Splash Reduction Tips for High-Output Ileostomy?

I'm hoping that I might be able to get some advice. My wife has a high-output ileostomy, and wears an "overnight" bag all the time. She still has to empty it multiple times through the day and night, and every time she does, there's a moderate chance of stuff splashing out of the toilet. The splash range is more than 24"/60 cm, and I'm finding it almost every night when I go to shower: floor, walls, toilet back and seat. They vary from nearly-pure liquid stool to splashes of water with only a little stool. My wife seems not to even see it; certainly when she's emptying her bag at night, she's half asleep anyways, and even during the day, a lot of the time she's ill and has poor situational awareness.

I'm finding this incredibly frustrating. I'm trying to be patient, but I can't just ignore the splashes. The toilet is beside the shower, and willingness to step on, sit on, or rub against stool is beyond me. I hate having to spray/wipe the area before I shower, and to turn on the light to check things before I use the toilet at night. Can you suggest any tips to reduce the splashing? All I can think of would be for her to empty her bag into a container, then pour that into the toilet, but that would create a new set of complications.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Layer the toilet water with toilet paper before emptying.

Get ready to empty the flush the toilet when the water is almost at the lowest point empty quickly to the front side so it slides down and basically right into the opening at the bottom of the bowl, being a plumber with an ostomy I'm always judging my splash down per brand of toilet, you may want to change out your toilet to one with a larger landing zone. Hope that helps

Good luck
Cplumber

I have a small cushion beside the toilet. I empty kneeling, no splashing.

I sit way back on the commode and open the end of the bag and empty between my legs.

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hello BunsenH.

I changed my toilet seat for one that detaches.(by pressing two buttons) I then made a comfortable, narrow,  'plank'-seat, that fits right at the back of the toilet. This gives plenty of room to empty the bag/sleeve into the toilet at a reasonable height through the legs. (ie. as close as possible). The 'normal' toilet seat can then be reattached easily, as and when someone else needs to use it. 

Also, at nights I use an irrigation sleeve rather than a bag. This can be folded up to form a bag, but the great advantage is that when it unfolds, it goes right down into the toilet bowl and almost into the water, even when in the standing position. Thus, no splash! 

Also the Irrigation sleeves are open at the top so it is easy to wash to waste from either end, as desired or convenient for the user. 

I hope this helps!

Best wishes

Bill

I'm here by myself, I just use the "open the chute and let it fall" method. "Bombs awayyyy." Actually, I just kneel down but that was a boring answer. I will say trying to empty your bag in frozen chest waders while duck hunting is a challenge in itself.

What you need while duck hunting, Alex, is a really long bag that comes out the leg of your trousers! Like the prisoners of war carrying out the dirt they accumulated from digging an escape tunnel! You just drop as you walk!!

Hi Bunsen, this sounds like a pretty frustrating situation and also a somewhat delicate one. I'm wondering if you have actually articulated to your wife how this is making you feel, perhaps not a simple thing. Is she aware of what is happening? It's quite easy to take some simple steps to reduce the likelihood of splashback. As has been mentioned, the design of the bowl can make it easier, a large oval, rather than a more rounded one. Sitting well back on the seat, and emptying with the tail of the bag as close to the water as possible without dipping, of course! The higher up she is holding the end of the bag, the more likely it is to splash. Toilet paper floating on top of the water can also help. Being careful when wiping off the end when finished. I wish you luck!

Terry

I wear a high output at night. I understand your misery with what you wrote. This may sound horrible to some, but I empty my pouch in the sink. I too had your wife's problem, but emptying in the sink solved the problem. Run the water and empty. Let me know if you try it.

You will need patience. She is also on a learning curve, but I totally understand your frustrations and concerns. I have high liquid output at times, and for me at least, it's about controlling the rate of discharge (into the toilet bowl). Line the toilet bowl with paper and control the speed of the discharge, and tell her to aim for the porcelain, as opposed to the water. She just might need to flush twice!!

There are ways to reduce that mess. I like the suggestions of a layer of paper on the water, an oval-shaped toilet, and her learning to sit way back on the seat. You could make the walls and environment easy to clean by using Formica wherever it fits.

But I say consider what she is going through. I have a colostomy that does not require the amount of emptying or have the amount of output that an ileo has. When I read about ileo emptying 17 times a day, I can't imagine. With my colostomy emptying, I occasionally misfire and have to work to keep the environment sterile and attractive. It can be so much work. It's really tough to keep the emptying totally contained, and it sounds like your wife is weary of it all, so she just dumps and runs. Help the poor dear out! It's easy to make your own Lysol wipes with diluted Lysol and paper towels in an enclosed container. Make some and share them with her, and let her know when she misses a spot, you will get it. What a relief that will be for her, to know you are seeking ways to help her and have her back. She needs help with this! If it's not something you can tackle, perhaps insurance will provide a home care individual once each day to keep that environment and your wife clean. An ostomy nurse may be able to teach her more accurate landing zone techniques for emptying. Someone suggested emptying in the sink. That isn't a very sterile notion, as sink water doesn't go to a wastewater system.

I get your frustration. But remember you are in this with her.

Toilet paper in the bowl first and perhaps a longer length bag, so when sitting to dump it, travels a shorter distance to the bowl, less force, less splash perhaps.... I'm constantly cleaning mine. I keep supplies beside the toilet and every dump, the lid, both sides, and rim get the rag with cleaner, but that's my style that works for me.

I keep Clorox wipes by my toilet and it's way cleaner than it ever was prior to my ileostomy surgery! I struggled with eating after my surgery since you see exactly what comes out.

I became very anal (get it?) about keeping the toilet in my bathroom really clean since it was hard for me to empty it already. I told my husband there will be no man-pee splashing in my bathroom. So if he splashed, he cleaned it up! It actually has worked. I would have had my ileostomy 10 years ago instead of 6 months ago, if I had known that it would make my hubby clean up his man-pee splashing! I wonder what helps with snoring?? Maybe removal of a kidney or liver lobe?

You could just let your wife know you have noticed some splashing so you bought some Clorox wipes for her to clean up if that happens. Then give her some of the other ideas that other people gave you. I use Cottonelle wipes to clean off the end part of my pouch which makes it much cleaner, for me anyway.
Maybe your wife doesn't see the splashing if she doesn't have good vision or is not wearing her glasses?

I hope she feels better!