I just had my colon removed a couple weeks ago and got home from the hospital last friday. So far it seems like the wafer doesn't stick too well close to the stoma. Within 24 hours of changing, the light discoloration begins to appear. I've only had my bags changed by nurses, so it's not me doing something wrong. Any way to prevent this from happening soon or will I just be someone who has to change the wafer every couple of days?

Is your wafer stomahesive or durahesive? The durahesive wafers hold better with an ileostomy because the material is designed to stand up to a more watery output. I use Convatec Natura durahesive moldable convex wafers. I find them very dependable, even with the most watery output. Maybe you should just experiment with a few different brands/ models of wafers to see what holds longest and most comfortably for you.

The first few weeks of a new ostomy are the worst!! Trying to figure out how to make it all work can drive you nuts. It will all become much easier before you know it. Hang in there!

Are you seeing ET nurses or general nurses? The latter can be well-intentioned but inexperienced.

When I got my loop ileo a year ago, I had leakage problems at first for two reasons. First, the general nurses kept using barrier wipes and other stuff which reduced the adhesion between the flange and the skin. Second, the distal opening of the ileostomy was secreting mucous under the flange. The ET nurse fixed me up by getting me to adopt a minimalist approach (no wipes or other skin prep unless absolutely necessary) and switching me to a convex flange. After that, I started going 4-7 days between changes.

Also keep in mind that your stoma may shrink over the first few weeks, so you may need to re-size your appliance occasionally.

It is daunting when you first try to change the appliance itself, but you'll get the hang of it really quickly.

Convatec Natura durahesive moldable convex flanges, and stoma adhesive every time.
how i wish it hadnt taken 2 1/2yrs to find out.

I used Hollister, and I found that with my ileostomy the material around the stoma deteriorated VERY quickly.

Like Kevin S. the convex flanges helped tremendously when I switched. Try OstoGels to help absorb excess liquid. I also agree with the minimalist approach. Try the fewest things first. I tried a lot - and that really got my skin in a pickle. (I did use the barrier wipes with some success).

Make sure you don't apply and remove the flanges too frequently - as it will REALLY irritate the skin - which could cause the skin to weep.

When you first start out - depending on the shape of the stoma - life will feel less daunghting if you get the pre-sized wafers.

Also - make sure after taking a shower - you dry the skin down there REALLY REALLY well with a hair dryer. I had some awful yeast infections because of excess moisture in the skin when adhere a new appliance afterward.

My son has an ileostomy and with him crawling and rolling, he gets alot of rubbing and tugging on the belly.

We use adult sized Hollister Flextend wafers and a eakins seal. we get 3-4 days before needing to change the wafer.

This has worked great for us. Once the skin around the stoma is dry, the eakins seal stick very well and absorbs the lquid stool instead of allowing it to compromise the wafer seal.

I have tons of supplies and could send you a few to try or you could check with hollister for samples