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Reply to "New loop illeostomy sucks!!"

 Ilex paste just did not work for me. Stoma filler paste caulks up and is very painful to remove from damaged skin during next change. Powders prevented the ring from sticking, and everytime I tried the powder, I regretted it. Maybe I could not apply the powder properly, because the stoma would constantly run and the powder would be messed up by the effluent.

As for the belt, I even had to sleep in an ostomy belt, as my loop was retracted so much that it became very small by the time I had my final surgery. I hated it, but after a month, my brain learned to ignore the discomfort from the belt.

I will try to explain to you how to order a convex wafer for your stoma. Convex waters help if the convex area is around the size of the stoma, not a lot larger than the stoma. I measured the size of the stoma and got the smallest convex wafer that would fit around it, which would push the skin that was closest to the stoma inward -the most damaged skin-  not the skin that is further away. I also got the deep convex wafers, not light convex wafers. Light convex ones do not push the skin backwards much. Hollister wafers melted away very fast for me, the output was too erosive. So, I used hard plastic wafers from Sensura mio line. They are not as comfortable as Hollister wafers, as they are much harder, but that is what I needed to push back the skin around the stoma. Here is a link for the one that helped me the most, the page for the deep convex wafer that does not melt away easily:

https://products.coloplast.us/...-deep-click-barrier/

To find your size, you need to click "please select a variant", then you will see a list of product numbers in the drop down menu. If you click on one of the product numbers, and then it will show the dimensions of the wafer. Such a bad website design.  Anyways, just keep clicking the product numbers until you find the one for your stoma size.  The stoma size is a range from a small and a large number. Choose the wafer that is the smallest that can fit your stoma. For example, of you stoma is of size 20mm, do not get a water with stoma-size range 15-40, although the range includes 20; instead get one with range 10-20. It would then push back the skin closest to the stoma.

Another very important thing for me was to get the hole on the wafer as close as to the stoma, such that there is ZERO gap between the water and the stoma. I mean ZERO. With permanent ileostomy, I was instructed to leave a gap there, which was fine, as it was filled by the ring as it swelled. With the loop, the ring melts away very fast. The wafer has hard plastic, which does not melt as fast as the ring. You need to get as close as you can to the stoma by cutting the hole in exact same shape of the stoma. Not a standard round shape. Not a standard oval shape. But the exact shape of the stoma. I can still remember the shape of mine after cutting a hole of that shape so many times. It takes time and patience, but it works. Once you get the shape right once, you can keep the plastic that is as the back of the wafer that you pull off to reveal the adhesive as a "mold" to cut a similar shaped hole for the next change. Cutting the hole gets much faster once you have such a mold from a previous change. Once you have an exact shaped hole on the wafer, apply the ring to the wafer first, and mold the ring to the exact shape of the hole while it is on the water, then apply the wafer with the ring on it on the stoma. Then, keep pressing on the wafer for a minute, so that it sticks well. In my case, using powders just prevented the ring from sticking, so I only used the protectant wipe before applying the ring. If the ring sticks well, then the skin underneath can heal.

To have almost no gap between the water and the stoma, you need to see the stoma clearly while applying the wafer. I got a small standing vanity mirror  that helped tremendously, as I could not clearly see the gap around the stoma in the bathroom mirror, although I don't need any glasses. Just search "plastic oval vanity mirror tabletop", you will find many. I had measured the height of my bathroom countertop and my stoma before ordering the mirror to make sure I could see the stoma well.

Finally, to see what you are doing while applying the wafer, you need to use a two piece appliance. You cannot see the stoma and the water with a one piece appliance.

Don't forget to eat your marshmallows 20 mins before the change too! My loop stoma would constantly run during changes, which made the chance most difficult.

 

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