I've had an ostomy in the past and i have problems. I've found out my great uncle is having the same problems. He is having problems with blockages leakeages, pain, cramping and his skin. He is in really rough shape and had the surgery a year ago but still really suffering. Does anybody have any ideas? I'm considering the ostomy myself after not very good j pouch and i'm really worried i will end up like i was before. I saw the surgeon at least once a week and admitted becuase i was in so much pain and it would block.

Well, there are lots of things to try. I have had a perm ileo since 2001 and my stoma points directly down and is fairly short. Until I got into a convex bag, I had lots of leaks. So I use a convex appliance with an Eakin seal. For me, skin barriers, creams, pastes, etc...actually caused more skin breakdown and leaking so I only use stomahesive powder if necessary, nothing else.

Switching the brand of supplies can sometimes help.

Experimenting with Immodium to help with consistency can help too.

A modified diet for a period of time until things are more in control might be helpful too.

And, of course, seeing a good ET nurse can do wonders.

Do you know if your uncle had an end or loop ileo? What did you have before? I found my loop ileo much harder to deal with but my end ileo settled down within 2 months and I"ve not had a problem with it since.

Ditto to everything Jill said.

I've had my end ileo for nearly 4 years now and have no skin problems. Also like Jill I find that "less" is usually "more" when it comes to ostomy care. I use Convatec's moldable convex wafers which really do mold to every contour so I don't need to use pastes or seals. The wafer itself has healing properties and I only use powder with a little barrier spray on top if my skin is irritated (which is very rarely since using the moldable wafers).

The difference between my previous loop ileo and my end is like night and day. So much easier to take care of an end ileostomy.

I agree that you need to look at your uncle's diet to see if he is balancing his food correctly to get the maximum performance from his stoma. If I eat a lot of thickening foods on their own I will get a blockage so I try to make sure I drink plenty with my meals and chew really well. I also try to combine foods that thicken with foods that thin my stool. We are all different in this respect so it's really all trial and error. Keeping a food diary is a good idea to help establish what foods are a problem.

I hope that your uncle feels better soon and that you find a solution to your problems.

Take care.

Shell