Tips and Tricks for Preventing Accidents with Ileostomy

I guess I have been extremely lucky in my experience with cancer and the subsequent dealing with an ileostomy. Starting in December 2011, I noticed that going up the stairs, I would run out of breath making a long story short. On April 12th, 2012, I was in the operating room for 8 hours and ended up with an ileostomy after removing 4 masses of cancer. I was shown once how to change the appliance and had few problems doing so afterwards. I never worried much about having embarrassing accidents. But I did have a few. To prevent this from happening again, I now use gauze tape to tape the flange, either Hollister or Coloplast, before using the gauze tape, made by 3M amongst others, I use the Eaking ring and the paste on the flange and use a spray to condition the skin. I also use ostomy powder; all this seems to do the job very well. However, in addition to the above, I use hockey tape or sports tape to add extra protection to ensure that the closure doesn't come undone. I tape the bottom of the bag horizontally with sports tape; then use Velcro dots from the dollar store and place one on the taped part of the bag and the other dot on the end of the tape which is attached vertically under the horizontal tape to the back of the bag.

Then I put some baby powder on the exposed sports tape to prevent it from sticking to the closure part of the bag. This prevents the clip (Hollister) or the Velcro closure (Coloplast and Hollister) from coming undone. Note: The Hollister clip is prone to come off when used initially on a brand new bag. The bag tends to be slippery when first used.
My experience with chemo and radiation has been unusual (I think). I kept telling the cancer centre (Canadian for center) to stop giving me placebos and to turn the radiation machine on. The only side effects were a bit of tiredness with radiation and I could not sleep because of the steroids given on the first three days of chemo. Occasionally, I would start to experience the oncoming of nausea and I would eat something which would stop the nausea.
On the positive side, I have been very lucky. I never had so many good looking young women come into my bedroom (home care nurses). Also, the experience with everyone involved in my health care has been exceptional and since I have had very little experience with the medical professions prior to this, I have nothing but good things to say about them. As an example, my surgeon went into the MRI department personally at 8:30 AM and I had an MRI at 12:30.
Should you require more information, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Ed

Hi. I also have an ileostomy and I am interested in some of the supplies you use to help prevent accidents. Where do you get them? At a medical supply company, pharmacy, or ostomy supplier? Thanks for the information.

Most of the supplies I use are bought at "Dollarama," a chain of dollar stores in the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada). They have the sport tape, as well as the transparent plastic tape and the Velcro dots. The adhesive gauze I received mainly from the home care nurses, but you should be able to obtain them from a medical supply store. I recently spent a week in the hospital for a gallstone removal, which kept being postponed and ended up with a roll of adhesive gauze that they use in the hospital for wound dressing. I was running low, but now I have enough to last for a while longer. I did buy some of the sports tape at Walmart.
I recently received some samples from Coloplast. The first three items are flanges with corresponding bags. The bags attach to the flange by removing tape from the bag and permanently attaching the bag to the flange through the use of glue. They didn't quite work out; the flanges were concave or was it convex? I got the words mixed up. In any case, they would be great if the stoma was almost flat with the skin. Mine is the opposite, so I used tape to increase the holding. Two days later, I added paste to isolate the skin and added waterproof tape (Walmart or Shopper's), and it lasted the rest of the week. I called Coloplast and apologized for the wrong interpretation of the request for the convex or is it concave flange. They sent me two more bags and flanges with the traditional locking system, and four semicircular flexible plastic glue strips to increase adherence. These strips work very well. I am still trying to find the product number on their website.
Hope this helps.
Ed
PS: If you can't find the Velcro dots, let me know.

I find Coloplast's Velcro technology to be quite superior. For clips, Convatec is superior.

I prefer bags with some sort of locking mechanism like Coloplast's Click or Convatec's Tupperware style vs an adhesive, but only because I think I would stress it too much.

I agree with the Coloplast Velcro, Hollister now has a Velcro closure as well; haven't tried Convatec yet.
Coloplast has been most generous with samples. I use an additional safety closure using sport tape and Velcro dots for both Coloplast and Hollister. Coloplast recently sent me a few half circular tape to place around the outside of the flange. They work exceptionally well; I called them to ask for the product number and will definitely order them. I do like the flange of Hollister as it allows for air circulation through the gauze part of the flange. Luckily I haven't had any problems with the more solid flange of Coloplast, which however is a bit harder to attach to the area around the stoma, which isn't flat. I'll try the method of cutting triangles at several places and then using the half circles of Brava tape. It's been a year and except for a few accidents at first, it is now reduced to a very occasional accident such as the lock on the Coloplast either coming unlocked or because the user didn't lock it properly (stupid me span), or the clip on the Hollister bag getting caught in clothing. That's when the extra closure I developed works well but it can pull the bag off the flange.
Cheers,
Ed

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Thanks for all the tips on keeping "Ferbie" under control and contained. I'll look around for items mentioned. I'm changing to the 2-piece Hollister appliance, so I will check with all they have for extra security also. I have Convatec and do like their clips for security, but the adhesive is not trustworthy when you do much activity, especially outside getting hot and sweaty! Thanks again for the info.

I noted that someone else stated the preference of ConvaTec over anyone else's. I have not tried ConvaTec; I have been lucky enough to have received a reasonable supply of bags to only have to buy flanges.
I definitely would apply the extra closure when using the clip with Hollister, or buy the ones with the Velcro closures. Also, make sure the locking piece of the clip extends outward enough to ensure proper locking.

I am not sure if I posted this before (picture of the extra closure). Tried to upload the picture but it doesn't seem to appear. Serves me right trusting computers.
Of course it would help if the user (ME) would follow the instructions.


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If the picture is too small or if you want more information please contact me.
Leave it to me to find a bug. (The bug is the user)
I moved the reference to computers to Forum: Let's Talk - Computers
Ed

When and what was the first computer?

I hope this isn't a trick question, but I seem to remember reading about a computer being built at Bletchley Park, England, during WWII for decoding German messages and other than that I suppose the Chinese could always claim their Abacus was the first computer and I'm sure I could do better with the Abacus than I'm doing with my computer, Ed

Reference to Computers moved to Forum: Let's Talk - Computers

AND four semicircular flexible plastic glue strips to increase adherence. These strips work very well. I am still trying to find the product number on their website.

Hi Ed,
I use a half-moon-shaped strip, but I think there are many companies who do similar:

Secuplast Hydro Aloe, skin-friendly Hydrocolloid security strips with Aloe Vera

Made by Salts Healthcare Product Code: SPHA2. Contains 30 per pack.

Hope this helps,
Regards,
Angela

Hi Ed, many thanks for the lesson on computers, after reading your profile I can understand why you're so knowledgeable on the subject. And I like the idea of the computers working without the benefit of electricity, there must have been some able machinists at the time. Thanks again, Ed

Hi Ed, (Gutenberg)
Thanks for the compliment. I hope you don't mind, I moved the parts related to computers (including your entries) to Forum: Let's Talk - Computers.

Hi Angela,
You're lucky living in the UK. You're able to get your supplies paid for by the state. In Canada, we end up paying for the most part ourselves, depending on the province you live in. Also, in general, the supplies are approximately TWICE what they are in the US. While I can order from the US, a lot of companies won't ship to Canada or, in the case of the flange/wafer, they appear not to be allowed to ship to Canada.

I think the semi-circular strips you refer to are similar to the Brava strips Coloplast recently started to offer: "Brave Elastic Tape Supports longer wear time" Product number 12070.
$32.40 per box of 2.
I would highly recommend these.
And Angela, thanks for the references. I'll check out these products. They might even be available in Canada.
Regards,
Ed