collect in that dip and get to work. I use paste for that and it works well, unless I get lazy and leave my bag on too long. Usually after a long weekend getting drunk! Being Scottish it's almost a requirement to get drunk at the weekend! Thats when I'll use friars to cover the open skin to heal it and get a good sticky surface to reapply paste. But when you say it like that, using friars every bag change before I get open skin could be the difference on my lazy days. And it won't sting like a dirty f*@k applying it to intact skin!! Dan, you really should have mentioned this before now!!!!!!

Danny.

Dan, there's never a bad time to have a wee drink!

ha ha, if I had a penny for every time somebody who was introduced to me started singing Danny Boy, I would be a rich man.
"hello my names Danny", you can see the glint in their eye as they answer "DANNY?" then its straight into "Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling". thats where they always finish singing, looking absolutely delighted with themselves that they done something so original. I never let on that I've possibly heard it once or twice before.

A minor inconvenience for having such a great name!!!!!

Use some creams that consist Zinc. Zinc helps irritated skin, and I use it for my temporary ileostomy. I had a skin break before, and it's almost gone. Ask your ostomy nurse to recommend a zinc based cream to use. You can also use Zinc based shampoo and clean the stoma and the skin around it. Hope this helps.

NOT
I won't comment on Tom's post or yours.
The 70% alcohol content is not the important ingredient. The manufacturer is important. There are other manufacturers of BCT but the ingredients are not the same. Geritrix is available in the US and Friars in Canada. One difference is that Geritrix and Friars are waterproof. The other brands are not and do not work.
I stand by my opinions about BCT.

Dan