What do I do ?

I thought that I was really lucky finding the Hollister two piece systemright out of the hospital.. It is easy to use comfortable and lasts a long time. I especially like the convenience of the detachable bag----that is until this morning. I decided to sleep in a little but I was awakened by my visiting great grandson (2 years of age). I came awake like a shot and my bag exploded. I usually get quite a bit of air overnight, but this was a little too much plus there was more than air.. Bad Bad Bad. I like the Hollister system, but I have to be confident that it is secure. Any help out there?
Arundinaria

i'm up once a night to pee anyway, so i empty my bag then. so i get two 4hr blocks of sleep. doesn't seem to bother me any.

--matt

Hi,  I do not know how long you have been an ostomate, but I am assuming you are fairly new.  That being said, I have been an ostomate since July 2004.  I seem to remember that in the beginning things worked much different than they do now.  It seems our bodies take a while to adjust and such.  In the beginning I too had my bag fill up a lot at night time, and I would wake up in the middle of night to find a bag ready to burst.  I also woke up several times with leaks.  However, three years out, and this rarely happens now, unless I may eat way too much or eat some reallly spicey food (that seems to make my colon work overtime)  I remember going into a store with pretty much an empty pouch and when I was leaving the pouch was full within minutes!  I was so shocked, and for a while paranoid about going out and about too far from home.  That has not happened in such a long time, I can not even remember a recent event.  My colon rarely works much now when I am sleeping.  Howeve, I will admit due to being a diabetic,  I am also trying to control what I eat and when I eat, so I am not eating much in the evening before I go to bed.  I say all this to say............. soon your body will calm down, and you will become accustomed to this, and you will soon be able to more confident, and learn how your body responds to this new way of working.  Take Care, Donna

I am also a new ostomate. My ileostomy is temporary since mine was due to emergency surgery (2 actually). I have had Crohn's diesease for 20 years with no prior CD related surgeries until Februalry 2007. I went into the hospital and a CT revealed my ileum was perforated. The following day after having me on IV antibiotics ( I was running a fever of 102-104 F) they did a resection. Within a week I ended up with toxic megacolon and that is why I have this ostomy now.

I had many complications with my surgeries as well, wound infection and 2 abdominal abscesses one of whichI still have a drain in. I have a wound vac on the wound and it is healing great! I was readmitted 2 times after I was discharged the 1st time. That was due to the abscesses.

I have had the ostomy since Feb. 19th and yes at 1st I had lots of gas overnight. I also have had 2 times overnight where my ostomy leaked. The main reason why mine is doing that is because of the wound vac being a little over 1 inch to the left of the stoma. My drain is about 2 inches to the right of my stoma. The visiting nurses come 3 times a week to change my dressing for the wound vac and my flange. The reason they change my ostomy suppies is that it overlaps the dressing for the wound vac. If the wound vac is turrned on and the suction occurs then the flange is placed I tend to have leaking issues. I currently use the flanges with the tape edge once that is on then the vac is turned on and the tape is sucked into every little nook and cranny making a better seal. I am unable to change my own flange at this time as well since when pulling the flange off also pulls the vac dressing off.

There are always going to be scary stories. The best advice about accidents is get a sense of humor. There will be accidents, at least at first while your body is adjusting and you're trying to find the system that's right for you. Someone should start a thread on funny accidents, because while they don't seem funny at the time, you will laugh about it later. Way worth it in my opinion.

Dragonfly had to have emergency surgery, had some complications including an infection so she had to go through a rougher time than most (really rough). Most surgeries are pretty straight forward and hardest thing you'll go through is the pain management in the first few days. After that it's learning how to deal with your ostomy.

Keep your eye on the goal of having a life again. Pain free hopefully, and not chained to the bathroom. I've had mine for 17 years and am very glad I have it. I had no life for too long, now I can do anything I want.

Good luck to all of you facing this surgery.

i've had mine since newyears eve, and you'll learn over time what the bag can and cannot handle. i have yet to have a leak or burst or anything like that. i go to the gym daily, sweat my butt off, shower, and still i'm getting 7days of weartime out of one flange/bag. i was paranoid for a few months about leaving the house and the bag "falling off" or whathaveyou...but it just hasn't happened.

--matt