8 Days in Saint Lucia, No Bag Change :)

Good morning all!

Thought I'd share a recent experience. Two weeks ago I went to Saint Lucia, my fourth trip to a sunny destination since my surgery in January.  

I was in extremely hot conditions, went in the ocean multiple times, went swimming in multiple pools, went in a hot tub, steam room, showered every day, and climbed an extremely difficult mountain where I sweat so much I could fill a glass when I wrung out my shirt.

All with zero bag changes. 

I feel like I have my process locked in. I have never had a leak, an explosion, or any fear whatsoever of my bag causing stress. 

I'll share my process. 

1. Remove bag with adhesive removal spray (preferred over wipes).
2. Clean everything with water and gauze wipes. (I get massive bags.)
3. Clean off leftover residue with adhesive removal wipes.
4. Shave hair around stoma with toilet paper roll protecting stoma.
5. Stoma powder around stoma edge.
6. Skin barrier spray around stoma (prefer over wipes).
7. Blow dry it until dry and sticky.
8. Apply barrier ring. (Make sure it's tight and snug to your stoma.)
9. Cut wafer to fit nice and put on. Push into skin until you get an okay seal. (I use Sensura Mio 2 piece. It's great for athletic people.)
10. Click on bag.
11. Now this is the part a ton of people don't do that is KEY to a long-lasting bag. BLOW DRY the whole thing until you have a solid seal. 

Honestly, the blow dryer is so important. I've had days where I could barely get the thing to stick. With the blow dryer, that is an easy fix. 

Sometimes I do notice a slight peeling in the seal when I do a lot of water activities. If I'm on vacation I ALWAYS bring a roll of "Tegaderm roll." This was recommended by my stoma nurse and they are MAGICAL. You can cut them into strips and bring them with you anywhere. Provides an invisible strip to any area that starts to peel up. On my trip, I had to do this once, and it kept a comfortable seal for the rest of my trip. Great for water. 

Anywho. I know everyone has different skin sensitivities, different stoma sizes, etc. But if you could take one thing away from this entire post, it's the damn blow dryer. Melt that shit to your skin. 😀

Danno

Yes!

I agree with every step [personally I omit 4 - the need to shave skin] and my base products when I am traveling are different in brand [just happens that Sensura Milo stuff does not react well with me - I so wanted it to work for me but it didn't] but I am absolutely with you on process. Particularly the use of spray - for over many years of time this has been the 'secret ingredient' for me because it is so important to invest effort in being kind to the skin - it has to withstand so much and continues to serve us.

Focus, process, and adherence to detail is all. 

Whether it's tennis matches, water sports, flying, or long-distance road trips, it's all down to the prep. That is what serves us well.

[Like DIY decorating, one can use the most amazing paint, for example, but if the prep is cr-- then the result is flawed. And it's not to do with the product - only the user's process.]

And Danny, if this ever changes for you, just change the elements but keep the dedication to process. 99/100 it pays off!

All ages, all activity - process [prep, focus, and execution of task] actually allows freedom to be whatever, wherever.

Happy days

Waves

Jayne

Very clear instructions. So happy for you.

So I routinely go 8-10 days without changing and likely could go longer. Most changes are because of the smell and build-up inside the bag. I can honestly say I don't do most of the steps you listed. I don't use an adhesive remover, just yank it off. I jump in the shower and wash with soap and water and shave about every third time, then jump out, dry the area with a washcloth, and slap it on. I did use a hairdryer in the past but stopped using one.

Wow! That's awesome. My hair grows so fast it's such a pain getting it off even with the adhesive remover. To be honest, I only change it because of the hair. Haha.

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I could probably get away without all the extra stuff, but I like to play it safe when I travel. At home, I could probably just slap a wafer on and blow dry it.

Ok, you just sound like you're bragging now 😜. Kidding!!! Seriously, so happy for all you've been able to do and learn in this part of your story. Happy holidays!

I used to just yank the bag off until the stoma nurse had a stroke and gave me adhesive remover to use. Didn't know it existed in the early days lol. I dry the stoma area with a dryer, then hit the adhesive with a bit of heat, then just tuck it under my arm while doing the change, then just whack it on.

I go 7 to 8 days between wafer changes. Could probably go longer. With my colostomy, leaks are rare and output doesn't irritate my skin.

I use spray adhesive remover to loosen wafer tape. Then open an adhesive remover wipe packet and dump the excess liquid on the top of my wafer where the main seal is. The seal separates easily. Then use the wipe to unstick hairs and gently work around to the bottom of the wafer, which falls off. I like the Hollister 2-piece system. Easy to maintain/clean.

Haha. Not exactly. I just like to post different success stories to help answer the questions that I was curious about while learning and recovering. My methods won't work for everyone, but even if it helps one person get past their ostomy fears, I'm happy. :)

The adhesive remover spray for me makes the removal so much easier. I have a lot of hair that grows pretty fast and it can be a bugger to pull off without help from a spray. Honestly, when I get the reversal, I was thinking of lasering my entire stomach/chest so if I ever come back to an ostomy, I can do it without the hair. Haha

Eight days? Good grief - I'm lucky to go eight hours!

I have a colostomy too. I go 7 days between wafer changes. Usually change out the bag once a week. (I use a 2-piece Hollister system).

What system/brand are you using? How do you install the wafer? You should get a lot more wear time.

Changing the wafer too often will tear up your peristomal skin.

I'm a blow dryer bagger too. It's the best.

As a test... went 9 days with the same wafer. No problems. Skin looked great. The moldable barrier ring hung in there, nicely stuck to the wafer. Hair easier to shave off.

Do you have a colostomy or an ileostomy (I figured it's not a urostomy)

I have a colostomy. So leaks are not a problem for me. I get really good adhesion.