I always come to your Ostomy videos Eric, because you always have great information on this subject..All tho I do not have an ileostomy opening, my husband does..He has one now, he just got it 6 weeks ago..I come to your videos to learn, and try and help him as his caregiver..Every time I come to listen to you, I have peace of mind!..Thank you so much, and bless you for sharing your info with me, and everyone listening.
Eric, I recently saw your videos and have benefited by them even tho I have been an ileostomate for almost 60 years. I share this so it may encourage new or soon to be ostomates. I was 25 when having my surgery and my husband and I had a 3 year old daughter. After a few years I was the proud Mom to a healthy 8 pound 10 oz son - then 7 years later had another healthy son weighing 8 pounds 10 and a half oz (who has been 6ft 4” since high school) I would say in retrospect to anyone it’s just a lifestyle you get used to like other changes life gives us. Also, after becoming an empty nester I have made (with a lady friend) 9 trips all overEurope from 2-3 weeks each (and managing all plans without booking tours. Enjoy life after an Ostomy - be positive it can be done!
So true. My stoma unfortunately isn't round, it's kinda oblong. It does change size often, and I end up keeping my old template's from previous wafers. It just saves time. Question, if one has a partial blockage, we still have some out put..how long can a blockage last? I guess I'm never sure if I even have a partial blockage, I just assume. I wanted to tell you..THANK YOU!! I was reading where you said to help a thick output become more liquid, loose stools .drink warm water. I for several days had a terribly thick concerning stool, I followed your advice, heated up some water, drank and within 20 minutes.. Bam!! Out comes a better stool. Thank you so much for all the great advise! I've learned so much from you.
Blockages can be tricky. Even if you have a partial or full blockage, your stoma may still output "stuff", including fluids. I've had partial blockages last an entire day (where I have other symptoms), but each partial blockage is different and some cause more pain/symptoms than others - I would always suggest speaking with a stoma nurse just in case it's more severe or tied into another complication.
Thank you for all the education about stomas. I've had my colostomy for a little over three months. Was discharged from hospital four days post surgery with no return demonstration. Had approximately eight sessions with a nurse, (not ostomy specialist). I keep hearing you speak about referring questions to your ostomy nurse. Should I have access to an ostomy nurse, and if so for how long? Continue doing what you're doing for all of us who feel we've been thrown to the wolves in the world of ostomies. Thank you!!
Yes, you should at least have a stoma nurse's number in case you need to access them. I can always go back to the stoma nurse at the hospital in had my surgery at, but since she's far, I have a few others that are closer. You can even have a stoma nurse through video chat! Lots of options depending on where you live.
I am having an issues with size changes of 3 to 4 mm again 7 months after surgery. Now I can point this to having my stoma smashed during a bone marrow biopsy when I was on my belly. I had a pillow under to keep body weight off but no matter how well they numb the surface it still hurts bad when that probe goes into the bone. Squirming around on the table dislodged the pillow and my poor stoma got smashed. So bad I had to remove the wafer because it was turning blue from the wafer too tight. My size hit 38mm that day and stayed there for a few days. Then dropped to 35. then 30. Then back to my size before at 29. I thought that was the end. Nope, A few days later discomfort had me remove and it was back to 32. Fitted my wafer and 24 hours later and a leak later it went back to 29. Yesterday I changed again cutting my wafer to 30 with a turtlenecked ring and it felt great until tonight. Sure enough it changed shape again back to the pyramid shape which has given me issues from day one. I can cut my wafer to the stoma size but anything under raises the opening to a narrower spot. I am down to using smaller wafers and thin rings so the middle won't raise as much. I can already tell I will need to change again tomorrow. Sucks when 20 wafers is suppose to last 60 days with insurance. PS, if interested I started a facebook group called men's ostomy issues. There are thing that can happen to men's personal parts from the ostomy that no one talks about. This is a men's only group. Just started so no posts yet.
