Worried

You must feel you have a wonderful consultant. Mine is also adorable. He’s caring and has a brilliant bed side manor. I’ve met a few consultants and I definitely got top notch with him. Sounds as though you’ve been lucky too 

best wishes 

I had a great one too.even the anaesthetist was lovely.he let me choose the music to be anaesthetised too.I chose the pogues fairytale of new york.then he popped up to the ward a couple of times during my stay to see how I was getting on.

Kath

He is brilliant

Some blood on the stoma is ok, not too much, my nice stoma nurse said if it bleeds a bit then you know there's a good blood supply,you should be sering you local stoma nurse soon, they will help, and if you need a lit of adhesive remover, use it, and when you get your prescription set up ask for the larger 150mls cans of adhesive remover, as I have mentioned get samples, I've found lots of info from different suppliers, and one sent me this great thing, can I find it again, no, it a flange that sits around the stoma, sticky both sides, I pop my baseplate on, it stays stuck forever, it stops leaks, and just makes me feel better that the faeces doesn't go under the baseplate when I'm changing the bags, if anyone read this and know, can you let me know please, they're white, quite thick and marvelous. You'll soon be sorted, I only changed my bag once when I was in hospital stoma nurse said I did it OK. Though I was having problems with some bags, I seemed to half cover the stoma with a bag, don't now cos of the small miracle flange..........insert name of flange here please. Take care, ad the people on here are a great way to find put all about the stomas and products.

Hi MissTee 

I use flange extenders but they are not sticky on both sides. They are called Brava Elastic Strips made by Coloplast and stick on either side around the bag once it is on. The backing is white and they are quite thick but are clear when applied. They are excellent for stopping leakage. Is this the kind of thing you mean? 

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah, I have the clinimed stris that go over the baseplate, but I use a double sided sticky  thick silicone ring, it's just snug for a 25mm stoma, and the baseplate sticks onto it, after you stick the ring round your stoma, I had 5, I now have 3, and I don't remember where I got them. I was just using baseplate and bag, but when I squeezed the around the stoma, the baseplate flipping up and faeces got under the base plate,so I found these, there in a little plastic case of their own, one to a case, I will try to find out what they are, as they stick so well, my baseplate can stay on for over a week. I will try to find out 2hst they are and who I gotthem from, as I'd like some on my next prescription

Rosie 

Osteomyelitis seals, to prevent leakage, very sticky, can't rave about them too much.

Ah! The rings-yes I know exactly what you mean now. I used to use aloe Vera ones which were sticky both sides and fitted round the stoma prior to the bag going on. My flange extenders go on after the bag is on to give extra protection and were a game changer with me for my urostomy. I just use a straightforward neat closed bag for my colostomy now with nothing additional needed (thankfully!). Took a lot of trial and error and trying loads of different things for both my stomas before I got to where I am now.

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah, yes those are the ones, and I hqve to say I've found the bags that are best for me and the thin flange extenders,  and the seal is brilliant, doesn't irritate my skin, and it's comfy, I still hate it, but at least I'm coping better with it. One of the stoma nurses I hqve makes me feel like a child, I asked about 2 piece bags and she said" those are for elderly or infirm patients, who have carers to change their bags, you don't need them." Everytime I took off a bag it was a chore, it hurt, the skin was red raw, itchy. I did get some 2 piece bags, as one of the stoma products asked which hospital I was with, they rang her, no idea why, she rang me bag and shouted that I needed to go through her for samples. By that time I'd amassed quite a lot of samples, and found the one I thought would work well. I just changed my prescription to another supplier, they've been great. I think that the company that she put me in touch with, wanted me to have the same prescription every month, I'd have ended up with somany bags, I do still have dansac bags from their 1st delivery, I ordered 60, they sent double that. I'm gonna take them into the hosputql and give them to the nurse for other people to try, along with flanges that I don't use. My bathroom is piled high with stoma bags and samples, freebies from the 1st supplier and the supplier I use now. At least I'll have some room in there, and I will keep a box of dansac bags, for emergencies. I feel better knowing that my skin won't be irritated over and over when I rip bags off, and I'm now using less products too. Hopefully when she finds out I've moved to another supplier, I won't get another phone call. Can't believe she shouted at me. I'm 55 not 5. Hope you're doing OK. 

Hi Rosie

I didn’t know at the start but these stoma nurses, certainly in the community, all work for various different suppliers. I was lucky and had an excellent nurse but I have changed suppliers a further twice and so don’t have access to her any longer. My supplier now has its own nurses so I could access them if required. You can obtain samples from any company you choose and do not have to go through the nurse, as you’ve discovered.

You don’t need the same prescription every month, you can change it depending on your requirements and mine would rarely be the same 2 months on the trot! I’m not sure the hospital will take unused supplies-I’m not aware of that happening and yet it’s ridiculous and such a waste of stock. The only way I am aware of to offload excess supplies is through a charity called Jacobs Well in the Hull area who collect supplies to ship abroad. 

I’m really glad you have found the right products to suit-it can take time in the early days especially when your stoma is healing and settling down. I’ve had to change products often for various issues to get to the stage I am now, but I have had more issues with my urostomy than my colostomy, which has been easier to manage for me. 

I’m doing ok , thanks for asking.

Sarah xx