Do you only change your bag when you change the wafer? The reason I ask, is that my wafers come 5 to a box, and the bags come 10 to a box. Does this mean I change the wafer twice a week, but change the bag every other day? The bags do seem to wear out faster, especially when they get wet from taking showers everyday. Just wondering????

Cataja,
I change my sons bag or wafer when it needs it. Some people are able to get in a good routine and do it once or twice a week at the same time but that has not happened for us yet. I also feel that the bags in our case need changed more often than the wafer. Being in the pool a lot, hot weather and gas also effect it for us.

Your gas story sounded familiar...my son occasionally has gas very early in the am and if it does not wake him up it will lead to a leak. We are not sure what triggers it but it is a pain for sure!

He sleeps on a cotton bed pad so that we don't have to change the sheets in the middle of the night.

I change everything every 3 days...but my wafers and bags are 10 to a box. I don't think they are trying to suggest anything by the number in the box; do what works for you.

I know Shell uses a new bag every day but changes the wafer every 4 days I think. She likes having a clean bag every day. I don't change my bag every day just becuase I'm gosh darned lazy. Cost may be an issue too if you don't have insurance coverage, or if your insurance has a limit.

Really, you should do whatever works for you!

Working my way towards 7 days on a wafer. I prefer to change bags every other day.

Mine comes the same way, half the amount of wafers to bags. I wear the wafer about 6-7 days and go through 1-2 bags in that time period. It just depends on if I feel like changing the bag or not. But my insurance pays for enough bags that I could change every other day if I like.

Jill is correct. I change my wafer every 4-5 days but like to have a clean bag every day. I hate the feel of them when they start to get old, plus I wear bags with a filter which don't work so well after a day or two. To me wearing the same bag for more than a day is the equivalent of wearing the same panties for days on end.

I do realise I am very lucky in as much I as I don't have to pay for my supplies and changing so often isn't an option for you guys over the other side of the Pond. If I were restricted like you I would definately change the bag as often as the insurance would allow.

Shell

I checked with my insurance and my limit is 20 bags a month. So I certainly could change it every other day. I know what you mean Shell, I hate when the bags start to feel old. Thanks all...

I'd like to change the bag every day, but it not in my budget..plus,I'd never be able to snap a new bag onto the wafer while it's on my jelly-belly
I forgot to attach the bag to the wafer one morning and while trying to snap it on me after I'd already applied the wafer-(think I was still sleeping)one of my fingers poked into the stoma someplace and it was bleeding pretty bad!
Called the ET nurse and she said to put ice on it..yea it wasn't nice- it swelled up and all..
But she assured me it'd be ok..
So I'm stuck with using the same bag until change the appliance day! I used
to have wafers and bags that you just pressed a little thing on the side and the bag would come off-think they are called Auto-lock..? But,I like these 'pre cut' wafers..and they don't have that.....
What kind of wafers and bags do you all use???
Char.....

Hi Char,

I mix"n"match. I wear Convatec's moldable convex wafers with the adhesive coupling and team it up with Coloplast's Easyfex bags which also have adhesive coupling. So easy to change a bag when all you have to do is unstick one and replace it with another. Plus, as it doesn't have a hard tupperwear type ring it's really low profile. Almost as low profile as a one piece. I haven't had a leak with this system in 5 years (touch wood).

Good luck guys

Shell

When I had a temp ileo, I changed the flange and the bag at the same time - initially up to 6-7 days, but for the last few months every four days.

It never occurred to me to change the bag more often! That being said, I didn't find the bag felt any worse after a couple of days, and I showered every day. My output was very watery and that may have helped keep the bag cleaner. Also, my bags were not see-through.

I used Hollister, and they came like Cataja's - 10 bags in a box; 5 flanges in a box. So I bought two boxes of flanges for every box of bags.

I'm using the Coloplast Assura precut convex wafer, with the E-Z open, wide mouth, drainable opaque bags. These do have the little hard plastic lock. I haven't had any problems yet. These were the ones I used the first time around. I like how these close. They fold up with velcro and tuck into itself. I usually have to fold it up on the bottom. It hits me right in the crease, where my leg connects to my hip. I also got a belt yesterday. It seems so much more secure with it on.

Phoenix Belt would be something for you to try. Saved the day for me. Made me feel like I could live in society with an ileostomy.

http://www.ostomysupportsystem.com/

shell, i've never seen the adhesive coupling ones before...i would be afraid that it would leak or come apart, especially if you didn't change it every day...i have really thick stools usually but also totally watery ones during the night sometimes..it is very weird..and i wonder how that kind of bag would hold up? i currently use the convatec two piece that looks kinda like tupperware...it is too hard for me to pull the bag off and snap the new one on...i would end up pulling so hard that the wafer would lift off my skin a bit.

char, my et nurse showed me a trick to putting the bag on when the wafer is already on you...he gave me these little packets of lubricant and i just take a q-tip and put a little in the tupperware ring and then it snaps on much easier...i put it on with the fresh incision right beside it and didn't have to push nearly as hard.

Niki, I've never had a problem with them leaking even when I've had it on a couple of days. The thing I love about these is that they have a double gasket where it adheres to landing zone on te wafer whereas the Convatec ones only have a single gasket. This means the Coloplast bags are much more secure.

I can honestly say that I haven't had a leak (touch wood) in the 5 years I've been using this mix"n"match system and I have on occcasion had to go for more than a couple of days between changing bags.

Good luck and take care.

Shell

I use the same bag that Shell does except I use the one with the plastic ring. I find that the bag starts to fall apart after 24 hrs. Little Velcro pieces start to fall off. I have started changing just the bag after every shower and love it so much don't think I could go back to wearing one bag for an entire change. On weekends I sometimes get lazy and don't change everyday though. I change the whole setup on Sunday and Thursday. I have NEVER had a leak with this Coloplast system and have been using it almost a year now. That is a miracle for anyone who remembers my leaky stories from my first couple of ostomy years.