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| Coquitlam Connection |
| When The Faceplate Won't Stick |
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| Bubba and Earl, are out hunting, when Earl falls to the ground, his eyes rolled back in his head. Bubba whips out his cell phone and calls 911. "My friend just feel down an� it looks like he's dead! What can I do?" The police operator; in a calm soothing voice says, "Just take it easy. First, lets make sure he's dead." There is a silence. A shot is heard. "Ok, now what?" |
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| It is most annoying to have one's faceplate loosen or leak before the regular time to change it. Sometimes, trying to find the reason for the problem can be just as annoying. First, look to find anything that can cause a change in the texture of the skin. If the problem has occurred since you started taking vitamin pills or certain medications, this may he the cause of the problem. Any subtle change in the skin can cause change in adhesion. Excessively oily skin can decrease adhesion. Wiping the skin around the stoma with alcohol can hinder adhesion. The moisture from excessive perspiration can undermine the adhesive. A cotton appliance cover is great for soaking up perspiration (it can also soak up moisture from a leak). The dry skin of winter can also be a problem. A humidifier may he helpful. If you can afford only one humidifier keep it in the bedroom. Also, make sure your fluid intake is adequate. A change in weight, either gain or loss, can cause a change in the contour of the abdomen, which will affect adhesion. Keeping one's weight constant is the best solution. Remember, new ostomates, especially if you were ill and suffered significant weight loss, it may take you a while to return to a weight that is normal for you. Also, your skin is in the process of adjusting to constantly wearing an appliance, and it may take time to toughen up. Stoma size may change significantly within the first year, having a tendency to shrink as the body heals. Keep in touch with your ostomy nurse to insure your appliance is fitting correctly. One more caution to keep in mind is that there may be a time when your body no longer tolerates your current appliance, no matter how successful it had been before. But have no fear, the market is inundated with products, and surely there is something else that will suit you just as well. Let's be glad we are ostomates of the 1990s and 2000s who have the luxury of choice of appliances rather than in the 1960s and before when choice was much more limited. Skin rash is a common happening for many ostomates at one time or another. If it clears up quickly, it usually doesn't cause any problems with adhesiveness of the faceplate. However, if the skin becomes weepy or oozy the adhesive will not stick and the rash must be dried up as soon as possible. from N. Virginia (VA) The Pouch, via Chippewa Valley (WI) Rosebud Ramblings & S. Brevard (FL) Ostomy Newsletter Dec 02 |