Having reversal surgery Tuesday. I have a slow GI so I have to do a 3 day fast and a super duper clean out. Any pro-tips would be appreciated. I have old Hollister flanges and Hollister irrigation bags and a bucket. That's about as far as my brain got. How do you sleep with a really active output? I really need help. I'm scared to death with no one to help me.
Im going to have my reversal and major hernia repair on the 18th. I have a very slow digestive system, so in order to prep for the surgery I have to do a 5 day prep. That means LOTS of watery stool.
I would appreciate any PRO-TIPS for not blowing up my bag, the bathroom and my bed. Is there a special bag for this I can buy? Do I have to sit in the shower for 5 days 🤔? What can I do so that I'm not exploding every 10 minutes? The last CT scan I had where they make you drink all that contrast 10 minutes after drinking it, the bag broke in the waiting room and I dribbled all the way to the bathroom where it just went everywhere. I don't want that to happen again.
So, my surgeon wants to take down my ostomy and fix a huge peristomal hernia I gave myself by doing too much out of the hospital. This is being done on the 18th. Bunch of stuff has to be done, but that not my question.
My question IS: ANY PRO-TIPS on handling the prep with a bag? The last time I had to have a CT with contrast, I blew open the bag and was just like a sprinkler. Stool everywhere. This prep is 5 days long and involves ALOT of laxitives. I'm a slow digester, so I need a lengthy prep. Any suggestions would be appreciated so that I don't blow the house, bed and bathroom apart.
I'm a bit confused on the Coloplast flange size I should use. My stoma sits at a full 40mm. I've tried red and I've tried yellow. Seems the yellow is a bit too big and the stool slides under the big extra flap and right past the barrier and LEAK. I've never had this problem with the red ones, but they seem a bit small. Just curious to see if bigger is better than smaller. I know the other colors are way too small, so, it either red or yellow. Any advice?
Went to bed around 12am. Woke up at 4am with a bag that looked like an overstuffed sausage. Yellowish, muddy mush. Let me explain the last week.
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Changed my bag Monday. Had NO output, even when I went to sleep. Had no output for 3 days and I got worried so Thursday and Friday I took Miralax. NOW I can't stop going even during the necessary bag change because it was going to leak (caught it before it did) My little stoma was working like a steam train and had pulled itself under my skin because of the pressure of the overstuffed sausage. Didn't even bother to save that bag change because it was wayyyy too full to get out through the funnel. Bag Weighted about 3 pounds. Changed back to Hollisters because their cheap and I can toss them without feeling too badly. Those Mio Clicks are very expensive. So, I now have on a Hollister filling up with yellow diarrhea. I took one imodium just to slow things down a bit. Shit was on my shoes and socks, the toilet, the bathroom sink and was still coming out as I tried to clean up. I feel gross.
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I don't know what I'm eating thats causing this up and down of output. This is the first time I've had liquid stool at home. I've been up since 4am, its 5:30am and I'm going to try to go back to sleep...I did do alot of walking today. My mind is just a hamster wheel trying to figure out where this came from all of a sudden. I'm thinking the Miralax. But, I've taken that before and not had this happen. This Hollister is just for protection until it slows down and I can replace with a Mio Sensura click. I am convex everything because the stoma sits on my waistline and sometimes even sucks under the flange. This is horrible, effecting my sleep and my emotions. I can't live like this. 😕 I hope the barrier does its job.
I have alot of fairly muddy stool. Coats the entire bag and makes me feel gross. So, I've been taking the bag off rinsing it, drying it as best I can and replacing it. Its one of the reasons I have to wear 2 piece bags. However, whenever I rinse, it destroys the barrier. No leaks yet, but the little collar of the moldable barrier rinses off and now all I have left is the flange hole. Gonna ruin my skin. Do you use anything but water, maybe some liquid that doesn't destroy the barrier ring? This is only day 2 on this flange and I wanna make it to day 3 and maybe more.