Thank you Eric for. this valuable information on shrinking stoma Mine mostly does it after partial blockage In fact it happened today. I drank lots of water through the day and by the end of the day it was fine Lol too many veggies in my case Lol. 🙋🇬🇧
Last week after playing basketball, i noticed my stoma retracted and was out only 1mm, normally is 2cm. 1st time that happened. Its really hard to put wafer on and next day my stoma nurse sad its normal. ?? after 2 days it was all back to normal. Still don't know why that happened. Maybe some blockage or some not normal move during playing basketball. I use pre-cut wafer and so far no problems. Thanks for this video.
Interestingly enough, many people would have the opposite happen : their stoma prolapses when extering too much during sport or exercise. Keep monitoring and see if a pattern develops.
My stomach is so recessed it’s ridiculous. There are times it is so sunken in that it scares me. It does really change size at all, just sinks in. It’s normally just a little lower than my skin. My husband has it down to a science, like I said, I’m still learning even though it’s coming up on three years in April. I stopped looking at myself as a failure, which is good. I can change the bag myself now. Here’s a cute story...my great nephew visits on the weekend. He’s 3 1/2 but has been watching my bag changes since he was about 2. He used to cry because he thought it hurt me. His dad was a bit concerned about him watching and I told him this is a part of my life and he wants to see it. Now Kash will say, “Aunt MooMoo, I’m sorry you got an owie”, he will pat my arm, kiss my head and tell me he loves me. Is it pathetic that my very best friend in the world is a 3 1/2 year old? He just has so much compassion. He crawls up in bed to watch movies and he will say, “We can’t squish your owie”. I just love and adore him.
Why do all the companies make round products? Even the measurement sheets are filled with different size circles. My stoma is cigar shaped. So there is always skin showing on both sides of the stoma. I fill it in with paste but as the hours go by, the paste melts and I leak.
Weird! my husbands stoma is getting bigger and bigger his stoma is out i feel bad for him he has gained a lot of weight, he needs a reversal surgery and he is not working now i don’t know what to do! We lost his insurance because he couldn’t work much after his first surgery, and we couldn’t pay it anymore 😢
Thank you for the video's . I find that when I get dehydrated it shrinks also and if I am having a partial blockage it will shrink. If I stay hydrated it gets full and soft. I have been getting partial blockages this last few months. I think I eat right and try hard to not gulp food and chew till it is juice.
Hi there! Enjoying your informative videos 😊 my ostomy surgery was just done 2 weeks ago. The stoma was quite swollen for a week (as expected) but then changed to an oval shape. My ostomy nurse said it might be a prolapse. Lying down helps. I will hopefully get more information from the surgeon’s office … like what the prognosis might be … or does this sound like normal changing of shape? Thanks for any information you might have!
Do you have a stoma nurse who can provide specific guidance? I never had a stent with mine, so my experience with changing an appliance with a stent is zero 🙁
My son stoma everyday change size and mostly stoma get inside the tummy when my son cry then stoma get back in normal outside but mostly stoma move back in tummy so I want to asked in these conditions when stoma going back in tummy then any problem we can face?
Thats usually called a retracted stoma. Have your son see a stoma nurse. They would usually recommend a convex wafer to help push the stoma out a little. If it stays retraced, it could lead to appliance leaks and skin irritation. Good luck!
A healthy person can live with a stoma as long as a healthy person without a stoma. However, certain illnesses that result in needing a stoma could shorten someone's life.
hi , I have lost weight because malnutrition , it's kind so hard to put an ostomy bag ,it's always leaking because the shape of my stomach so curvy , do you have an idea how to deal with ? thx sorry my English not to good.
If you have access to a stoma nurse who can assess your skin and your appliance, you should be able to find a solution that works. It may require you to use a convex product, but a stoma nurse would make that judgment after seeing you. Also, make sure you're measuring your appliance with each change so you're getting the best fit.
Hi I'm an ileostomate but my stoma is very small and thin that sometimes he goes nearly down the skin an that always cause me leaks in few hours or 2 days maximum do you a method how czn I do to it becomse littly much bigger
When did you have your surgery? How small is small (what's the size)? If it goes flush with your skin, your stoma nurse should recommend a convex appliance. But they would need to look and recommend one that is appropriate for you.
