What's a wafer?

Only dumb question is one not asked  :)

I always read about the wafer - is this the part of the ostomy that sticks to the skin & the bag "snaps" onto?

yes MM you're right. Appliances come in "one piece" and "two piece" types. When you have a two piece, the wafer attaches to the skin, then the bag attaches to the wafer. One piece appliances have a bag that is already permanently attached to the wafer, so you just adhere the whole thing to your body.

I purposely avoided learning about all this stuff before I had surgery... I figured I would have to learn it after surgery no matter what so there was no point to wasting energy on it in advance. Other people like to be experts weeks before they set foot in the hospital *coughProcough*. Whatever works for you!

Yeah, my WOCN told me to call it a pouch because a bag is "derogatory." I picked up the habit and I usually say pouch too, but it confuses the heck out of my doctors because they think my pouch is my j-pouch.

I'm a senior citizen and I carry a wallet that holds change.

The only thing that I REALLY care about the pouch/bag is that it doesn't leak.

Sherrine

Ha, I agree. We just celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday and she pulled me aside to say she was sad because 89 is "not old" but "90 is old." My heart burst!

@pluot lol just caught your cough comment, ****. I now heartily agree not to sweat much tech issues until after surgery because one has soooo much time to figure it out while recovering. One thing that I do find hilarious though is that it seems every Ostomy nurse (WOCN) has their own preference on how to put on a wafer... I mean, literally the seem to be an infinite number of variations. Whatever works though. In practice one gets immediately attached to whatever method the first WOCN shows you but if it doesn't work, it is worth experimenting. I keep learning. For those going on to a jpouch, it doesn't really matter that much of course.

We live in an over 55 community...many times the women in particular almost turn their purses upside down looking for the exact change at the register....that gets me crazy! And these are not all "old" people...lol.

I use a credit card primarily (to accumulate air miles) but if it is a small purchase, I quickly do the math and if it looks like I need a small amount of change....I have it ready in my hand to give to the cashier. Nothing worse than holding up the lines looking for change and you can see the cashier losing patience too.