Just slapped one on this AM to try, and WOW!

These things are sooooo flexible and thin, you can hardly feel they're on!

If anybody is interested in the specific products I'm using in combination, let me know and I'll post.

Thanks to Tracy (another member) for suggesting this combination to me- so far, loving it!

//Todd

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ToddL,

I ordered a sample of one of these for my son but never used it, I think b/c it looked hard to get off. Gosh, it's been a while so I can't totally remember. I'll have to go dig it out and take a look again. My first impression of it was that it looks great. Please let us know how it goes. We are using Hollister new image extended wear wafers with tape right now and they have made life so much easier then anything else we have used. I guess it's all trial and error and then try some more.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

Laura son age 4 dx. with UC at 18 months old, colectomy and ileostomy at 3. Diagnosis now IC. Waiting for second step...maybe.

I actually have some samples of these in my cupboard that I have never tried. I need a convex wafer because Wee Willie likes to telescope and retract so haven't been able to pluck up the courage to try them.

I have to admit that they look so flimsy that I have a hard time imagining how they can possibly stay put for as long as my Convatec moldable wafers.

So Todd, you are now our official microskin tester and if you can get good wear out of yours I may just pluck up the courage to try mine.

There again, if it aint broke.....

Shell

ibdmommy,
All I've ever used are the Hollister new image extended wears, too, but since I'm feeling so much better, I've decided to give myself a new challenge and see if other products will feel better, last longer, etc. Also, while the Hollister floating flanges are amazing for when you're recovering from abdominal surgery and can't press the bag onto the flange, I find it annoying that they pull away from my body and down.

Shell,
They are VERY flimsy, but that's the point. They are SO incredibly flexible, even compared to the Hollister flanges, there is NO pulling when I bend over- it's great.

The tape looks like saran wrap, and is about as thin, but flexible and SUPER sticky. Another bonus is that because it's plastic and not made of the cloth-like material Hollister uses, it doesn't absorb water, therefore, no water gets in and on the seal.

People say that putting them on is tricky, but I found it to be really easy. I'm using the velco-like closure (sold as a colostomy bag), in conjunction to an eakin seal.

The only downside so far is that their opaque version of the appliance is actually the exact same bag as their clear one, but has the Hollister-like cloth material covering it, and there is a small area down toward the bottom where the drain is that isn't covered, and you can see a shadow as the bag fills up... not THAT big of a deal!

Will let you guys know how it goes.

//Todd

I love the idea of these bags, but have tried them several times and always getting leaking on the second day. The adhesive just isn't strong enough to handle my output. They do feel great on, but I get better wear from the Convatec. I wish they made a convex one to try but no such luck. Curious to see what kind of wear you get ToddL....

Jill,
Where did you find you had leaks with these on the second day?

Are you using a convex convatec now?

I wasn't wearing a convex wafer before these, and never had a leak, so I don't expect to have one with these... I HOPE not!

Will post how it goes...

//Todd

Todd I've been in Convatec since my perm ileo, except for trying a few new products, like Cymeds...I have never had a leak with Convatec (except during pregnancy while my belly was first getting bigger and then I think I would have leaked iwth any appliance!). With Microskin, the leak was really more like a seepage under the wafer, all the way around. The adhesive just isn't strong enough for me which is funny because my output isn't particularly thick.

Interesting... do you remember which one you tried?

I'm using the only one they make with a velcro-like closure that they say is for colostomoies, and therefore, has a thinner seal, so I'm using an eakin seal with it.

Rounding out day 2 with this thing, and so far, so good. One of the things that's driving me nuts is as my hair grows back, it tends to feel like the thing is pulling my hair out- more annoying than anything. Maybe it's just that it 'feels' different as my hair grows back in underneath the adhesive.

I went one week with the hollister 2 piece 5 days, and had a little breakdown of the eakin seal, and there was a little seapage too, but the eakin reside kept it all completely off my skin...

//Todd

Okay- going to change this thing tonight after work to do a 'seal analysis'.

I noticed that I had a little seepage through the filter on my way into work this AM.

That's the thing that drives me nuts about this company- they don't give you options. (i.e. the only bag available with the velcro-type closure has the THIN seal and a filter)

If the seal looks bad, I don't think I'll be using these going forward, and look for another comfortable 1 piece.

Anybody have any suggestions for an opaque 1 piece with velcro-type closure that doesn't have a filter?

I've got some of the hollister 1-piece with the extended wear barriers on the way.

I really love the hollister new image, but the floating flange drives me nuts! It's the BEST right out of surgery because you don't have to press down on your abdomen to put the bag on, but now, I just want it to be as close to my abdomen as possible for security...

//Todd

You could try Coloplast. They have the velcro type closure and they come in opaque which is fabric and really comfortable. Here's the link for one piece options:

http://www.us.coloplast.com/ECompany/USMed/Homepage.nsf...0794726?OpenDocument

I use their bags and find the filters are really good and don't leak unless you get them wet from the outside. They have little covers to put over the filter to prevent them getting wet in the bath/shower etc.

If the 1 piece doesn't work for you then you could try the adhesive coupling 2 piece version which is very low profile. I personally don't like the wafers that go with these so I "mix'n'match" with Convatec's moldable convex wafer with the adhesive coupling. It works really well because both systems have the adhesive coupling.

Good luck.

Shell

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shell Worrall,

I'm going to have to look into getting some of the adhesive coupling ones for after the baby is born...Shell, do you have the product numbers for what you use? Or maybe I'll try the Hollister floating flange - can't quite picture what that is all about. What would you guys suggest for the first few weeks post c-section? I have a bikini incision for the baby's birth, so it isn't up high, just overall belly tenderness after...

Jill,
If you're going to be having any type of abdominal surgery, the floating flange is the BEST!

The basic idea is that the actual flange (the part the bag snaps to on the wafer) is attached to the rest of the wafer with about 1cm of plastic that allows it to be pulled away from the rest of the wafer, which lets you get your fingers behind it to snap the bag on, instead of having to push it down onto your abdomen to snap it on.

Shell,
I remember you saying something about that before- will check them out. Everything they used on me in the hospital has been coloplast stuff, and I HATED it- they ALWAYS leaked on me. I found the barrier/tape thing was not flexible at all, causing it to come off really easy at the creases. Maybe the hospital just had a huge supply of the cheapos?

//Todd

Okay- here's the Cymed update.

While is it UNREAL comfortable to wear, I hated the clear plastic bag underneath that tan cloth stuff. It pretty much goes totally clear when it gets wet, too. The bottom of the bag near the closure has none of that tan cloth stuff covering it, so there is about an inch or so of clearness right at the very bottom of the bag where everything collects.

When I took it off yesterday after about 2.5 days of wear, the seal looked okay, but there was a lot of breakdown, and it just wasn't as secure feeling as the Hollister New Image product. (probably had something to do with 3-4 people telling me that they usually only get 2 days of wear with those AFTER I was already on day 3... I'm not neurotic or anything! Took off from work at 1:00 yesterday to change- haha!)

I've got some Hollister 1-piece stuff coming as a sample- will give that a whirl.

//Todd