I'm new, just had 12 inches of my colon removed, and I have a colostomy bag at my waistline. I'm using the Hollister two-piece system that is drainable, which I prefer rather than a closed system. But my stool keeps seeming to be trapped where the two rings attach my pouch together and doesn't let it slide to the bottom. It doesn't want to go past that lip unless I'm standing up. Any suggestions on help with this or should I change to a one-piece system so I don't have any obstruction and a smooth transition? I do like the two-piece system because it gives you a lot more options, but if that attachment ring is always in the way and doesn't allow my stool to slide to the bottom of the bag, then I might have to change to a one-piece system. Any thoughts from anybody could use help with this. P.S. Not very fun when changing the bag either because the stool is still trapped around the stoma.
Sounds like pancaking to me, happens with 1-piece bags too. Lubricate the inside of the bag, leave a little air in it, and pump more fluids into you. I also rinse my bag each time to get everything out and off the stoma area.
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Yes, I do that also and rinse with warm water before I even take the bag off to try to remove most of the stool. But I've always been kind of a firm stool discharge person. I drink probably 8 to 10 8 oz glasses of water a day to try to keep my hydration up. It doesn't seem to be helping too much. I've tried a few softeners, but they seem to loosen me up way too much even if I just take a small amount, so I would rather not. I'm thinking the one-piece system would probably be easier for me to control for now, but thank you for replying. I really need the help.
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I wear a one-piece and I totally understand how a two-piece could be an issue for you. It would definitely be easier to clean the one-piece system. The warm water flush was a game changer for me.
I also think I replied the wrong way to your comment. Thank you so much. I tend to have a thick stool. I've tried stool softeners, but they tend to affect me way too much even at a small amount. I wash or add warm water to my bag and try to flush it even before removing it, and I do lubricate with the lubrication from Hollister as well as some baby oil, but it seems to still catch in that lip around the two-piece bagging system near my stoma. I'm probably going to go to a one-piece just to kind of make it a little easier to rinse prior to removal. Thank you for your response. I'm just new to all of this.
Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister
I found out that eating a lot of protein or fibrous foods really made the stool thick and clogged up the top. I also found that for us ileostomates, eating too much protein was very hard on our already stressed, dehydrated kidneys. That would be my one suggestion. Look at what you're eating. You might be eating a bit too many stool-thickening foods. Just a thought. You'll figure it out. It's all a learning curve. Stay clear of Grape Nuts.
I'm quite sure our local sewage plant has noticed an oil slick leading back to my house from me using baby oil in my bag - - - sewage police standing at my door - - - me - "But sir - it works so well"
Hi there,
Are you using a click two-piece system? When I use the click two-piece system, my output wouldn't fall to the bottom either, drove me nuts. I use a two-piece adhesive system so it's flat instead of a ring click system. And AlexT is so right, the water thing was a game changer for me too. I have an ileo and I am always on the thick side, and I do everything right and try thinning it out. It's just how my body is, like all of us, our bodies are different.
Hi Wes, have you tried adding fruit juices to your diet and not just water?
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Wes, I also use a two piece Hollister system and never have the problem you describe. My pouch simply snaps onto the skin barrier, so I'm not sure what you're calling an "attachment ring" unless you're referring to the circular ridges that come together when you connect them. FYI I wear Hollister's CeraPlus New Image skin barrier, #11202, with the matching drainable pouch #18122. I have an ileostomy. Like some of the others, I suspect diet is where your solution lies.
Thank you for the advice, and I appreciate the humor. I'm trying to keep my sanity by keeping my humor intact.
Thank you for the advice, and I appreciate the humor. I'm trying to keep my sanity by keeping my humor intact.
Yes, grape juice, which they say helps, and I'm eating canned peaches and pears, and of course Gatorade for the electrolytes.
Yes, it's the circular ridge where my bag attaches to my wafer. Also, it's a flex where it has a space underneath that ridge to give you some flexibility against your skin. My discharge actually slides underneath and gets trapped in there as well, never feels really clean.
I faced this issue in the beginning, too, with the Coloplast 2-piece system. The trick that worked for me was 1) leaving a little air in the bag - it gives space for output to fall and 2) after draining output, rinsing with warm water from the outlet in (without removing the bag at all) and making sure the inside is clean. Once I started doing this, any pancaking became a thing of the past.