I am getting another surgery , because bathe doctor did a retracted stoma and cause me troubles to the point I was about to do something bad. I lost my mind. Now he saw he screwed up and tomorrow, 15 days after the first colostomy y will redo the stoma. I have asked for a 2.5 stoma. The sizes are from 1.5 to 2.5. What’s your opinion please.
I'm sorry to hear that you need more surgery, but I'm hoping it will fix the problems you've had. I'm not sure if I understand the sizes you listed. Are you talking how far the stoma will stick out or how wide it is? You'll definitely want it to stick out more, rather than having it be flat or just barely protruding. Good luck!!!
Not because of the surgery, but thinning hair can be caused by malnutrition or medication, which may be related to why one would need surgery to begin with. I'd definitely bring it up with your doctor.
I got my ostomy in the beginning November 2017 and I was in the hospital until the end of January 2018 due to many complications from my numerous GI conditions. My ostomy nurse had never rode out the first three months of having an ostomy until me. Right after surgery I was at 1 3/4 of an inch and now I am just slightly below an inch. Comparing the two sizes is crazy to me. I haven't changed sized in about 2 and a half months now. The bag I use (Marlen Minimax Drainable Onepiece Convex Opaque Bag with filter) doesn't have a pre-cut option so I cut all my bags to fit. I recommend to any person with a new ostomy you need to measure you stoma every time for at least the first 3 months. Then I measure my ostomy now every 1-2 weeks or if I am gaining or losing weight. For me my weight loss didn't effect my stoma size but it did cause some divets to appear around my stoma and about 6 weeks in to having my ostomy I changed to a convex bag (convex wafer since when they are inpatient they like you in two pieces) and that was life changing for my skin.
my husband had a colonoscopy bag removed he uses the bathroom fine but noticed even after he wipes really good with baby wipes later in the day he has poop in this underwear like he’s leaking from his butt . is this normal after a colonoscopy bag removal??
Hi Eric great video. I can actually feel mine moving out wards and I also feel it move inwards but I think that's just how she works. I was just wondering if you could do a video on sores near the stoma and if you would get blood on the stool from the sores. Thanks.
Vegan Ostomy cheers Eric I was doing a change the other day and I had blood in my stools but I have a sore near the opening of the stoma which bleeds so that's why I was asking. Be great if you can as I'm sure others will be interested in it.
My stoma has gotten larger and I have to cut the ring to the largest size its output is regular and I have only 28 days to go before the reversal. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much in one sitting? I eat a lot of cream based soups 3 a day?
Is your stoma larger overall or only when it has output? Did you put on any weight since your surgery? I don't see why eating soups like that would cause any problems. The issues tend to come up more when you're eating bulky foods that are more difficult to digest. Hang in there - 28 days isn't too long :)
I always come to your Ostomy videos Eric, because you always have great information on this subject..All tho I do not have an ileostomy opening, my husband does..He has one now, he just got it 6 weeks ago..I come to your videos to learn, and try and help him as his caregiver..Every time I come to listen to you, I have peace of mind!..Thank you so much, and bless you for sharing your info with me, and everyone listening.
Eric, I recently saw your videos and have benefited by them even tho I have been an ileostomate for almost 60 years. I share this so it may encourage new or soon to be ostomates. I was 25 when having my surgery and my husband and I had a 3 year old daughter. After a few years I was the proud Mom to a healthy 8 pound 10 oz son - then 7 years later had another healthy son weighing 8 pounds 10 and a half oz (who has been 6ft 4” since high school)
I would say in retrospect to anyone it’s just a lifestyle you get used to like other changes life gives us.
Also, after becoming an empty nester I have made (with a lady friend) 9 trips all overEurope from 2-3 weeks each (and managing all plans without booking tours.
Enjoy life after an Ostomy - be positive it can be done!
Thank you for sharing, Pat! It's so encouraging to hear that you've just carried on living life as you want. Truly inspiring! 👌😊
So true. My stoma unfortunately isn't round, it's kinda oblong. It does change size often, and I end up keeping my old template's from previous wafers. It just saves time. Question, if one has a partial blockage, we still have some out put..how long can a blockage last? I guess I'm never sure if I even have a partial blockage, I just assume.
