Help getting paste off!!!!

[helpingsally]

Hi, I am new to this site. I have been helping my very close friend with her colostomy bag since her surgery, and sometimes we end up having to change her wafer 1-2 times a day or even every other day. I'm pretty sure im putting it on right and doing everything im supposed to, but some how the "poop" gets under the wafer and we have to remove it and put another one on. My problem is gettng the fresh paste off. I have tried almost everything under the sun. We have blow dried it and rolled it off. I've used the adhesive remover wipes, soap and water, vinigar and water, a dry paper towel, and nothing seems to be working and in the mean time her skin is getting very irratated and it burns when we put the new wafer on. I need some help with this issue as soon as posible, and if any of you have any suggesstions please email me @ [e-mail]

thanks a bunch,
Ang

[Jason_D]

Hi There,

Adhesive remover wipes would be your best bet I should think.

If you call your friends Stoma Nurse/ET Nurse - or if she can phone him or her direct that would be great - she should be able to tell you about brands available in your country.

If you live in the UK the Pelican Citrus Adhesive Remover wipes are very good, and Pelican will gladly send you out some samples if you contact them - www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk/pelican.html for their contact details. (Pelican products are only available in the UK and Netherlands).

If in the US various companies make equivilent products. Dansac do one called "Tape Off" for example. Convatec - one of the biggest companies - also make a product called "Adhesive remover Wipes" which will do the job too probably.

www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk/dansac.html
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk/convatec.html

The trouble is that the paste isnt meant to be coming off so quickly, so you really do need adhesive removers to shift it.

HOWEVER, a lot of the adhesive removers are alcohol based. If your friends skin is raw or inflammed using these wipes will only make that worse (as would the paste actually as most of those are alcohol based too) so if the skin is raw then you are best of using alcohol free wipes - otherwise your friend will be cursing, swearing and doing a wall of death around the bathroom with the stinging the alcohol will cause.

If her skin is fine then that is not a problem she needs to worry about.

Hope that helps.

Buh bye now,


Jason D.
webmaster and colostomist.
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk

[helpingsally]

I keep reading about stoma nurses, what is a stoma nurse and how do we get one? The only person that comes out is home health and they only come once a week. I dont think they are really that expeirenced with colostomy's becuase they never give me a straight answer on what to use. All the answers I have gotten has come from the nurses from home health. But I plan to keep trying to find more info, thanks a bunch for your help


Ang

[Jason_D]

Hello there,

A stoma nurse/ET Nurse is based at the hospital the operation was formed at. Not all hospitals have them, but if they do any serious amounts of bowel surgery then there should be on there. They are specialist in Stoma and Ostomy care, procedures and so on.

Also, the ostomy companies usually have a stoma nurse on their customer support phone lines for you to contact in an emergency if you cannot get hold of your own.

Finally, the Ostomy Support groups should have a list of the Stoma Nurses near to you. I'll list the URL's for the various suppport group details below. They are also worth keeping in touch with as they can offer lots of advice and help and support etc.

For UK Support Groups:
Contact the Britich Colostomy Association: www.bcass.org.uk - although they have a list of support groups you are best off asking them about Stoma Nurses as they will have the national list if one exists still.

For US Support groups:
www.uoa.org/chapters_states.htm - if there isnt one listed for your town, pick the one geographically nearest and you should be within their catchment area.

For Canadian Support Groups:
www.ostomycanada.ca/chapters/chapters.htm
Same principal as the US list above.

Hope that helps you.

Buh bye now,


Jason D.
webmaster and colostomist.
www.ostomy.fsnet.co.uk