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Advice for colostomy patient

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Posted 1/23/2018 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All,

I have an ileostomy for a few years now, have gotten loads of great advice from here over the years.

Today I went to see a family friend who has recently had surgery to create a colostomy. I'm not totally sure of the exact reasons, but it seems as though the surgeon plans to rest the colon for a few months, so this might be a short term situation for my friend. He is in his 80s.

He had quite a lot of questions and it was good for him to talk to somebody who is in a similar boat. However, he had a few questions that I felt I couldn't answer as they're colostomy-specific.

Firstly he has been given a type of bag that cannot be emptied, i.e. it has no opening to empty the contents, but must be completely removed once it is full. It is a one piece, Hollister I think. So, due to his output he's changing twice a day - is this normal for a patient with a colostomy? Do any colostomates use a bag that can be emptied? I myself (and I know ileostomies are a bit different) manage to get 4-5 days easily before changing, and had assumed that this would be the same for colostomates.

Secondly, he feels that the output tends to sit around the stoma opening, and has been given the advice to add baby oil to the inside of the bag prior to applying. But this has caused the bag to come off. So I'm wondering are there other ways to loosen the output so that this doesn't happen? Or any tricks that people might have?

Very grateful in advance for any thoughts that people might have!
Posted 1/24/2018 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Finn, I had a permanent colostomy 3 months ago. I find that I need to empty 3-4 times a day, and my output is more of a paste-like consistency. I need to use a one-piece drainable, so I don't need to change it after each bowel movement. As far as lubricants go, I don't add it until AFTER my appliance is on. I add the lubricant through the drainage end, so no lubricant interfers with my application. I hope this helps!
Posted 1/24/2018 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
I think the type of bag depends on where in the colon the stoma comes from. If you've got a lot of your colon, the stool can be almost formed, and draining it would be very difficult. If his stool is of a consistency that can be drained, it's probably up to him whether we wants to use drainable pouches.

When the output is thicker, it does stay up at the top. My nurse told me to blow into the bag, but they do sell gels and lubricants you can put into the bag, that might work better than baby oil since they are designed for that purpose:
www.hollister.com/en/products/Ostomy-Care-Products/Ostomy-Accessories/Lubricating-Deodorant/Adapt-Lubricating-Deodorant

I think if I were in his shoes, regardless of whether I was using an open or closed end bag, I would consider getting a two piece system. At least then, when you empty, you don't have to change the wafer. With the snap on, you just snap one off, and snap another on. It's much easier than messing with the adhesive remover and barrier protector multiple times a day.

Take a look here: http://www.hollister.com/en/products/ostomy-care-products/ceraplus?s=Relevance&pg=1

Those have snap systems.
Posted 1/25/2018 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
One thing I did after I drained my pouch was pour some water in the bag and direct it up to the stoma and kind of swish it around to knock loose as much as possible that's stuck. Also, I used a two piece system so I was able to remove the bag and shower with just the flange on, which allowed me to clean around the stoma in the shower. When done just snap the bag back on
Posted 2/8/2018 10:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks to all who replied to my question, I know my friend will be really grateful. This is a great community.

Finn
Posted 2/10/2018 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Finn,

I had my colostomy surgery in December 2017 and had lots of issues finding the right bag/products that worked for me. The hospital associated with my surgery used Hollister products, so I was sent home with Hollister bags and my new kit arrived shortly after in the mail. I am soooo glad I requested products from multiple companies until I found one from Coloplast that I loved. They sent a sample packet that had 1 piece and 2 piece products, deodorizers and wipes. Like your friend, I am not a big fan of the bag that must be changed daily. The material covering the bag I have decided to use is a soft material that keeps the plastic sound at bay, it's shorter in size, and does not show as much through your clothing. They have a one piece that is drainable with a peekaboo window that he may be interested in. I am able to drain the pouch as needed and do so after each elimination. I can rinse the bag with warm water to remove any collection from around the stoma that would irritate my skin. The adhesive that fits around the opening of the bag is soft and does not rub or hurt my stoma. A additional perk, if you need to move it, you can do so and it will still adhere to the skin when placed correctly. While cleaning my stoma during a bag change, I have the new bag warming under my arm so it is soft and pliable when I put it onto the skin. I spray a spritz of Pam cooking spray in the bottom and add a couple drops of m9 deodorizer from Hollister. Yes, I mix products from different companies along with home remedies and it works great!~ Gently massage the Pam spray towards the top of the bag. My stool fluctuates between solid and semi solid so the Pam spray allows the product to slide from the bottom of the bag easily. A little warm water if needed to tidy up and I am ready to go. When I have meetings I pop a tic tac in the bag as well. I know it can sound silly but this process has proven to work form me. I do not worry about the output filling the bag, leakage, or smell.

I wish him the best with his ostomy and hope he finds the products that work for him.

MayLynda
Posted 2/14/2018 10:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hi MayLinda,

Thanks for all the great advice which I'll forward on now to my friend.

I'm curious though - what does the tic tac do (presume you mean the little sweets?)?!

Finn
Posted 2/18/2018 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
I would assume the tic tac would be used to mask the smell maybe.
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