So today was my first day back to work after being off for a month following the second of my three surgeries. I've had my ostomy for over 8 months now, relatively problem free. Then today...

I get to work just after 8am. By 10:30am I'm itching like crazy under the wafer! I sneak away to the ladies room so I can try to rub the itch through the bag and wafer - and I discover WHY it's so itchy... the wafer is leaking!!!

Thankfully, it was still contained enough that I could do some damage control with about a half roll of toilet paper. And luckily I was wearing a long sweater that hid the bulge. I go straight to my office manager's office and tell her that I need to take an early lunch due to an emergency. She knows about my situation, so all I had to say was "Uh, as embarrassing as this is to say, I have a leak." She let me go without any questions... I sped home, was able to clean up, replace the appliance, and get back to work in exactly an hour.

Oy! Figures my first major leak happens on my first day back! As if I wasn't busy enough playing catch up!

I was upset about it at first. But now I can laugh about it. It was just another fun experience of being an ostomate. A challenge I overcame. And a story to add to my long list of stories. Not to mention a boost to my OCD of constantly checking my bag for leaks!

If it makes you feel any better... one day I was driving to a post-op/follow-up appointment with my surgeon and decided to "burp" my bag as it was really inflated. Dumb, poor me didn't realize my seatbelt was effectively squeezing the bottom half of my bag... and splash. All over my shirt and pants. Needless to say -- embarrassing to walk into the Dr's office with crap all over me. Literally. I asked if they had a shirt I could borrow but no luck. Oh well!! It's funny now!!

My husband had a leak at work that sent him home, too. He's almost 4 months out from his surgery and this happened last month (he went back after 8 weeks.. was inpatient for 2 weeks). Unfortunately, he works an hour from home, so he came home for the rest of the day, but he went through this, too. He isn't laughing about it yet, but I know he could relate just the same. He is 'OCD' about checking his bag, too.. comes in handy.
I hope that ends up being your only work leak -ever. --take care

Oh, I had real hard time finding the right appliance for me when I had my ileo. I had several leaks at work, but only one got my unders. I live right around the corner from my house, so I was always able to jet out and get cleaned up and change it. My boss is very flexible and I'm very connected with SmartPhone etc, so I did not miss a beat.

What I find odd now is that my cheapy looking toilet paper at work hurts my bum less than the "good stuff" at home.

Yikes, Shelby! I suppose if anyone is going to be understanding of the situation, your surgeon's office would be the place!

Thanks, Meghan for sharing your husbands story. Luckily, I only work 15 minutes away from home, so I could get there and back fairly quickly.

Big D - That is an odd discovery regarding the toilet paper. I wonder why that is?

Ten years ago, my kid attended all of fourth grade with an ostomy. Hardly a week went by that I didn't rush to school for one emergency or another, many of them bag leaks. If I hadn't had my first cell phone, I never would have been able to leave the house.

When I had my ileostomy I always carried all the supplies needed to change everything in case of an accident. In the year I had my baggie, I probably did so (because of leakage) about 5 times. I also had a change of clothes in my car and at work.

I remember about 2 months after my step 1, I was at work, doing something at the computer...felt something wa snot right..a little itchy? Whoops! big leak....got it all fixed...left work early that day to have an appointment with my gastro....after leaving .little did I realize that depsite my good attempts to clean up, I neglected to look at the pants I was wearing.....oy! covered with S**T.....nobody noticed? or noboday had the guts to say anything to me....I laughed...what a memory!

Thanks for sharing your stories. I just posted in the "Help! Advice Needed Now" board (any advice posted there would be GREATLY appreciated) - I'm having another leak today! I suppose I need to keep supplies here. But between the cleanup, the bag, the barrier rings, the stoma powder, etc... that's a lot to pack and lug around. I just wish it would work like my end ileo did. This sux.

When I got home from the hospital from my 1st surgery, I had several packages waiting for me. One was a handy black bag that could hold enough supplies for one leakage incident. I keep it at work. Luckily because I've had 3 leaks in the last week at work. Luckily my boss is very understanding.

I spent grade 2 to grade 12 with full clothing changes and full supplies at school..I got a spare locker as of junior high next to the bathroom and had a best friend (still the same one 35 yrs later!) who watched my back (and backside!) and would go running to get me clean clothes etc nearly daily..the really embarassing part was being locked into the stall for so long and then carrying the garbage bag of shame home every night! Ended up fasting from Monday to Friday every week so that there was less to leak out at school (I still use a modified fast techinque at night when I fear leakage the next day or am going to be somewhere where intubation is really akward)...

Pack a backpack full of stuff, empty water bottles that you can refill to rince stuff out, tons of ziplocks for the stinky stuff, wipes and undies/jeans to spare..plus the real stuff...I carry a purse the size of a carryon every where I go!
You get used to it in the end...hang in there..I am rooting for you.
Sharon

I do need to put a bag together. Yesterday I put the basics in a large ziploc bag (a spare bag, scissors, tape, underwear) but I need to revamp it so I'm more prepared for a major incident. You can never be too prepared! I hope to have my third (and hopefully final) surgery at the end of March so this should all be behind me soon (pun intended! ha ha).