Its Monday night here, and I havent had any production since Sunday mid afternoon. No real production. I had a small chunk come out this morning. I thought the bag was on too tight, so I changed it and left room at the top where my stoma is. My stoma is sewn in crooked and I need convex everything.
It hurts. Dull ache. Any advice besides go to the ER? My Mom is also sick and SHE may need to go to the ER herself. I'm stuck (literally) and don't know what to do. Anyone gone this long without passing stool? Should I be worried? Or am I worrying for no reason?
This change I decided to switch to the one piece black convex mio and last night had 3 bags full of just mushy production. Since its a one piece, I can't just conveniently take off the bad bag, toss it, and put on another bag. So, I rinsed it.
Doesn't rinsing destroy the moldable barrier ring I have under the convex one piece bag? Since these bags are made for secrecy, I can barely see my stoma. I have no idea what's going on under there. I didnt feel the water on my skin. So, not leaking, but the bag needed to be rinsed. Alot of pancaking and stool were stuck in the bag. Did I do the right thing? I used the faucet extender on my sink. Seems to do the job, and then I thoroughly cleaned the sink. Its hard to get air into these bags to prevent pancaking.
So, my stoma tilts upward. When I tried to fix it, I made the convex barrier too tight and didn't have any production for 2 days. I knew something was wrong. So, I went back to old Hollister 2 piece and a moldable barrier. I'm not fond of this setup. But, it works. QUESTION?
If I were to try a larger convex barrier, do you think stacking it on the bottom would pull the stoma straight and centered? Having it tilted upwards causes pancaking (even with air in the bag and the lube/deodorant). Its sewn in lopsided. So, its not a matter of ditches and wrinkles. Maybe I just have to deal with the crooked stoma. Suggestions?
Anyone else completely lose their belly button? Mine is still there, but its all the way to the right. Thinking about a piercing. LOL! Thats from the cut they had to do to remove the impacted stool that caused the perforation. It was huge. Its almost closed now, but my belly button is still attached to it. So weird.
Is it true that is you wad up wet toilet paper and put it in the bag it will help stop pancaking? Because these Hollisters do not hold air to get rid of the vacuum. So, I'm trying the toilet paper method. Do you place it somewhere specific? Or just let it float around. I'm eventually going to get the deodorant/lube, but for now I need something that works. Let me know.
I'd like to hear from those of you that have a difficult stoma. I'm a bit chubby (probably not for long) and my skin folds make it impossible to change my flange in a sitting or standing position (still have a bit of surgical paralysis - not sure why that happens to me - everytime I have a small surgery my legs go) so I'm changing my flange/wafer laying down. This inevitably causes it to be off a bit. I'm going to take my time today and change it without missing a step. I use barrier rings. It doesn't leak, but stool is pancaking. I'm going to really measure the stoma (keeps changing size). I've watched all the YouTube videos. I still get frustrated with mushy stool.
How do those of you with inset or on the surface stoma, make your changes without being off? I need this one to be right. I've been up all night with mushy, pancaking stool. I did just rinse the stoma, but it starts right up again. I think metamucil is going to be a daily thing for me. What do you use to keep your stool going it the bag like it should? I also use oil, which helps a bit. Any suggestions? Different type of system? Pre-cut? This is going to bankrupt me...
So, I'm new to this and in the hospital/rehab they said I could eat whatever I wanted. I'm slowly learning this is not the case.
I had a pretty big turkey cutlet dinner last night, and today I woke up to really mushy stool. Its crowding the cutout hole (the hole is big enough and I have a circular barrier under it). It's not leaking, but the stool isn't moving down the bag. I have some oil in the bag so that it doesn't get stuck, but it's WAY stuck. I keep having to change bags (not the flange) and I'm literally scooping out the stool from my stoma area with a small spoon. Then ANOTHER BAG. WTF do I do? I can't keep going through bags like this. Imodium? No matter how many times I clean it, it still keeps coming. IDK what to do.