Guide To Using Ostomy Filter Stickers

Filter stickers are usually included in the boxes of filtered ostomy pouches. These stickers are round-shaped with tabs on one side. They are helpful in several conditions.

Purpose of filter stickers

You may wonder why manufacturers include these stickers in the ostomy pouch boxes in the first place. Most instructions listed on the box of ostomy supplies do not usually explain the purpose of these stickers.

These stickers are helpful in several ways. Some of them are the following.

• They help keep your filter dry.
• They prevent the vacuum effect.
• They keep ostomy odors at bay.
• They keep filters from leaking.

Since these stickers are usable only for bags that feature filters, you won’t find them in a box of ostomy pouches without filters. Even some appliances with filters do not have these stickers included in the product box.

Some brands claim that their filters are water-resistant and do not need stickers for protection. Although it is true for some brands, it is still wise to have these stickers to get more than just the dryness of filters.

How to use filter stickers

Applying these filter stickers is not a challenging task. First, you have to make sure that your ostomy bag is dry and clean. You can then remove one sticker from the sheet and place it over the center of the filter.

Ensure that you have covered the filter with the sticker to prevent water or other sweat from entering the ostomy pouch.

You can remove and discard the old sticker when you no longer need it or replace it with the new one.

When to use these stickers?

When to use these stickers depends very much on why you need them. Here are some scenarios to take into account in this regard.

• The primary reason you may want to use filter stickers is that you want to keep your filter dry. If you have got these stickers in your box of ostomy pouches, it means you have to use them before you go for a bath or jump into the swimming pool without taking the ostomy pouch off.
• If you are familiar with pancaking, you may also need to know that the reason behind it is the vacuum inside the ostomy pouch. That is why you may want to retain some air or gas inside the ostomy bag to keep the walls of your pouch from coming in contact with each other. Although this vacuum effect is quite problematic, you can prevent it easily with the help of filter stickers. You can cover the filter of your ostomy pouch before the vacuum effect is created. You may, however, need to check on your pouch periodically if your stoma produces a lot of gas.
• Another quite considerable benefit of filter stickers is that they help keep ostomy odors at bay.
• If you are wary of the stomal output leaking from the filter, you can cover it with a filter sticker. That will help prevent leaks instantly.

While filter stickers are useful for people with ostomies in many ways, you may still need to speak to your ostomy care nurse to know whether you are the right candidate for this product.

Sizing Your Stoma For The Best Fit

Having an ostomy means you have to become familiar with your stoma. This familiarity is an essential step towards developing a robust ostomy care regimen. That way, you can make sure that you live a high-quality life. The first thing to do in this regard is to measure your stoma and use those measurements to create a leak-proof seal between your ostomy bag and the peristomal skin.

Since every ostomy is different, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for ostomy care. Measuring your stoma allows you to create the correct-sized opening in the skin barrier of an ostomy pouch. In this article, we will discuss how to size your stoma properly.

Understanding your stoma

A stoma is a surgically created opening in your abdomen to divert the flow of wastes away from the diseased part of the urinary or digestive tract. You may need a stoma for various reasons. Depending on your condition and its severity, your stoma can be permanent or temporary. After ostomy surgery, your health depends very much on a robust ostomy care regimen. That includes measuring your stoma regularly to make sure that your pouching system fits over it nicely.

During the first few weeks after surgery, you will have some swelling in the stoma. Due to this swelling, the stoma will appear larger. At this time, it is necessary to measure your stoma to create an appropriate-sized opening in the skin barrier. The size of your stoma will reduce as the swelling subsides. It will settle to a permanent or static shape six to eight weeks after surgery.

Some factors that contribute to the change in the size and shape of your stoma include weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, prolapse, hernia, aging, or changes to your overall physical appearance. You can reach out to your doctor if you are concerned about these changes.