I wanted to tell you..THANK YOU!! I was reading where you said to help a thick output become more liquid, loose stools .drink warm water. I for several days had a terribly thick concerning stool, I followed your advice, heated up some water, drank and within 20 minutes.. Bam!! Out comes a better stool. Thank you so much for all the great advise! I've learned so much from you.
Blockages can be tricky. Even if you have a partial or full blockage, your stoma may still output "stuff", including fluids. I've had partial blockages last an entire day (where I have other symptoms), but each partial blockage is different and some cause more pain/symptoms than others - I would always suggest speaking with a stoma nurse just in case it's more severe or tied into another complication.
Orange Juice helps me with mine.
Thank you for all the education about stomas. I've had my colostomy for a little over three months. Was discharged from hospital four days post surgery with no return demonstration. Had approximately eight sessions with a nurse, (not ostomy specialist). I keep hearing you speak about referring questions to your ostomy nurse. Should I have access to an ostomy nurse, and if so for how long? Continue doing what you're doing for all of us who feel we've been thrown to the wolves in the world of ostomies. Thank you!!
Yes, you should at least have a stoma nurse's number in case you need to access them. I can always go back to the stoma nurse at the hospital in had my surgery at, but since she's far, I have a few others that are closer. You can even have a stoma nurse through video chat! Lots of options depending on where you live.
Thanks for your tips. I loved. You are very sympathize. 🤗
Hi. Great topic
I am having an issues with size changes of 3 to 4 mm again 7 months after surgery. Now I can point this to having my stoma smashed during a bone marrow biopsy when I was on my belly. I had a pillow under to keep body weight off but no matter how well they numb the surface it still hurts bad when that probe goes into the bone. Squirming around on the table dislodged the pillow and my poor stoma got smashed. So bad I had to remove the wafer because it was turning blue from the wafer too tight. My size hit 38mm that day and stayed there for a few days. Then dropped to 35. then 30. Then back to my size before at 29. I thought that was the end. Nope, A few days later discomfort had me remove and it was back to 32. Fitted my wafer and 24 hours later and a leak later it went back to 29. Yesterday I changed again cutting my wafer to 30 with a turtlenecked ring and it felt great until tonight. Sure enough it changed shape again back to the pyramid shape which has given me issues from day one. I can cut my wafer to the stoma size but anything under raises the opening to a narrower spot. I am down to using smaller wafers and thin rings so the middle won't raise as much. I can already tell I will need to change again tomorrow. Sucks when 20 wafers is suppose to last 60 days with insurance. PS, if interested I started a facebook group called men's ostomy issues. There are thing that can happen to men's personal parts from the ostomy that no one talks about. This is a men's only group. Just started so no posts yet.
That was so helpful I definitely Will keep a close eye on my stoma from now on
Already knew all that
Thank you Eric for. this valuable information on shrinking stoma Mine mostly does it after partial blockage
In fact it happened today. I drank lots of water through the day and by the end of the day it was fine Lol too many veggies in my case
Lol. 🙋🇬🇧
Last week after playing basketball, i noticed my stoma retracted and was out only 1mm, normally is 2cm.
1st time that happened. Its really hard to put wafer on and next day my stoma nurse sad its normal. ??
after 2 days it was all back to normal. Still don't know why that happened. Maybe some blockage or some not normal move during playing basketball.
I use pre-cut wafer and so far no problems. Thanks for this video.
Interestingly enough, many people would have the opposite happen : their stoma prolapses when extering too much during sport or exercise. Keep monitoring and see if a pattern develops.
Mine stoma shrinks and retracts if I get dehydrated and then when I am hydrated enough it will come back to normal.
