Have not posted in this forum for a while…. Hope everyone is going well.

After having my temp-reversal last year I put many posts here about how much this Loop-Ileo ostomy leaked, irritated me, and just plan ticked me off. Well, after one year now I’ve finally learned to roll with the punches. I’ve found a “system” that works for me, it’s a bit complicated on appliance change days, but I’ve been getting a steady 6 days wear out of it. I once went 10 days with it! Just did that as a test to see what the “real” limits are (my skin wasn’t happy about it though…).

I use to get so frustrated and angry when my mini Krakatoa would spew all over when I was changing the appliance, it would end up taking me a ½ hour longer to get things done. Well, I guess with time comes patients. Now if it spews and takes longer, oh well, so I’ll be a little late for work. I just let it go and take my opportunity when it presents itself. I’ve also became much quicker with the changing process.

So for all of you out there who are having changing or leaking problems, be patient, it will get better. As with anything practice makes perfect.

And I will also say that these stomas have a mind of their own, when you get angry at them they’ll lash out at you! That may sound a bit crazy be every time I got frustrated with it more stool would come spewing out. I guess the stress my brain was putting out had a physiological influence on my small bowel.

Hi Bill,

It's nice to see you are at peace with your Krakatoa! You are perfectly correct about the stress factor causing more output because if I'm stressed for any reason I get the same response from Wee Willie. Like you I have learned over the years to roll with the punches and my routine has never caused me a leak (touch wood). Again like you I don't freak out if Wee Willie isn't behaving during a full kit change, I just bide my time until he's quietened down a bit, which he always does eventually!

Thanks again for the words of encouragement, it really helps when you are going through this stuff for the first time to see that things do improve eventually.

Take care and keep up the great attitude.

Shell

Glad to hear things are going better for you. It took me five different types of appliances before I finally found what works best for me. It's kind of like an experiment or something like that. Try, fail, try, fail, try again, succeed.

Shell,

You used a good word in there: freak...

I think the Ostomy Motto should be:

"Don't freak and you won't leak"

Or

"If you freak, you'll leak"

Oh, that is so true! Each time the stoma would spurt during a bag change (which I had to do every day with the loop ileo), I would swear and curse at it, and it would just keep going to irritate me!
Bill, at least you've made peace with it. Maybe now it will be nice to you. =)

This explains alot about why i had so many changing problems, and how the ativan seemed to make the (first few) changes easier. Although I hope I don't have to remember this for the future, no offense

Hey Bill,
Glad to see you have a better attitude about your little buddy or is your little basxxxx sometimes.When you have lemons make lemonade, somedays you have to make your own sunshine. I use to get mad in the begining when my stoma was brand new, but now if it squirts a foot or more during change day, which it rarely does. I now laugh and say to my self, this thing has a mind of its own then I laugh again, I just can't get mad at it anymore, its comical.

Take care.......Don

quote:

ativan

What is it? how does it help with changes?
I read somewhere marshmallows 1/2 hour before changing help "gum" things up. does it?
Does it squirt a foot?
I've got to name my new little friend...it is coming in 7 days!!!
Should I have a contest on the site to name it?
Would I cause an uproar because it is not a medical related discussion.
David

IndyDave - Lots of people name their little friends. And it's completly "on topic". I'm looking forward to hear how creative you will be in naming yours. I was boring and didn't name mine. I guess mine was like the man with no man in the 'Good, Bad & Ugly'. THere I guess I did name mine and it was good, bad and ugly.

T-7 and counting...

Indy_Dave,

Check this post out: http://j-pouch.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9151071921/m/4221056002/p/1

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Six Million $ Sphincter,

Great post Bill... When I had my loop it took me about 2 weeks to figure it all out. Now that I have my end it was like 2nd nature and with the end I have no issues of letting a set up go 5 - 7 days.. Skin looks perfect and everything is well intact when I take it all off.. Its just me and 5 days I want a new one .. I mean come on we all love the shower with nothing on Ahhhhhh!