Stoma Bags

[kiwij64]

Hi,
I'm new to this site and have had a total colectomy and terminal ilieum resection in April. I also have ankylosis spondilitis which is causing me extreme pain due to the fact that I haven't been sorted any proper medication except painkillers.

My question is; are there different bag lengths for stoma bags? In New Zealand we are only funded for two bags per week which isn't ideal but that's the way it is. My current bag is a Hollister 30cm which I find is too long as I have to constantly tuck the 'end' bit up into panties.

Can anyone out there enlighten me as to the types of bags and lengths that may suit me more and where I could access them?

Thanks for your help
Kiwij :sign0085:

 

[PsychoJane]

Oh my, I answered to one of your post before I saw that. You will understand what I meant by the bag size being a huge factor in feeling confident anyway...

I will post you the link of several companies that make ostomy products. I hope that they are all present in NZ. Also, it would probably be great for you if you can get the chance to meet an Ostomy Nurse if you have access to such a service. I know that it is not always done and I find it pretty stupid when a new ostomate don't get the chance to meet with them... I remember the bag that I had when I was at the hospital after my first surgery... seriously... not the appliance an ostomate can dream of...

I will at the least direct you to a few companies. Most of them offer a hot-line and will send you samples:

Hollister: http://www.hollister.com/anz/ (They surely have smaller than 30cm long bag... personally I could never handle longer than the mini-bags. It's a matter of preference though. The mini would be 18 cm.
Here is the link to their catalog actually: http://www.hollister.com/anz/files/pdfs/product_catalog.pdf

For Convatec:
http://www.convatec.co.nz/ostomy.aspx

For Coloplast:
http://www.coloplast.com.au/ostomycare/

For Salts:
http://www.ainscorp.com.au/ProductInfoGuides.aspx

For Dansac:
http://www.dansac.com.au/


The 3 first are the most common companies. Until recently, they were pretty much the only companies offering their products for ostomy care in my province. Therefore, I don't know much about salts and dansac but I've heard great things.

I have tried products from the first 3 and coloplast is so far my favorite. Everyone has their preference though. Some prefer certain type of adhesive, bags and what not. It really worth trying several to make your mind on what suits you the best.

 

[Snoflayk505]

I also have an illeostomy. They do make shorter bags but you should really try getting a cover. I actually made my own but they sell them online. I just took stretchy fabric and made a girdle with a little pocket for my bag. This cover also makes my Ostomy invisible to everyone so I can wear whatever I want including form fitting clothes. I know that sometimes the long bag is really useful in situations where I cant get to the restroom immediately so the larger bag is great. I have only seen one of the shorter bags and it had no outlet which meant you would have to completely change your entire bag when you need to empty it.

 

[kiwij64]

Thanks PyschoJane, those links will be really useful.

I wear Hollister so I will look at that one and I do have access to stoma nurses and even though they have been caring and helpful I didn't learn anything other than how to maintain my bag until I came on here so I feel like I'm on the back foot quite considerably.

I will have a chat to them about the shorter bags but in NZ we only get funded for two bags per week and some bags are subsidised and some aren't, and I have an awful feeling that the short ones will not be funded as I heard something about that when I was in hospital. However, I'll find out for certain.

I also get a lot of air in my bag so I have to empty my bag very regularly, especially at night time and when my bag is about 3-4 days old, I find I still have to empty regularly.

I'm just assuming that because everything is so new this is just the way it is.

Thanks for the help
Kiwij

 

[kiwij64]

Hi Snoflake,
Thank you so much for your help. I don't know if stoma covers are available through my stoma nurses as they haven't mentioned them but I will investigate. As you say, they will probably make a huge difference to how I look and feel

Thank you
Kiwij

 

[kiwij64]

Can someone also explain the difference between a one piece and a two piece and excuse my ignorance but what is a flange?

Sorry. I just haven't heard any of these terms before.

 

[Snoflayk505]

I'm not a fan of the 2 pieces. Just seems like too much work. I had them send me some samples and didnt even try them. The ones they sent me was like this, basically one piece is the piece that stick to your skin and the other piece are bags. Instead of emptying them you just detach the bag and throw it away and replace with another. Those are the ones they sent me. There might be different ones but it just seemed like too much hardware and possibility for accidents to me.

 

[PsychoJane]

As Snoflayk mentionned, the 2 piece system are the one that has the flange (the square or round piece that sticks to your belly) and the separate bags. I am guessing that these are what you are using since you mentioned 2 bags are allowed every week. Unless it's two of the one piece (bag and flange are attached together and you can't remove the bag).

The two-piece system has the advantage that you can rotate your bag if you wish. When you take your shower and gets wet, you can get out and put your dry one on and rinse and dry the other one. Also, if you have different bag size, it's easier to deal with that and change to the desired size. Like, some companies makes really mini, mini bag like the size of a cig package. These are great when you know you are just going for a swim and not stay there forever (cause obviously that would be ackward if you ate a big meal, it would fill so quickly), I also enjoyed them to get intimate. Well I find the two-piece system more versatile and easier to put on two. I find it harder to fit the flange around the stoma with the one piece.

Here, we only get 700$ a year for our supplies and the rest is up to us. If you don't have a private insurance that covers for the rest well you just deal with it and try saving money were you can.

Personally, I like the mini closed end bag. But there is no way I could afford just throwing bags anytime they fill, this would cost me grants at the end of the year. Instead, I've decided to just use a two piece system of those and I empty them from the top. This can't be done with a sticking system (you will see that there is pretty much 2 types of 2 piece system: 1)one where your bag stick to your flange with an adhesive, 2) and a second where your bag clips to your flange like a tupperware). I use the second and I unclip it and empty it from the top. I guess not everyone would be ok doing this but I feel perfectly comfortable doing it... been doing it for about 10 years and can't go back to emptying them from the bottom with the normal emptiable bag. I don't think many people chose to do things like I do though... When I said I was learning the hard way... when I was in high school I started using the closed bag because they felt more discrete and well... what was I suppose to do with the bag once it was fill..? Go out of the bathroom and walk it to the garbage in front of everyone?.. No nooo! so that's when I started emptying it from the top and financially it is also much better for me. A bag can last me for a week. So I buy 2 box of 30 and it last me for the year. The only thing is that not every brand are good regarding that. Some become smelly since the product is suppose to be thrown away. I did not stick with that brand...

 

[kiwij64]

Wow, talk about being enlightened! Your information is so clear and fantastic, you don't know how much it means to be able to sit here and think about what would suit me best. Of course, it does require some investigation as to what is funded over here. I wear the one piece with the sticky adhesive and the empty from the bottom. That's all that was ever offered but I suppose after surgery your options are limited. If this is to be permanent, I will contact my health insurers to see if they cover the cost of bags. Worth a shot.

You did learn the hard way didn't you? It's difficult going through high school without having that extra burden thrown your way, but it seems that you have triumphed and forged ahead. Did many people know in high school what had happened to you?

The way that I understood it from the information that I was given, was that I was stuck with this type of bag forever. My stoma nurses want me to make a decision on which one I want to use as apparently I have pretty much exhausted my trial period. I'm sure they'll get a shock when I broach them with my 'new found' information!

Thanks once again, you've just made my day!
Kiwij