My stomach is so recessed it’s ridiculous. There are times it is so sunken in that it scares me. It does really change size at all, just sinks in. It’s normally just a little lower than my skin. My husband has it down to a science, like I said, I’m still learning even though it’s coming up on three years in April. I stopped looking at myself as a failure, which is good. I can change the bag myself now. Here’s a cute story...my great nephew visits on the weekend. He’s 3 1/2 but has been watching my bag changes since he was about 2. He used to cry because he thought it hurt me. His dad was a bit concerned about him watching and I told him this is a part of my life and he wants to see it. Now Kash will say, “Aunt MooMoo, I’m sorry you got an owie”, he will pat my arm, kiss my head and tell me he loves me. Is it pathetic that my very best friend in the world is a 3 1/2 year old? He just has so much compassion. He crawls up in bed to watch movies and he will say, “We can’t squish your owie”. I just love and adore him.
Why do all the companies make round products? Even the measurement sheets are filled with different size circles. My stoma is cigar shaped. So there is always skin showing on both sides of the stoma. I fill it in with paste but as the hours go by, the paste melts and I leak.
You can find oval products too, but it's more common to break apart a product like a barrier ring and then mold it to whatever shape you like.
What if your stoma gets bigger but it doesn't hurt. It it bad? Mine it gets big when I'm moving or standing up but if I'm laying down it shrinks.
That sounds pretty normal to me. But if by bigger, you mean longer, then that might indicate a prolapse.
Weird! my husbands stoma is getting bigger and bigger his stoma is out i feel bad for him he has gained a lot of weight, he needs a reversal surgery and he is not working now i don’t know what to do! We lost his insurance because he couldn’t work much after his first surgery, and we couldn’t pay it anymore 😢
I'm so sorry for your situation, Carle. I do wish you both the best.
@@VeganOstomy we are planning to apply for Medicaid, hopefully he can have his surgery so he can return to his normal life
Thank you for the video's . I find that when I get dehydrated it shrinks also and if I am having a partial blockage it will shrink. If I stay hydrated it gets full and soft. I have been getting partial blockages this last few months. I think I eat right and try hard to not gulp food and chew till it is juice.
Hi there! Enjoying your informative videos 😊 my ostomy surgery was just done 2 weeks ago. The stoma was quite swollen for a week (as expected) but then changed to an oval shape. My ostomy nurse said it might be a prolapse. Lying down helps. I will hopefully get more information from the surgeon’s office … like what the prognosis might be … or does this sound like normal changing of shape? Thanks for any information you might have!
I would trust what your stoma nurse says, but give it more time and see if things normalize a bit more. Good luck and thanks for watching 👍
How to change my stoma. I have 2 stents
Do you have a stoma nurse who can provide specific guidance? I never had a stent with mine, so my experience with changing an appliance with a stent is zero 🙁
My son stoma everyday change size and mostly stoma get inside the tummy when my son cry then stoma get back in normal outside but mostly stoma move back in tummy so I want to asked in these conditions when stoma going back in tummy then any problem we can face?
My stoma dresser said it's normal don't worry about it.but I want ur opinion plz
Thats usually called a retracted stoma. Have your son see a stoma nurse. They would usually recommend a convex wafer to help push the stoma out a little. If it stays retraced, it could lead to appliance leaks and skin irritation. Good luck!
@@VeganOstomy ok thanks
How long does a person can live with stoma
A healthy person can live with a stoma as long as a healthy person without a stoma. However, certain illnesses that result in needing a stoma could shorten someone's life.
hi , I have lost weight because malnutrition , it's kind so hard to put an ostomy bag ,it's always leaking because the shape of my stomach so curvy , do you have an idea how to deal with ? thx sorry my English not to good.
If you have access to a stoma nurse who can assess your skin and your appliance, you should be able to find a solution that works. It may require you to use a convex product, but a stoma nurse would make that judgment after seeing you. Also, make sure you're measuring your appliance with each change so you're getting the best fit.
My friend the doctor has to redo my colostomy or fix the one he screwed up. I asked him to do a 2.5 cm one this time, what’s your opinion on that?
Hi I'm an ileostomate but my stoma is very small and thin that sometimes he goes nearly down the skin an that always cause me leaks in few hours or 2 days maximum do you a method how czn I do to it becomse littly much bigger
When did you have your surgery? How small is small (what's the size)? If it goes flush with your skin, your stoma nurse should recommend a convex appliance. But they would need to look and recommend one that is appropriate for you.
