Hi all, could someone preferably in Australia? Please let me know how to order Sure Seal rings/tapes for waterproofing my flange +/- outer strips. Apparently, they do not ship to Australia and I'm trying to get up the nerve to go for a first swim! Because it's spring here now.
Thank you in advance for any advice. :)
Hello ceejay33. I cannot help with getting stuff in Australia but, from what I have read previously on here, you might not need all that extra protection if you have the right gear in the first place. There is some really useful correspondence about this sort of issue in the 'Premium Content' section under 'Sports and Ostomy'. Apparently, some people don't use any extra protection at all when swimming in the ocean, others have some useful suggestions about what tape works that you can get from the local hardware store. Others say they use support belts and/orwetsuits to asssit in keeping things in place. All the correspondence is very positive about giving the swiming thing a try, so I would suggest a browsing session in 'Premium Contents' to get a more comprehensive, first-hand picture of how people cope and enjoy their sporting lives.
Best wishes
Bill
Why Join MeetAnOstoMate?
First off, this is a pretty cool site with 37,000 members who truly understand you.
It's not all about ostomy. We talk about everything.
Many come here for advice or to give advice, others have found good friends, and some have even found love. Most importantly, people here are honest and genuinely care.
🛑 Privacy is very important - we have many features that are only visible to members, ensuring a safe and secure environment for you to share and connect.
Create an account and you will be amazed by the warmth of this community.
G'day Bill :)
Thank you very much for that info. I will have a look at that section shortly.
My ileostomy bag changes have to be done meticulously with a hair dryer in between the stages, and the bag flange and the leak rings have to be hair dried as well. It must be my skin; nothing wants to stick to it without all the messing around. I also have to use a barrier wipe and dry that with a hair dryer!
Even when the stoma nurse changes it in the rooms, I can bet my bottom dollar that yep, it's going to fall off (all because the hair dryer wasn't used!)
Hopefully, I will get some different solutions in the Premium section.
Once again, thank you for your answer.
Cheers mate :)
Hello ceejay33. Thanks for responding to my post and explaining about the 'non-stick' problem. This is a slightly different perspective to that of wanting to go swiming so I'll gear my answer to this aspect. There have been a few discussions surrounding appliances not sticking properly to certain people and I have been the unfortunate subject of such experiences. first of all it was the bags, then it was the stoma plugs and finally I had so much problem with the irrigation sleeves coming away whilst the process was in operation that I contacted the manufacturers. They sent me a new batch of sleeves which stuck so hard and fast, I had a job to remove them when it was time. This prompted me to think of a different solution for myself. Basically, I made my own baseplates with a double elastic belt to keep them on and stuck the appliances to the baseplates. Because they no longer had to be removed from my skin, they last months as opposed to one-off. At first there was a problem with the baseplates slipping when mucus got underneath them. But I ordered some Adapt 7730 medical adhesive spray ( I think Holister make it) and I have had no problems since. I never tried the spray directly onto the appliances but I see no reason why it should not work in that way.
It seems to be a process of trying different things until you find something that suits your own situation. I hope you manage to do that soon and lead an active and productive future life.
Best wishes
Bill
Hello Bill, I've seen many of your posts and helpful responses to others on this site. First of all, I want to tell you what a talented writer you are.
I don't know what you do for a living; I wouldn't be at all surprised if you are a professional author/writer.
Secondly, I want to thank you for all of the ostomy management-related information and advice you have shared with the many persons who are having difficulties and struggles coping and managing their ostomies.
You have been a godsend to many. I just wanted to recognize and thank you.
Mike from Lakewood, Ohio USA (a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio USA)
Hello Bill, I've seen many of your posts and helpful responses to others on this site. First of all, I want to tell you what a talented writer you are.
I don't know what you do for a living; I wouldn't be at all surprised if you are a professional author/writer.
Secondly, I want to thank you for all of the ostomy management-related information and advice you have shared with the many persons who are having difficulties and struggles coping and managing their ostomies.
