Help with ostomy bag..

I rinse with water.  You or I never get it all out.  I rinse before I change my appliance and there is always some around there.  I have an end ileo.  I think we all have some poop that just stays at the top.  I don't think it's the same stuff as I think it gets moved on down and replaced.  But rinsing with a bottle will help.  Just don't get aggressive by the ring as it may cause leaks.  And use cold water.  Warm water may cause leaks too.  Just a thought that may help. 

Richard. 

Thanks Richard.. I have also been in a lot of pain and have been walking a lot when I can as I was told etc. at first I noticed the pain meds go right through me orally and don't have enough time to absorb in my system before being pushed out . I tried eating yogurt to slow down my bowels and give my body more time to absorb the oxys and it seems to help.. does this really work? And has anyone else ever had problems with there body absorbing the meds before being pushed out. If so any tips are appreciated!!! Thank you 

I asked my surgeon about that and she said you get the benefits of the meds before it comes out.  It would come out after six hours.  I could tell.  I knew.  Best thing to do  do is not use time released.  Nothing slows it down enough for 12 hours. With my end ileo I have now stuff goes through in six hours.  But I am not taking any meds now. 

Richard. 

I had an ileostomy for almost 3 years (I had both end and loop ileos - the end was much better!). I used to carry around a small refillable squirt bottle to help rinse the bag and remove the stool that collected around the ring and at the top.  One interesting thing, in the first few weeks after my surgery the stool was very thick. The consistency gradually improved with time and as I added more foods back into my diet. Make sure you are drinking enough as this can affect stool consistency.  You can sip small amounts of grape juice every hour as this can help, but try to avoid drinking too much all at once until you understand how it affects you, as it can cause the opposite problem. Pain and trapped gas are very common after surgery so your discomfort is unfortunately within normal limits. Your bowel may be a little sluggish for the first 7-10 days.  You've heard it already but walk, walk, walk! This helps get things moving.

Hi, KC23. When I was wearing the external bag, I had the same problem -- stool sometimes very thick and it stayed near the top refusing to slide down to the bottom of the bag. It would actually form a small mound and I needed to push and prod to move it away from the ring or it would come out the side! I mentioned this to the company that supplied my bags, flanges, etc., and they sent me free samples of a gel to spread around the top of the bag and it helped the stool slide down. I can't remember what the gel was called (that entire period is a fog.....) but if you ask your supplier they will send you lots of free samples. Whenever I rinsed the bag between changes I used my plastic bidet squirt bottle. The angled nozzle on the tip worked like magic to get the stream of water up into the bag to rinse, or via the hole if you want to rinse downward. 

Had an ileo twice and was given a gel that I squirted into each new bag especially working it up around the top of the bag before attaching and that helped a lot. Water water water!!! And walk walk walk! And yes, the cramps are the worst part and seemed to last forever but it does get better! 

Only had a ileo for a short time but i found that i had to open the bag at the bottom end pull apart to unstick it (effectively introduce air to the bag) to allow the stoma to drain, this was the only way i could tuck the bag into my trousers too for work. The amount of air to let in its subjective,you will get the hang of it, you don't want a balloon, just enough air so that when tucked in trousers the bag lifts around the ring.

Also after a shower i used to dry the ileo bag with hair dryer, be careful with this as can affect the glue,especially if you are bent over or have creases in the area.  Best to do it on cool if necessary (my bags had a cover that held water and made my clothes wet)

 You can get lubricants for the inside of the bag too, a few squirts let's everything slide around a lot easier, you can even use something like olive oil inside the bag if you like.  Make sure your drinking enough fluids too, that will obviously make things easier.  Your pee should basically be very lite colored.

Try not too play with the bag or seal too much as you will encourage a leak, especially when you're swelling starts to reduce.  It's worth taking that seriously because leaks do burn, and damaged skin is harder to stick a bag too (which results in more leaks), it's not insurmountable, but worth taking care over.  For the same reason it's worth keeping an eye on your stoma size, it will shrink as you heal so the hole in your bag will need to be cut smaller.  Mine changed significantly in weeks 3 to 4

Walking outdoors for me was impossible for first 2weeks or so, i just relaxed.  But walk when you can and you will see the benefits.  Even if you can't walk, standing regularly and especially after eating will help it all bubble through

Hope that helps

Ps for me (and many others) bananas are amazing!  Cornflakes followed by banana with peppermint tea for breakfast tides me over safely!  A good start to the day.  Coconut water or even orange juice was good for my regularity/hydration too.  Sadly everyone is different though

Pps your diet is probably quite poor at the moment, maybe consider taking complan, build up or some other formulation! You can mix it with water (as contains milk powder) and is still delicious! Your body needs the vits and minerals more than ever at the moment