Well That Didn't Work So Well....

Last pouch change I tried the thing with the barrier ring and only put half of one on around the bottom half of my stoma. It was an experiment to try to deal with some issues from the position of the opening of my stoma. Well, I think it's safe to say that didn't work out so well and I won't be doing things that way again. I had plans to shower and change the pouch this morning. Well, last night I popped into the bathroom for one last empty before bed, and found a small amount of brown "stuff" seeping out in one tiny spot around the edge of the flange tape. Ack, my first ever leak! It was around the top where I'd skipped the barrier ring, too. Sigh! Bedtime was going to have to wait as this could not be left until morning. I wasn't really in the mood to do the whole showering thing, so I did the change standing in front of the mirror at my bathroom sink. It was a little tricky as the stoma was functioning some, but not too bad. The skin around the top of my stoma was really red and irritated, so that leakage had been accumulating for a little while. I treated with stoma powder and went back to a full barrier ring for this go round. I will change again in three days and hopefully the barrier ring holds up that long. I have a follow up appointment at Cleveland Clinic on the 9th of May which includes a meeting with the stoma nurses. Unless my skin starts to look worse, I think I can muddle through until then. It may end up that the changed position of the stoma means we need to switch appliances. I'll just have to see what they say. I am really glad this happened after my incision wound was well closed and healed because some of the leak was in that area and I would have been freaking out about potentially contaminating the wound and getting an infection. Also, I'm good enough at changing now that it wasn't a huge ordeal to have to change out right before bed. I think I was done in a little over fifteen minutes. I've come a long way!