How to size your stoma properly

You may need to use a few supplies to size your stoma properly. You will learn how to use supplies necessary for ostomy care before leaving the hospital. Here are a few crucial steps involved in measuring your stoma.

• First off, gather your supplies that you will need. If you are using cut-to-fit ostomy barriers, you will have to gather all supplies necessary to create the correct-sized opening in the ostomy barrier. That mainly includes a measuring guide and a pair of scissors.
• Next, you will have to prepare your stoma. If you are wearing an ostomy bag, take it off and empty it. Wash your hands and clean the skin around the stoma. Get rid of hair around the stoma. Do not use any products containing oils or alcohol.
• A stoma measuring guide allows you to trace the exact size of your stoma. To use this guide, pass your stoma through an appropriately sized hole in the measuring guide. You will find the correct size of your stoma easily this way.
• After using the measuring guide, use derived measurements to create a hole in the skin barrier. For this purpose, you will have to use a pair of scissors. You can also use a flange cutter if you have dexterity issues.

If you notice any changes to your stoma, be sure to speak to your doctor as soon as you can. This consultation becomes more necessary when you have a static stoma, and you are not expecting any change in its size.

Trying to fix my ostomy.

As a young child, I loved to make things with my hands, no matter what it was. I never expected to become an inventor who makes valuable things most people use in their daily lives. I got in an accident one day while I was with some friends that changed my life. I made a pact with myself when I woke up from the procedure that I was going to find a way to change the past and my accident. 

One day my friends and I were outside doing some skateboarding. We found a cool location to do some tricks and whatnot. I never expected it to go so wrong. There was a rail for stairs that I went on, but I knew it was risky. The other side of the fence was a drop that went straight down about thirty feet. I knew the risks but wanted to go for it anyways. I jumped on it, but as soon as I did, my board slipped out from under me, and I fell onto the rail then fell down the drop. I tumbled down and came to an abrupt stop after hitting a tree. 

When I woke up, I was laying by the tree and had a branch sticking out of my abdomen. My friends came to my aid within a minute of me waking up, and they called an ambulance. I was in a great deal of pain, but I was able to manage. When the ambulance arrived, they put me on a stretcher and loaded me into the ambulance. When I got to the hospital, they did remove the stick that was through my abdomen and gave me some bad news. If I wanted to have any kind of proper bowel movement, I would need to get a colostomy procedure. With a great amount of hesitation, I agreed, and the procedure was done. When I woke up from the surgery, I made a pact with myself that I would fix the mistake I made. 

I got to work as soon as I got out of the hospital on plotting how I could change what I did. After a day of pondering, I decided to make a time machine. I got to work on it, and I found out the secret in order to make it work. It took some time and a lot of engineering, but with enough ingenuity and hard work, I was able to get it working. I was able to go back and change the mistake that I made. With that change, I was able to avoid the need of getting an ostomy procedure altogether. Once I did that, I continued to work hard on more projects that I knew would benefit all of humanity. I’m sure you are thinking this is impossible, but so long as you put your mind to something, anything is possible. 

As far-fetched as this may seem, I promise I am telling you the truth. I can not prove myself because I broke down the machine so it would not be used with bad intentions. I’m glad to have been able to change my life and not have to worry about an ostomy and all the pains that come with it. I do not have anything against people who have an ostomy, if anything, I respect them immensely. 

Retired Secretary with a colostomy bag

I have worked in the school system for over 20 years.  I will be retiring on June 10th of this year.  To say that I am excited is an understatement.  I have had a good run for many years, with a few bumps along the way.  My daughter passed away about ten years into my career from a freak accident.  That was very hard to recover from.  My husband and I divorced five years after that.  Strike number 2  in this game of life.  Just when I thought the innings were done being played, I found out in a routine Colonoscopy that I have Colon cancer.  Wow!  That new about had me running for home.

I proceeded to get a second opinion which confirmed the diagnosis of colon cancer with immediate surgery needed.  To say I was disappointed was an understatement.  There was no history of colon cancer in my family, and not to mention I was about to retire in a few years and looked forward to having all my sick days cashed in and finally being able to do the traveling I have had to put on the back burner for way too long.

