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Posted 4/19/2014 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
I know this has been asked 100's of times... but I'll do it again! I've got the home nurse coming next week to help me set up an account for supplies. I have private insurance, Tufts HMO, thru my husbands employer. Edgepark, Byram, Sterling are the big 3 that I can think of- any preferences? And for my first order, I'd planned to get more of the stuff the hospital gave me, & try some similar Hollister set-ups (My surgeons favorite, Hollister). Also some barrier spray.... I don't want to order a ton, because what if I don't like them? Any suggestions? I vaguely remember posters saying they hated Edgepark... true?
Posted 4/19/2014 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Ask your home nurse (and ostomy nurse from hospital) if they have any sample kits they can give you. Usually they have tons of extra bits of equipment they can give you. My hospitals ostomy nurse even gave me an extra few pairs of the curved scissors to cut the wafers with. She also hooked me up with about three weeks of bags/wafers, deodorant for the bag, and paste for the wafers, as well as some barrier wipes.

Which brings me to my second suggestion. Every company that has products gives out samples of just about anything you request. (The hollister sample kit also includes a pair of the above mentioned scissors, as well as a small mirror and small case to carry extra supplies on the go). Go to each of the big ones websites (hollister, convatec, coloplast) and see what different products you might like and request some samples. Coloplast even sent me a bunch of eakin seals (which I believe are pretty expensive products) to try.

Personally I order from a medical supplier called flagship medical. They try to ship within the same day the order is placed and have arrivals within two business days. I think the best will depend on your location and who your insurance will deal with, however.

As far as products go, I use a hollister two piece. The wafer (I believe it's the floating flange - I can look up product numbers if you'd like) fits flat on my stomach and is barely noticeable. It also tends to be more flexible and still adheres perfectly fine as I've put on weight and my stomach has rounded out a lot (I was 108 lbs before surgery, now I'm back to 150). The bag can be a little large and fall to an inconvenient place around my mid thigh, but when I'm going out for extended periods I wear my Stealthbelt and never have any problems. I feel very confident with the adhesive of the wafer as well as the Velcro close of the bag (although I will admit sometimes new bags can be frustrating to empty bc the closure will vacuum seal itself shut while your trying to empty).

Hope that helps. Good luck.
Posted 4/19/2014 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
I also like Hollister two piece best, with either a Hollister ring or an Eakin ring. And Ryan is right, they are super expensive! Like $5 each! Luckily they were covered by my insurance.

I used Byram and I was not wild about them, but most of the time they sent the right stuff. You can't order online though unless you are re-ordering the exact same stuff, so I would shop around and see if any of the other services let you order online, that would have been a lot easier.

Just as an FYI, your surgeon needs to write a "prescription" for your ostomy supplies and send it to the mail order pharmacy. So it's a pretty big hassle to switch suppliers.
Posted 4/19/2014 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
     They started me on Hollister while in the hospital too.  However, I had two Hollister bags break on me when I got home and out and about...so I ditched Hollister.  I have been using the Coloplast Sensura one piece bags since @Sept. of 2010...they hold up fantastic!!!   I only have to empty the bag about three or four times during the day.  If I happen to wake during the night to pee, I will empty, but, usually I am good to go all night without emptying.

      I use Edgepark as my supplier.  I never had a problem with them...it's Medicare who is the pain in the butt.

Posted 4/22/2014 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
I was started with Hollister new image 2 piece in hospital, with the velcro end and tupperwear type snapping flange, and I have been very happy. They are very low in profile. I am hooked on thr ones with the one sided cloth cover with the front side "see through"- I like to see some stoma and I find that the two sided non transoarent one is slightly bulkier or at least feels bulkier, as it does after all have an additional cloth layer over it, so i love the light feel of the transparent pouch. The hollister end of the pouch does have some sharp corner edges that bothered me until I discovered and git hooked on ostomy secrets boxers, which enclose the end portion of my bag in an inner pocket that prevents me from feeling the end on my thigh-- for me it works great, as the ostomy secrets help keep the pouch nicely flush even as it starts filling up, and if it fills even more, it keeps it from bulging out in one area, and instead distributes the bulge so that it would take it to be more than half full to even start noticing in the slightest.

