Frequency of pouch changes

I feel like most change any where from 4-7 days. I'm every 5th day like clock work. I sometimes got 6 or 7 but every now and then would get start of leak that long.

If I stick to changing on day 5 my skin stays healthy and I don't get any leaks.

I change every 2 days. I so wish I could go longer but I either start leaking around the stoma or the outer edges start peeling from my skin or both.

For the 2 piece users talking about frequency of change, is that the flange and the bag or just the bag? I use a 1 piece and change on Tuesday night and Saturday morning. Just seems to fit my schedule more so than out of need. A box of 10 gets me through a month and it just seems to work out right.

I live in Denmark and I change it every day.

Right now I've been changing every Saturday morning and Tuesday night and that approximate 4 day schedule seems to really keep my skin healthy.

At first I preferred the 2 piece because I wasn't very confident at cutting the hole in the wafer and found it easier to cut and just put the wafer on to see how everything looked before the bag was on.

Now it's just what I'm used to and have my system down so don't feel the need to change and risk causing issues.

I also like the option of switching out my bag/pouch with a new one if needed without doing a whole appliance change. I rarely do that but sometimes I have wanted a new bag on but my wafer was fine and could just swap for a new bag.

Personally I don't like the Tupperware rings or snap 2 pieces and find the Hollister ones not the most secure. I like the adhesive coupling that Coloplast and Convatec offer for their two pieces. Lower profile and more flexibility.

It never even occurred to me that I could change just the bag!

I have contacted Coloplast and Hollister to get a variety of samples. I'm such a creature of habit that I have to remind myself I can try lots of different setups. Also, if having my colon removed gets me any free swag, I'll take it!

hey everyone! After 3+years with a perm ileo, I change the whole set-up (wafer, flange, bag) 1x a week, either day 6 or 7. I usually change just the bag 2x a week, after every 3-4 days the bottom just gets too gross. For the newbies- I even shower with just the flange & wafer on, which is awesome! Just get out, snap on a new bag, that's it.

notsosicklygirl said...
With my end ileo, I changed the wafer about once a week, unless there was reason to change sooner. I changed the bag a few times a week (2 piece). With my loop, I changed every day.

I'm just curious... why the time difference for loop vs. end? I have a loop and with my proverbial 20/20 hindsight, I SO wish it was an end. At this stage of my life there's no way I'd try to go through reversing it.

Thanks, Vicki

I have had two recommendations about showering and keeping the bag dry: using kitchen Press and Seal around the bag, and with a two-piece system, swapping the bag out for one. to use just in the shower. Thoughts?
I'm showing with the whole bag right now and then using a hair dryer on cool to dry the bag, but it's hard to really get it dry. I'm worried about showering without the bag yet ... not confident enough with the seal or with whether my stoma is ready for the exposure.

Vdahl & Roo said...

notsosicklygirl said...
With my end ileo, I changed the wafer about once a week, unless there was reason to change sooner. I changed the bag a few times a week (2 piece). With my loop, I changed every day.

I'm just curious... why the time difference for loop vs. end? I have a loop and with my proverbial 20/20 hindsight, I SO wish it was an end. At this stage of my life there's no way I'd try to go through reversing it.

Thanks, Vicki

My end was before I had a jpouch created, so I would imagine i had everything I could have available to use. It was just so much easier. My stoma was a bit longer (surgeon's doing of course), but I still needed convex. I had a really cute little stoma, the stoma nurse told me "if you're going to have a stoma, that's the one you want". It worked equally well. No leaks, quite quiet, low output relatively, less emptying, seemed like it was more formed and less liquid output. I don't know if it was because it was my first surgery, or if it was because it was an end and not a loop, but it just worked better. Less problems. I believe loops have 2 ends under the wafer. Mine was shaped more like a dome and it never pointed correctly to go into the pouch, it always leaked very slowly under the wafer and would cause an itch. I would have to change it all the time. Often I didn't even need to change it, it was just anxiety about the whole situation that made me change constantly. I was never comfortable with it. it may all have to do with the stoma, mine were night and day though. Perhaps yours isn't a problem. I may have just gotten unlucky with my loop. I traveled with my end and I didn't have any trouble. with my loop, I would have had to bring a ton of supplies.

I have had my stoma since 3/6/19. It has been hell. Excuse my language but it is true. I am lucky if my bag will last 24 hours before totally busting out. I have to lay flat on my back or bag breaks open. My output is so great it has to drain into a urinary catheter bag (around 2500 ml a day). The reason why I have so much trouble is that surgeon put stoma at the base of 4" L x 3"w x 2" deep surgical scar. No ostomy bag will fit to cover scar - I have to use a wound pouch. The skin lining the scar is constantly submerged in drainage and is a bleeding raw mess with multiple open areas. I have been miserable since day 1 of getting this. At least 50 medical people have worked with me trying to get bags to work and no one can do it. I go 1st week of March to talk to surgeon about reversal. He made me wait 1 year before he would do surgery. I spent 6 months during the last year in hospital. Reversal can;t come none too soon for me.