The Leaky Colostomy Blues

i'm sorry you are having so many problems. I hope you can get it worked out soon.
Have you tried teh hair dryer? or the eakin seals?
If you tell us what you are using we might could help a little more.

lynneann222 said...
Hello, my name is Lynne and I had a big suprise 3 days before my 65th birthday. I went in for same-day surgery to have an ovarian cyst removed. It turned out that "cyst" was ovarian cancer wrapped around my bowel. They removed as much of the cancer as they could, and did a bowl resection with a colostomy. The colostomy is suposed to be temorary, but it cannot be reversed until I am finished with my chemo in April of this year, I am now half way done as of today and all my blood values are in order. My oncologist said that it would take a couple of months after the chemo is finished to have the reversal. In the meantime, I have a very leaky colostomy. The bottom half of the stoma is flush with my skin, and although I have tried several different systems, nothing seems to work. I am working with my ostomy nurse, and hopefully we can find something. I feel chained to my house for fear of leaks. Today I bought Depends, with hopes of at least protecting my clothing. Next weekend I am supposed to go to a Broadway show with Jane Fonda, and I don't really want to go. Can you imagine the smell of poo wafting through the theater? I don't think so.

The sad part is that I am feeling fine from the chemo, no ill effects except for hair loss, it's the colostomy that is making my life miserable. I will try the suggestions that you all have made and I have read in other threads, at least the ones that I haven't tried yet. Please keep on reading and writing, knowing that people are out there is absolutely lifesaving.

Thank you all,
Lynne

I can't believe I'm the first one to ask this......are you accompanying Jane Fonda to a Broadway show, or are you going to see a show in which she is in????

Now, to attempt to address your leaking problems...

Though I have an ileostomy now, I had a colostomy for 15 years. Like you, the stoma was flush to my skin(there was even a "valley" on the left side, which was promoting the most amount of leakage) and it leaked constantly. I know a lot of people here swear by Eakins Seals, but for me, they weren't very effective.

What eventually worked for me was using a convex insert in my appliance, putting a ring of stoma-hesive paste around the hole in my appliance, and "picture framing" waterproof tape around the wafer. The convex insert will help pop up your stoma(or, at least, the skin around it). It might take a few changings to "train" the skin around your stoma to comply; the paste, unlike the Eakins Seals, will seek it's own level and help correct any skin imperfections you may have around the stoma; and the tape will help give you a better seal around the edges. It might take a little time for you to regain your confidence, but I'm ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE this will work for you. You might not get a week out of your appliance, but you should get a few days. I change mine 2-3 times a week anyway because I play a few sports and I lead a very active lifestyle.

 

Finally, if the answer to the first part of my question is "yes", tell Jane I said "Hi"!!!

Post Edited (vette guy) : 2/3/2009 11:55:35 PM (GMT-7)

I have a colostomy and it does leak once in awhile. I also have Crohn's so the output is not formed and it's very often. Most people with Crohn's can not irrigate.

I THINK most people that have colostomies do have more formed output. I didn't get mine because of my Crohn's but to remove the cancer (but it does happen that anal cancer is more common with Crohn's). Hate to say it, but I wish they would have just done an ileo because I still have Crohn's. I feel another thread coming because I don't know if this helps Lynne. Infact, I will start another so she can get her answers or support.

Lynne--have you thought about using duoderm?  That, with a convex wafer?  Just thinking out loud...but it might help your skin situation...

I love the K.I.S.S Method!!  I never called it that before

Hi Lynne,

I use Hy Tape, but there are many others that work well too. There's silicone on the adhesive side of the tape, so it is rather mild for your skin. Also, all of the responses here have been spot on! It's just that things that work well for some don't necessarily work well for others, and vice versa. You'll have to be the best judge!

the adhesive wipes and prep can cause problems too, they can cut wear time.
I use tape but i just use regular medical tape i order it in bulk i like the 3m kind best.
although i dont use mine to keep stuff in.
you know the sure seal rings might help you at least if it leaked it would keep it in until you could get it changed.