i recently had my total colectomy on Tuesday. I am now waiting at least8-10 weeks until I can revise it to a J pouch. I was wondering if anyone and provide me with any tips as far as cleaning my bag and emptying it. Along with getting rid of the gassy blaring feeling that comes along with the bad ��. This is my second day with a bag. Thank you, any tips are appreciated
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Not sure, I can give any real tips on this. The hospital staff and ostomy nurse helped with this. I think it also takes time and practice, sometimes with minor mishaps, but then it just becomes second nature. I had my bag from November until August, so plenty of time to get used to it. There are some videos to watch on line that may help. Good luck!
Get help! Visiting nurse who can teach you. Also, if you are able, toss the bag daily,. I'm trying to remember what my son did when he had his. I believe but not sure, he poured water into it while attached to him. I do know he used lots of deodorant drops. Good luck.
I've had mine over a year now. I have a bottle of water I refill out of the faucet I use to rinse. Sometimes it's too thick and oozes so I just rinse it out and wipe the outside and open it and wipe the inside and velcro it back up. Doing it this way keeps it just water and not have poop to smear all over. Just easier for me.
Two days! You'll figure out what's the best way to do it for you. Good luck.
Richard .
Hi, KC23. When my external bag felt a bit messy but the wafer and flange were still clean and I did not need to change the entire appliance, I would fill a small plastic bottle with warm water. Open the bottom of the bag (un-clip it or un-velcro it), hold the lip carefully facing up (aimed at the ceiling) and pour water slowly into the bag. Make sure you hold the lip low, *no higher* than your stoma because you don't want the messy water to tip into your stoma. Keep the lip lower than your stoma and you'll be okay. Gently shake or agitate your bag to loosen the stool and then tip it into the toilet bowl. Clean the lip and velcro or clip it shut. It's not like changing the entire appliance, but it felt cleaner until I needed to do a whole change.
I used to keep all my supplies (bags, wafers, flanges, gels, deodorant crystals, powders, sprays) in a basket so everything was handy in one place. You don't want to go hunting for something when the bag is off. Have moist hand towels ready before you start. Best time to change your entire appliance is in the morning before breakfast when your bowel is quiet and less likely to spurt out stool as you try to change. It took me two hours once because it was so active and I was inexperienced. Or change it after a shower, that way you can air everything and the stoma has a chance to just breathe for a while and see the light of day! Ask your supplier for lots of free samples so you can try different brands to find the one right for you before purchasing. There are gels to help the stool slide down to the bottom of the bag so it doesn't pancake at the top; there are deodorant drops for the bag, there are sprays and powders to help if your skin becomes raw. The best advice is to blot the stoma skin area with warm moist towels when changing and let dry completely, with a low setting hair dryer, if possible.
If I was going out and nervous about the contents sloshing around, heavy, which could leak, I used a product called Diamonds. It's a small packet that you put, whole, at the bottom of your bag before you Velcro it shut. When watery stool comes in contact with the packet it absorbs the fluid and becomes thick like oatmeal. This helps prevent heaviness which could cause the bag to pull away from the flange. Ask your ostomy nurse or supplier. And, very important: at the first sign of red, raw, or bleeding skin under your wafer, tell your visiting nurse you need help right now. I told my ET nurse but she was not helpful. I suffered for a week with raw skin, and also for weeks after I finally got help, not understanding my retracted stoma, what it was or how to prevent it with concave appliances. I was furious because it could have been prevented. You will become more comfortable as the weeks go by and soon you will do a change in minutes! Good luck to you.
Winterberry, your tips are fantastic. KC23, I might add that keeping, in your basket of supplies, a little bottle of scented lotion. I like to put a little near/on the opening of my bag as added insurance. My husband says he never smells anything offensive coming from me (the filters on the bags are pretty useless and the only time I think they're working are the times my dog is near me and letting loose ;-)....) I also clean out my bag with water at home. However, if you're away from home and don't have access to a cup of water, putting some drops of oil - coconut, jojoba - can help with the cleaning out process. Use good quality toilet paper whenever possible, keep that cleansing cup handy to fill to help with the flushing process, too. You'll get the hang of all of this and then you won't need it anymore!
