Avoiding Embarrassment: Seeking Advice on Ostomy Clip Security

Thank you all for making this site what it is: very comforting. Today was a teacher's only day at the school I work at. One hundred teachers in the gym, professional development. Kids were off for this. While walking amongst everyone as part of the exercise we were doing, my clip fell off. I didn't notice it until I walked back the same way and saw it on the floor. I grabbed my pouch through my sweatshirt pocket, picked up the clip, and walked out the nearest door to a bathroom to check and fix things.

The plastic end of the bag had stuck to my skin under my waistband, so it didn't dump out. I am so grateful for my good fortune, but the thought of how close I came to emptying a one-third full pouch in front of all my colleagues of over ten years mortifies me. All the things I've been through and have dealt with, and now I am more stressed about something that didn't happen :(

So I ordered half-inch Velcro dots and will see how well they provide an extra layer of security. The clips are very durable - I was amazed when I saw only one came in a box of ten pouches. I didn't think they would last, but they do. Today mine failed me - I wonder how common this is.

If anyone has any better idea than Velcro, I'm all ears. I will also post after I use them a few times. They were cheap - about $3 for 300.

IGGIE clip.

Check his profile; I think there's a picture. Or the man himself should be along soon.

G-Day help,

As SusanT said, the IGGIE CLIP sees the photo, but it's best if you glue a magnet to it; it stops it from coming undone. It holds the bag closed, and you can use it to shorten your bag if needed.

🔒 Login to see image

Regards, IGGIE

If you can, I would change to a Velcro closure drainable bag. I've been using them for over 20 years and have never had a single leak from the closure. I was glad to see the back of those slam-down plastic closure clips. Just like you, I had many come undone, always my own fault from not pressing them hard enough to close, and I always had to carry spares. I was always dropping clips down the toilet.

Lucky you!

BW

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

I feel your angst! Just about the time I get comfortable with my “setup,” something will go amiss. I too use the clamp provided with the pouches, and thus far, absolutely no issue with it. Yesterday, I had a bag leak. Fortunately, I was at home, and this leak was caused by a pinhole in the pouch…I was unable to locate this breach! Very frustrating and confidence-shattering. Guess I will need to take heed of suggestions on here to pack a bag of supplies and a change of clothes and keep it in my car, and one also for hubby's vehicle. 🎶🎶 “Oh yeah, life goes on long after the thrill of livin' is gone”….jb

Lucky you!

I historically used pouches with clips - various designs.

Now I rarely do; instead, I use: Confidence B - large drainable black may suit you well - I believe may be available in the states ...........

Salts products are excellent - well designed, stylish, and secure - no clips to come off.

BW

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ jayne ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

G-Day Jayne,

Apparently, salts are not available in the States.

Regards, IGGIE

Yeah, I've looked for Salts since I keep hearing good things about the barrier rings but haven't found them here in the States.

I live near the Canadian border and have joked about going across the border to get them. But the tariffs would kill me. 🤣

Ugh, you had luck on your side, my friend! I had three leaks with my temporary stoma, always my fault because I didn't close the end of my bag properly. My current bag has a Velcro closure, which I highly recommend as long as you really press the ends completely together. Then I top it off with Iggie's clip minus the magnet because I'm lazy. That little binder clip ensures that your bag will never open again, even if the Velcro is a little faulty.

Holy macaroni!! That was fortunate!!

I am so very glad you were saved from embarrassment!! Having had plenty of humiliating occurrences myself....

I remember 28 years ago that when I had my ileostomy made, the nurse was teaching me how to roll my pouch up and secure it - only she didn't seem to realize that she was doing it the wrong way! They got me out of bed in a standing position, and my bag unrolled and everything went over me and the floor - which in those days was carpeted, if you can believe me? I was mortified. (While my husband enjoyed watching the nurse's mortification when she realized - and had to clean me and the floor up.
I ended up being put into a different room so that the carpet could be professionally cleaned (I'd love to know who'd made the stupid decision to put carpet in hospital rooms!).

I also, when I'd recovered from surgery and had been home for a few months, gone on a walk/hike with my husband in the New Zealand native bush behind our home, which goes up a steep hill. I was wearing gumboots and suddenly felt a warm sensation going down my right leg and into my gumboot. I told my hubby I'd sprung a leak and we needed to go home ASAP.
He told me he knew of a shortcut (I shouldn't have listened!) - the shortcut turned out to be instead of walking the long way around over a bridge, to walk over a log which lay across our creek/stream leading onto our property....
Halfway across the log, I typically lost my balance. It was the middle of winter (it does not get that cold here in NZ), so it was a bit of a shock falling into icy cold water....
Hubby fished me out of the creek and I was back on dry land, completely sodden, covered in shit and mud.

We were living in our house, which was back then unfinished. Our shower was outside, and we needed to put the hot water cylinder on for an hour so we'd have enough hot water for two to shower.... I could not be bothered waiting for the water to warm up and just had a cold shower, dropping my wet and filthy clothing in a bucket.

I now laugh at the memory - but it was not funny at the time.

