How I Made a Template for My Irregular Stoma

I have a very irregular-shaped ileostomy stoma and developed a stomal fistula in a V shape on one side. Cutting the opening on the wafer to fit was beyond frustrating, and my skin was suffering greatly. So was my mental state.

I used the stomal measurement guide and chose a size slightly larger than the stoma. I took a picture with my phone. I then enlarged it so the circles of the measuring guide matched, so it was true to size. I took a clear piece of plastic and traced my stoma.

It's been an emotional and physical lifesaver after weeks of getting it wrong. And Eakin seals by Convatec have been a godsend.

Hi PatriciaSz,

It's great to see you sharing your experience here. I'm sure you'll find plenty of support from our large community, as many of us have faced similar challenges.

Dealing with an irregular stoma can be incredibly tough, and your method of creating a template sounds like a brilliant solution. It's amazing how a bit of creativity and patience can make such a difference. Eakin seals are indeed fantastic for providing that extra bit of security and comfort. I'm glad you've found something that works for you and helps ease the frustration.

Joining this website was the best decision for me, as it has truly changed my life. The support and shared experiences here have been invaluable. I hope you find the same comfort and encouragement.

Well done, great idea.

Thanks for sharing. Great news this is working for you. You're very clever to have thought this out and made your own template.

Great story - thanks for sharing! 👍

Thank you for sharing not only the ingenuity of arriving at an accurate template - nice one! - but in so doing, sharing the fact of your stomal fistula!

Your positive attitude is a credit - may you always have such presence of mind and positive nature.

Best wishes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ waves ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jayne

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Good work, a great tip for the difficult ones. 👏

Such a great story of finding a solution, and thanks for sharing.

WOW! I'm so impressed by your way of working things out without help from an ostomy nurse! I hope that I can get to where you are with this! Big thumbs up!

Oh yeah! I so need to hear about how you can deal with some unexpected stuff that just… happens! Thank you so much for sharing that! It helps me so much to know what everyone is dealing with and how they work it out. I'm relatively new to this, so it's so positive and helpful! Thanks