Light-Purple Discoloration Around Stoma: Seeking Advice

Boy, what I wouldn't give to have an ostomy nurse right now🤔.

I do understand that. People should be aware of the availability of any valuable resource. I don't think any posts on here should scare anyone away from anything since there will be plenty of people who feel differently who will share their experiences. Having said that, there's a difference between advising against something and taking the opportunity in a safe place to vent about a bad experience. A bad experience can mess with your head and really upset you, especially when you're expecting answers from someone who should know more than you do. I look at this post and I think about how uneven the care is that each of us receives. Some are truly lucky, and some are not, simple as that. That's why we're on here cheering people on, letting them vent, commiserating, and trying not to get triggered by certain things (really hard to do sometimes!). I say this all with peace and love, as Ringo so eloquently stated 🎶

For sure, some of you have been very unlucky. It reminds me to be grateful for the areas where I was lucky.

Liger is someone stopping you from having an ostomy nurse?

I don't know what is going on? Very frustrating. I had my parastomal hernia repair done on the 28th of February, and it left me with a partially retracted stoma. At my follow-up appointment, the doctor said it would go back to normal, and in the meantime, they would put a referral in for a wound care nurse. I got the referral and went to the appointment, but it was a facility that actually takes care of wounds, not ostomies. I went to a second doctor appointment, and they asked how it went, and when I told them, they were pissed. They requested a location that is not covered under my insurance, so the insurance company took it upon themselves to send me to that wound care place. So…. Sorry for being long-winded 🙄… the doctor's office is trying again, but I have not heard back. That was last Thursday. I've been calling to no avail. Every time I poop, it goes under my wafer, and I have to replace the wafer each time so it doesn't affect my skin. I've gone through 7 wafers in one day. Not every day, thankfully. I've tried the ceramic ring from Hollister (thick and thin), I've tried Convatec convex that I got as a sample, and it was very uncomfortable and large. I don't have any other supplies to try at the moment because I'm waiting for a stoma nurse🤦🏼‍♀️.

My Ostomy Journey: Bruce | Hollister

Try to get a convex sample from Coloplast. The SenSura Mio is very flexible and may be more comfortable.

I know not everyone can wear convex wafers, but it's worth a try while you wait. I find them comfortable.

Thank you, Susan. I will.👍🏻

Liger, I have been there many times. I'm on my 6th stoma. They all retracted; mine retracted due to a rare condition, but nonetheless, retractions are a pain in the ass. But being retracted, you need to protect the skin. A liquid skin protectant is going to be the only thing that will truly protect the skin, and your bag will stick to it: 3M Advanced Skin Protectant or Marathon. You can't get them on any medical website. Medical Monks, I have found, to be the cheapest, and you have the option to buy singles instead of a whole box. I would try other brands in convex and see if one of them works. You can call the companies and ask for samples. Depending on how much your stoma is retracted, a barrier ring can and will, a lot of the time, have the opposite outcome. Because if your stoma isn't providing enough to get output in the bag when placing a barrier ring, it creates like a wall, so you will just puddle. So if you can find a convex that works for you and it pops the stoma out, a barrier ring will work. If you can't find a convex wafer that will work and you still leak, you will have to have a revision. But I do hope you find a convex that works for you.

Thank you. I have contacted some companies, and they are sending me samples. So far, my skin is in good shape, but that's because I stay on top of it.

Liger, that's good. Just a heads up: if you're leaking that badly and output constantly comes in contact with your skin, it takes a very short amount of time before your skin gets red and eaten away, and it's painful. Nothing still sticks to the skin. I say this from personal experience; my skin was good too. I have always taken very good care, but being so retracted and having constant output hitting my skin, no matter what I did, in a very, very short time, it got red, weepy, and painful to the touch. I didn't find out about the liquid skin protectant until after. I recommend you still get a liquid skin protectant to keep your skin the way it is and help protect it so it doesn't get bad.

Oh my goodness! Thank you. I will definitely order it. Great info. 👍🏻

Same here, Susan. I'm so lucky in so many respects. I try to remember that when I feel that burning under my barrier ring (happened again this afternoon 🫤)

Well, I needed to remember it today. I'm prepping for a colonoscopy. I did switch to drainable bags but didn't consider what would happen when I had an unfamiliar bag on and desperately needed to drain it. Let's just say the bathroom floor needed cleaning anyway.

Oh no! I feel for you - been there, done that.

I tried an Eakin stoma ring and went in today to see the surgeon and ostomy nurse. Thankfully, the bruising has come down and is lighter in color; it seems the ring was the trick. Still pretty tender, but less so than before. Thank you all!

I'm happy the ring worked for you. Once you get the combo that works for you, life gets easier.