The surgery did go very smoothly, and I was pleasantly surprised with the pain tolerance I had.  Maybe being older and wiser had helped with that. With a few less sick days in the bank, I was able to recoup fairly quickly and continue working.  I was so thankful to have such a fantastic group of health care professionals.  The instructions and lessons that were given to me were life changing.  They were able to provide vital information such as the best pouching system to use and the best pouch deodorants or air spays that would minimize odors.  I was able to fit into most of my clothing due to where the bag rests on my body, and most importantly, I was able to eat most of the things I still loved.  All these little details made my adjustment period after waking up from surgery invaluable.    

Life seemed to get back to being somewhat normal post-surgery.  As I indicated, my diet did have to be altered some to make sure everything was eliminated quickly and smoothly.  I don’t recall ever talking so much about the restroom prior to this whole ordeal.  I haven’t ever felt like I needed to hide my situation from others.  I have always been a kind of go with the flow person, and I have always felt that if I can help someone by what I have had to go through in life, then the experience was not wasted.  

I have watched friends struggle with other medical procedures and the same procedure as me, and it always amazes me at how well health care providers and their staffs make it so easy to handle these bumps in the road, as I like to call them.  My colostomy bag is not something I would have chosen for myself or would wish upon someone, but the life saving measure that it has provided me can’t be ignored.  I’m thankful for the efficiency of those on my care team and the way they were able to put me back together in a sense and back in the game.  I have lots more innings left to play out.  

Principal with an Ostomy bag

Elementary teacher for 3 years, high school guidance counselor for 5 years, assistant principal for 4 years to principle for 8 years.  What a ride it has been.  Like Dr. Suess says, “ Oh the places we will go”.  Speaking of places, I have been in a total of 5 different schools through out my educational career thus far, and I have no doubt that there is a school or two more in my future.  

When my career in education started, I was not your typical teacher.  I had suffered a tragic car accident when I was 20 years old.  I had a head on collision with a car larger than mine, and I incurred a broken leg, broken arm, multiple lacerations, and a colostomy bag.  I was a mess and initially wasn’t given a high chance of survival.  I endured a tremendous amount of emotional and physical scars that changed a lot about me.  

Surgery was extremely extensive and took almost 10 hours.  I had a rod placed in my leg where my femur use to be, screw in my elbow to help secure my broken arm, and a colostomy bag was put in place to help with the ruptured colon I had endured in that accident.  Several other surgeries had to occur as well.  The physical therapy for the broken bones was nothing in comparison to the maintenance, hygiene details, and overall care that were associated with the colostomy bag.  Pain was also quite a contender and hard to get under control for some time.  I was completely overwhelmed with the care I needed to get back into shape and to continue with my education goals.  It took an incredible amount of time, to say the least, but eventually I have healed very well from the trauma my body endured.  The scars have faded but the lessons learned will be permanent.  

Today life looks complete different.  I as a person am different in so many aspects as well.  I have not let my limitations stand in the way of the goals that I had set academically and professionally so long again, and the ones I have for my future.  I would be remised if I didn’t say that the colostomy bag has been the biggest obstacle that I have had to face thus far, but It hasn’t been difficult in my teaching and administrative roles.  I have had to examine and make many adjustments in my schedules to say the least, but I don’t think anything will hinder the determined mindset I have.  Of course, I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing physicians, teachers, family, and administrative staff that I have come in contact with over the years.  

It is very easy to get caught up in what is happening to us personally, but I feel like because of my injuries that I sustained from the car accident, specifically the addition of the colostomy bag, I have a new determination and outlook on life.  It is short and can be gone in the blink of an eye.  I have tried to bring that attitude into the Education world I find myself surrounded in, and I believe that I will continue to be used to help teach others about adversity and strength.