UOAA Discussion Board

I as well was reading some posts somewhere and saw people conversing on how to come up w something that would work in a pinch emergency type situation should one run out of product, when travelling or just plain running out until new product has arrived.

The absolute incompetent policies of Ins companies and Health Ins in general was being discussed, as well as the way they charge so much to patients for these products as for greed and because they're a captive audience.

It is almost inconceivable how the Ins industry and product makers will seemingly only let one order enough product for a month. I know myself right now, that I am down to very few bags left right now, by virtue of my procrastination nature, that I could see that this might be an issue that I could experience as well in the future.

They were even talking about in a pinch fabricating emergency appliances such as duct tape and sandwich bags. Some food for thought should that ever happen. Surely, I keep like most I would imagine, xtras w me in my car, breifcase, etc.

EDS

EDS wrote:....It is almost inconceivable how the Ins industry and product makers will seemingly only let one order enough product for a month......
EDS

Not sure why you can only order enough supplies for a month....that is, unless you are using three times as much as what your insurance company specifies....

I have always been able to order three months' supplies with my insurance but only order one month's amount at a time as that usually lasts me more than 3 months....

Check with your provider, most can send 3 months worth of supplies at a time.
And I'm sure nobody here would misrepresent the amount of supplies they need just so they can have extras on hand for emergencies.

I think it's kind of weird that my supplies always come UPS or FedEx, at extra expense. If things were run properly (i.e., MY way), we could order in time to wait for the cheaper post office to deliver. But if you're only allowed (by Medicare) to order when you're down to a week's worth of supplies, everything HAS to be rushed. It's set up to cost more!

Lee,

Actually, I have never placed an order, as am still on my initial supply from the actual surgery. It has lasted a good while as I only wear the bags about 4 days a week. I was just told from a hospital wound nurse and a home health care nurse of the one month ordering guideline.

I hope as you and Steiconi state, that it is a 3 month supply allowance. I'll know soon as its time to order more product. Also, I may give some thought to cleaning and reusing the bags or at the very least do so in lieu of and before actually running out of product. If the right kind of bag exists, it would be in the realm of practicality and money savings, to have say 3-4 bags to where you never had to order pouches again. Just paste, wafers, etc. and even the one piece w wafer and pouch as one unit could conceivably be recleaned.

As a matter of fact in the context of design, I was just going thru my supplies this am when I discovered that they had included the little belt that hooks to those plastic tabs. I can now see that it is a design to help w the previously stated pull downward upon the wafer from a bag w a good amount of matter in it. I can easily see how it will help w wafer adherance due to bottom bag weight. Albeit, at the cost of wearing a belt, but seems to be comfortable enough for wearing times of some duration.

The statement you make about Medicare and not being able to order til down to a weeks supply blows me away. Its no wonder our healthcare system is so profoundly broken.

I also like your little postscript footnote signout of "I am not my disease". How incredibly appropriate and so true.

I do not even like the stupid and what is to me an undignified name for us colostomy patients,
"Colostomates". Someone out of our inner circle of and unknowing of our medical procedures would be like "you're a what"?

I know I will never describe myself as a "Colostomate", and don't even like saying it.
Seems like a more dignified label or moniker could be drafted for mainstream descriptive means. Say for instance an ACR, Anterior Colon Restructure. I'd much rather be referred to as an ACR than a freakin' colostomate.

I may think of a postscript signout myself. I may go w something w a humor aspect to it.
Something like Front Pooper.

EDS

somebody here calls himself bellybutt. Works! And there's another forum called the "Colon Club" .

the 1-month and 3-month allowances are Medicare rules, I think; if you have another insurer, you might have different rules.

EDS,

I always tape the top of my pouch to my abdomen and I find that helps with the downward pull you refer to. It's nothing big, just a 1.5" piece of tape (fabric, in my case, since that's what my skin likes). It keeps the top of the pouch from settling on my stoma too.

Danica,

Yes, I'm thinkin' the small tape you describe that you use is a good idea and suffices well for you.

The issue for me that is different from you, is that I have a very hairy chest/stomach, basically complete coverage. So anything whatsoever to do w adhesive in general whether the wafer, or an added piece of tape is always painful to pull off. I always have to shave a large section around the perimeter of the stoma before new bag replacement. Seems like I'm getting around 3-4 days before the wafer adhesion gets compromised and starts to break loose.
Always in that 3-4 days from a newly clean shaven stomal area, it is now hairy again, and I have to pull it off gingerly as is painful.
Think a man w a 3 day shadow. So adding tape to brace the bag from pull is just more irritation to the area once removal time comes
.
The nearly two months post surgery of being taped up in 3 places, 2 areas needing daily dressing changes, the third being the wafer,
was something I'm glad is over, as I am hairy w every square inch of my frontside.

So even a small bit of tape on a clean shaven area, would create more irritation from the hair growing underneath it, when removing.

Which Is why I am searching for a more livable design. Have to say though, that I'm finding the belt is not too obtrusive and bothersome to me so far.
Seems like it could become a daily wear dynamic
for me, once I have some matter in the bag if I do not want to go thru the emptying process right away. I can postpone for awhile by putting on the belt until I empty, as it does a good job of counteracting the downward pull, and perhaps extending my bag wear time before the wafer starts to break away.

EDS

Get some adhesive remover. If you had a forest growing under there it would drop off using the remover. It's a spray and you use it as you pull off the wafer . Drops right off.
No damaged skin. No hair pulling . Like liquid gold if you as me. Wafer drops off in two three seconds.
Sensi-Care adhesive remover. Spray. It's not a wipe. Good stuff.
Richard

Another good support option is a wide, stretchy band that goes over the pouch. You can buy special-made garments like this, or get a woman's tube top. Supports the entire pouch, holds it against your body so it's less conspicuous, too.

I've been trying BillGK's suggestion about convatec esteem adhesive base plate and coloplast bags. The base plate is great - first one I found that doesn't leak. And I love the coloplast bags. BUT, I keep getting leaks between 'landing pad' on base plate and the adhesive around the coloplast bags. I have an ileostomy and at times have very watery output. Any suggestions or help?

I shower every morning without my colostomy bag, wash my stoma with head and shoulders shampoo, dry area with hairdryer and apply my colostomy bag. I always feel clea, have never had irritation or leak.
I also take Benefiber twice daily, 2 teaspoons morning and night. I have never had constipation. My output is the consistency of toothpaste. I never empty the bag, I throw it away. I use the Coloplast Mio sensora.
This is very strange to me but I have no output during the day. The bag fills during the night. It's great because you can't see the colostomy bag under my clothing. I'm thin so it works well. I can wear my regular size clothing. Thank you, BeachRN