You have been a godsend to many. I just wanted to recognize and thank you.
Mike from Lakewood, Ohio USA (a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio USA)
Hello Mike. Thank you so much for your kind words and your vote of confidence in my contributions to MAO. As for the writing, I have always found the process a very difficult one, largely because I missed out on a basic education. However, with the advent of the word processor and apps such as Grammarly, I have found that a basic education is probably no longer needed for writing the sort of stuff I churn out. As long as the ideas keep flowing, the words are simply a description of what is going on inside my head. Sometimes this is not worth writing at all, but listening to, and commenting on things that people find problematic, has been part of my life's work so that has become easier over many years of practice. I don't write professionally, in the true meaning of the term, but I have published many things on a variety of different subjects and some of this work has its own following, which is not very lucrative in a monetarist sense, but is nonetheless extremely rewarding in other ways. I have just finished a publication of my memiors, which, I have come to the conclusion, is a very self-indulgent exercise. However, I felt I ought to write it myself, in case someone else decided they would have a go after my death. I don't think anyone else has the knowledge to write autobiographies about someone else. The book will be called 'Memoirs of a Bettermaker', which hopefully encpsulates the aim of mine to make things a little better for everyone, wherever I am.
Best wishes
Bill
It was nice hearing back from you, Bill.
By the way, my great grandparents all came to the United States from Ireland.
I haven't traveled very much, but I've never had a desire to visit Ireland.
I've always had a fascination with all things British. Perhaps someday I'll travel there.
All the best to you, Bill. Stay healthy.
Mike
Hello Mike. One set of my geat grandparents came from Dublin but like so many of the Irish, after being persecuted and exploited by the English, they decided that Ireland was not the place to stay. The Uk is a good place for outsiders to visit at the moment because the value of the pound is going downhill rapidly with the decision to leave the EU. There are so many things to see and do within a short distance here that it would take a long holiday to even scratch the surface. Having lived here all my life, I still feel that there are so many things I have not been able to see and visit.
Best wishes
Bill
Thanks for your reply, Bill. Maybe one day I'll visit England.
Take care,
Mike
Hi all,
Digging up an old thread, as it's very relevant this month. Like Bill above, I've been using the Hollister Adapt 7730 spray adhesive for about 20 years now to attach stoma caps to me for swimming.
Over the years, I've found that the 7730 is the only adhesive solution which remains attached during swim workouts or in the surf. I've tried the barrier extenders, pink tape (wow, is it unsightly too), and appliances from Braun, Coloplast, Hollister, Dansac, etc.
Unfortunately, my local ostomy supplier here in Sydney, Australia, notified me last month that Hollister is ceasing production of 7730 globally, which I've since confirmed with our local Hollister support line.
Are there any good alternatives to sticking appliances on? My primary concern is that it sticks well - but how visible it is in a public swimming center also matters, as even after 20 years of having a stoma, I'm a little self-conscious of people staring at my stoma.
Thanks!
Hello swimfit.
Thank you for forewarning us that that 7730 is going to be withdrawn. I will get in touch with my supplier to see if they have any old stock, and make enquires about alternatives. If I find anything, I'll let you know.
Best wishes
Bill
No worries, Bill,
I did the same - bought a case of 24 cans of 7730 while there was still stock available, which will see me through a few years (I checked with Hollister and the helpful phone team here in Oz advised based on expiry dates on the cans, it has an expected shelf life of 5 years).
I'll start a new thread about replacement alternatives.
I started using 7730 in the UK after my stoma care nurse there recommended it to me, and have stuck (pun intended) with it since then, so it's a shame to hear they can't see commercial value in continuing it.
SF
Ok, I posted a dedicated topic for my hunt for a 7730 replacement.. and I think I'll call Hollister in the morning and buy a second case of it to stick under the stairs where it's relatively temperature stable, in the hopes that it lasts long enough to get used.
https://www.meetanostomate.org/discussion-forum/viewtopic.php?t=12237
