Tips for Emptying and Cleaning a Hollister 8901 Ostomy Bag

My day for questions! I wear a Hollister 8901 ostomy bag. Any tips for emptying the mushy stuff? I mush and push the stuff out. Is it better to let it fill up more before emptying? The liquid stuff is easy peasy, but this mushy stuff is really hard to push out of the opening. I was thinking if there was some way to kind of open up the bottom, the mushy stuff would come out easier.

One more question, how best to clean the opening after emptying? I just grab toilet paper and wipe everything clean. But I was thinking there may be a better way.

Kim

Do you just push it out, or do you open it up like a circle? You have to push on the corners a certain way to make it a wider opening, like the end part. I'll see if I can find a photo. I found a photo from https://www.coloplastcare.com/en-US/ostomy/the-basics/before-surgery/b2.4-changing-and-emptying-your-ileostomy-pouch/

Hi Kim. When I'm out of the house, I just deal with it and take as long as I need to empty, given the thickness of my output and the shoddiness of whatever toilet paper is available, which is typically tissue paper (why do people insist on providing this?!) At home, I keep a plastic cup in each bathroom to use to pour water into my bag and speed things along. Then I clean my bag with what I think is the absolute best toilet paper out there, Ultra Strong Charmin.

Pour some warm water in and flush it out. Clean with toilet paper and then use a flushable wet wipe to finish cleaning the end out.

I'm with you Alex. Water flushing seems to be the obvious and simplest solution to this problem.
Best wishes

Bill

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

You may want to consider using a lubricant. Coloplast, ConvaTec, and Hollister all sell lubricants.

Hi Kim,

I do the same. Undo Velcro seal, then push out bag contents. Thicker output does require bag manipulation; squeezing, rolling poop toward the exit.

I work 6 days a week, 10-12 hours a day plus waste an additional 3+ hours daily battling traffic. If a bag is really soiled, I replace it with a new one. Takes less than 2 minutes. I rarely empty at home.

Bag burps at work offer tactical ways to punish ding-a-ling coworkers. As I stroll innocently by their cubicle... I let out a silent, but potent, invisible cloud guaranteed to "wake them up."

I have several suggestions. It is possible you are not drinking enough fluids, making your output mushy. Next, I agree with the suggestion of using a lubricating deodorant (Hollister Adapt 78500), which I have found eliminates "pancaking." Lastly, I have found it helpful to roll up a cylinder shape of toilet paper to clean up the opening, which facilitates closure and eliminates leakage. Good luck.

I keep a couple of 300 ml bottles of water next to the toilet. I usually use only one to flush my bag. Pour in as much water as is manageable (up to 150 ml), swish/swish/swish, and empty. Repeat, if necessary. If I've been eating too much coconut and stuff like it, the second bottle may be needed. When I am out, I have a 300 ml bottle in my car kit and a 100 ml bottle in my go bag for my walkabouts. I try to avoid having to push squishy shite out of my bag. Too much work and too prone to being messy.

Daniel

Ahhh... I have just been pushing! I did discover yesterday that I could open it up!

Wow! Just had to empty, took my squirt bottle, opened the opening, all clean! Learning as I go!

Hi Gentlejohn, my output varies a lot throughout the day! Most mornings when I am driving to work, Ms. Stoma (as I call her) likes to be very liquidy! Once I start eating, she turns to the mushy stuff. Then back to watery, then back to mushy! As I told my boyfriend, she has a mind of her own. LOL I do definitely get in enough liquids. Love the idea of rolling up the toilet paper! Especially when I am at the office, as I am using theirs so it's free! LOL Seriously go through so much toilet paper at home since I got the bag.

Kim