Although it is rare that something goes wrong these days (I rarely leave our home as I am too ill to go anywhere these days) - I still bring along my backpack with my changing bag in it, several plastic bags, and a change of clothing.... just in case!!

Lol, what an adventure!

I had a humiliating experience in the hospital too. I have 2 ostomies, but neither of them was at fault. 🤣

They were getting me out of bed, and as soon as I stood up... whoosh. Liquid started pouring out of all 3 natural holes below. All over me, the bed, and the floor. I sat down quickly, but the bed was a mess.

The flow had stopped, so they tried to move me to a chair... I stood up again and whoosh. More fluid all over everything.

They put a bedpan in the chair and stood me up a third time. Whoosh again. This time we persevered and got me to the chair and bedpan.

The poor young aides were trying to tell me to go ahead and "go" if I needed to. I'm trying to explain that all the plumbing is gone. I don't have to "go"... nothing to "go" with. 🤣

The fluid draining out of me fills the bedpan and starts to overflow. There were 2 aides now trying to clean up. I'm saying help, the bedpan is overflowing.

The look on their faces was priceless. 🤣

One of them gets a clever idea and brings me a commode. They get me on the commode with fluid draining the whole time.

I spent the next 30 minutes sitting on the commode while they cleaned me, the bed, the chair, and the floor. If the flow slowed down, I'd have to half stand, and it would start again.

I kid you not, I probably drained about 2 liters of fluid. I was completely embarrassed as if I had lost control of myself when, in fact, I had no way to control it.

But, in retrospect, it's a bit hilarious. 🤣🤣🤣

Right after this, I had to listen to doctors and nurses telling me it was normal. A small volume is normal, not what I had. No one listened to me or the aides about the volume. A week later, it happened again in front of an OT. THEN they listened, did a CT, found a large pocket of fluid in my pelvis, and gave me a drain. The interventional radiologist who inserted the drain pulled out another 700 ml of fluid. It turns out I have an intestinal fistula.

But those aides and I have quite the story. 🤣🤣🤣

Most excellent! Thank you! I think I have the necessary supplies here. Though I recently cleaned and organized, and now can't find anything.

I will ask the powers that be if I can try a different pouch. Great advice!

All your personal stories help me very much. Things never go wrong at the right time. I'd never be embarrassed or ashamed that I need this contraption, but a public accident would mortify me.

I was a volunteer worker as an intake manager for financial support for a nonprofit organization. Luckily, I had no clients in my office. I had recently returned from the restroom and sat down to do more paperwork when I felt this wetness down my leg. I stood up on the carpeted rug and drip, drip. Boy, did I run out of that building past the front office fast; I was so mortified. I must not have sealed my pouch properly when emptying it. Luckily, my nurse co-worker understood my situation and cleaned up after me. Over the years, I've had several such accidents—all my own fault—but never again in public. Most times, I develop leaks in my pouches where they adhere to the skin after 9 or 10 days and sometimes 1 or 2.

G-Day Fred,

Two things I have posted before.

One When you open a new bag of 10 drainable pouches, close/seal every one of them right away. Then you don't get that warm feeling down your leg when you forget to seal the bottom of the bag.

Two. Use the IGGIE Clip for securing the bottom of the bag and also to be able to shorten the bag as little or as much as you wish. But I do recommend gluing a magnet to it.

Regards IGGIE

Put that iffy clip on the end of a Velcro closure?

G-Day Wanna,

Do you want to try that message again? Do you mean the IGGIE CLIP?

IGGIE

Reading your stories is very comforting :) The IGGIE clip has been a huge success. It works as intended and gives me great peace of mind. I use it when I wear my supportive camouflage belt. Everything is tucked in nice and easy. When I don't wear that, I tend to tuck the end into my waistband, so on those days, the clip isn't right for me. I was able to switch to Velcro pouches without needing my insurance company's blessing, a note from my nurse, or an act of Congress. I just got them today. I will give it a whirl on my next change.

Iggie, your clip is helping so many people!

I know you don't seem interested in Velcro closures, but it has worked great for me. They have never come open on me in the whole 2 years I have been using them. Never. I double-check it when I seal it to make sure it's good and sealed by giving it a very small tug, and then I just go on my way. No worries. I hate clips. I had one like that in the hospital, and I hated it. They are not reliable. Plus, they are hard to use. I think.

Don't worry … here in Canada we don't put tariffs on shit or shit-related products. 😃😃😃😃😃🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

I ❤️ 🇨🇦

I started out with clips, too, and had too many fall in the toilet! I've been a Velcro gal ever since!

I love my Iggie clip. Once I read about the clip and began using it, I have never been without it. It has never come undone. I have had only one very small leak, and it was not the Velcro; it was a tiny little fault in the seam. My ostomy nurse looked askance at me the first time she saw the clip, but once she recognized that I have had no leaks or blowouts and she noticed how very tightly the Velcro holds because the clip adds extra pressure, she began thinking it was a good idea. She also loved the idea of using a cheap foam knee pad to protect the bag from seatbelt squishing in the car. The knowledge gained from this site spreads far and wide! Thank you, everyone, for being my mentors.