I used to order Hollister "adapt" barrier rings but, based on blueheron's experience as per her ostomy outdoors blog, I switched to eakin rings with my hollister wafer and pouch, and the eakins seem to be longer lived.

My supplier is edgepark- not sure why I picked them, but they were on my list of insurance covered suplliera and have been good at promptly shipping. I discovered that a lot if the stuff that I was told by my discharge nurses were not covered, like m9 drops, turn out to be covered after all.

Post Edited (Probiotic) : 4/21/2014 9:17:28 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/22/2014 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
Eva,

I like Coloplast much better than hollister, I found the hollister barriers wear-times to be very poor for me, like 2-3 days but I don't cover up my Ostomy products when I shower. Coloplast sensura with their Brava Strips will easily last me 5+ days.

Coloplast has a new Ostomy product line coming out next month, they offered me free samples of their new line but I declined since I'm going for my reversal in June.

I use Liberty Medical Supply, they give free USPS 2-day shipping on supplies which is nice.
Posted 4/22/2014 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
I signed up with edgepark, but have yet to place an order- looks like I will not be seeing a WOCN home nurse, so I'm sort of winging it! Which is ok- I don't need actual nursing care, just wanted some feedback re. ordering stuff. I may try to meet with the WOCN nurse while I'm at my surgeons appt. tomorrow. I'm going to call Hollister today for some samples- they also have shape-to-fit wafers, which I'm in love with. My stoma measured 1 1/4" in the hospital- the WOCN nurse there told me it will never be larger than that, so I can go with those mold-to-fit wafers, the smaller size- I think it's 7/8" - 1 1/4" stoma range??? My wear time has been really good- I'm not showering daily, but I've gone thru 2 wafers since surgery, 8 days ago. I keep thinking there's got to be some weird leakage I'm not aware of... but.. nothing itches or burns, so.... Right now I'm using Convatec Sure-fit stuff, which seems alright too. The Hollister New Image- is it the same type of "tupperware" seal that Convatec uses? You sort of snap it onto the wafer?
Posted 4/22/2014 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
I have been using Edgepark as my supplier from the start, and have been very pleased with them. The folks there are knowledgeable and helpful. They are good about knowing exactly what products, and how much of them, my insurance will allow. Also, if they don't charge me for a product because they think my insurance will cover it, and it ends up they don't cover it....Edgepark covers the cost since they consider that to be their mistake. All ordering can be done online or over the phone.

As far as trying out different set ups, I find it easier to get samples direct from the companies. They know their products the best, and are willing to give you anything they think you might want/need because they want you as a permanent customer.

And yes, the Hollister 2 piece has the same type of snap on system, though it is a bit more flexible that the Convatec. I use Convatec myself.
Posted 4/22/2014 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, 4 days between changes rught out of surgery is amazing. I was changing every 1 or 2 days sometimes (rarely getting beyond 3) at first, because my stoma size was gyrating so wildly in the furst days I think, and I'd leak. Typical early post surgery leaks are in the form of seeping liquid that diesnt even look like stool, just almost clear liquid seeping through , over or under the barrier ring, and creating an itch. Nowadays i average 6 days between changes and without any such leaking. I use the etire eakin ring to donut around my stoma, whereas my first WOCN's were telling me to use just 1/3 of a ring to create a little rope ring. I find using the entire ring, which I then shape to fit and fill the 1/8"ish gap between stoma and flange, works great.
Posted 4/22/2014 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
I just placed my first order with edgepark today- when all is sadi & done, it should take about 10 business days to get the script from the doctor, verify insurance, get billing all set, then ship. they are sending me samples of what I ordered, since 2 weeks is going to be cutting it really close! I also spoke w/the WOCN nurse- I had wanted her to take a look, see if things were as good as they felt. But she didn't feel it necessary- she said the best way to check for leaks is to look at the erosion pattern on the wafer when you take it off- it's leaking to either side, fill that area in with paste, etc. I still have no signs of leakage- burning, itching, etc. And she claims that you really only should change a wafer once a week- any more & your skin will become irritated from the adhesive coming off. We'll see! Next time I do a change, I plan to take it all off, hop in the shower, & change afterwards.
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