@@VeganOstomy they give me a convex hollister wafer like your's and my stoma is realy small like 1 cm of lenght and 4cm large
@@VeganOstomy my surgery was at june
4cm on diameter? That's pretty big for an ileostomy. Mine is usually 32mm or smaller.
@@VeganOstomy no i want to write 24 mm
I am getting another surgery , because bathe doctor did a retracted stoma and cause me troubles to the point I was about to do something bad. I lost my mind. Now he saw he screwed up and tomorrow, 15 days after the first colostomy y will redo the stoma. I have asked for a 2.5 stoma. The sizes are from 1.5 to 2.5. What’s your opinion please.
I'm sorry to hear that you need more surgery, but I'm hoping it will fix the problems you've had.
I'm not sure if I understand the sizes you listed. Are you talking how far the stoma will stick out or how wide it is?
You'll definitely want it to stick out more, rather than having it be flat or just barely protruding.
Good luck!!!
@@VeganOstomy I asked to have it stick out 2.5 you think that is a good size?
That would be a *perfect* length.👍
@@VeganOstomy thanks so much
@@Janito53 Do you have a date scheduled, or are you waiting a bit? Let me know how everything goes!
IS it normal for our hair to become thinner after surgery?
Not because of the surgery, but thinning hair can be caused by malnutrition or medication, which may be related to why one would need surgery to begin with. I'd definitely bring it up with your doctor.
I got my ostomy in the beginning November 2017 and I was in the hospital until the end of January 2018 due to many complications from my numerous GI conditions. My ostomy nurse had never rode out the first three months of having an ostomy until me. Right after surgery I was at 1 3/4 of an inch and now I am just slightly below an inch. Comparing the two sizes is crazy to me. I haven't changed sized in about 2 and a half months now. The bag I use (Marlen Minimax Drainable Onepiece Convex Opaque Bag with filter) doesn't have a pre-cut option so I cut all my bags to fit. I recommend to any person with a new ostomy you need to measure you stoma every time for at least the first 3 months. Then I measure my ostomy now every 1-2 weeks or if I am gaining or losing weight. For me my weight loss didn't effect my stoma size but it did cause some divets to appear around my stoma and about 6 weeks in to having my ostomy I changed to a convex bag (convex wafer since when they are inpatient they like you in two pieces) and that was life changing for my skin.
my husband had a colonoscopy bag removed he uses the bathroom fine but noticed even after he wipes really good with baby wipes later in the day he has poop in this underwear like he’s leaking from his butt . is this normal after a colonoscopy bag removal??
I'd have your husband check in with his surgeon to see what's going on there.
He needs to work his butt mussels i think its called keggle workouts to tighting up the Spencer on his butt
Shape of stomata
Hi Eric great video. I can actually feel mine moving out wards and I also feel it move inwards but I think that's just how she works.
I was just wondering if you could do a video on sores near the stoma and if you would get blood on the stool from the sores. Thanks.
Hi Ann, I'll have to research that first.
Vegan Ostomy cheers Eric I was doing a change the other day and I had blood in my stools but I have a sore near the opening of the stoma which bleeds so that's why I was asking. Be great if you can as I'm sure others will be interested in it.
Yeah, I probably wouldn't venture into topics like that because it does require a medical opinon to assess and treat.
My stoma has gotten larger and I have to cut the ring to the largest size its output is regular and I have only 28 days to go before the reversal. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much in one sitting? I eat a lot of cream based soups 3 a day?
Is your stoma larger overall or only when it has output? Did you put on any weight since your surgery? I don't see why eating soups like that would cause any problems. The issues tend to come up more when you're eating bulky foods that are more difficult to digest. Hang in there - 28 days isn't too long :)
My stoma was exactly 26mm all around for 7 years!! and then suddenly it became 24mm recently, so weird. I think it's cuter now tho
Seven years of consistency must have been nice! I hope it stays at 24mm for another seven years 😁