Since getting my stoma five years ago to now has been a bit of a rollercoaster of leaks, trying different bags and seals, discomfort etc to now needing a refashion of Tomas. Unsure yet if they will keep it the same side or have to move it to my left side.
The last few months was a worry for me because my stoma now doesn’t work or produce output, but weirdly the fistula does it all now. it’s very near my skin so very difficult to make sure my skin is protected and another thing I have found out is that the pressure of the fistula doing it’s thing can cause the leaks because it is against the base plate where the force is. ( hmmm very jedi )
Anyway, I think it is time for Tomas to be reborn. That pesky fistula has had it’s day and I just hope another one doesn’t form, three’s a crowd.
My most recent bag change has cemented my feelings, I get sore skin even though output hasn’t always leaked, from the general tight skin and a vein that is visible and uncomfortable coming from the area of the fistula, with smaller veins coming from the stoma, I am sure the fistula has caused all of this. All I want is to have a nice stoma without added extras, I have kept going with this for 5 years. The fistula pushes the stoma to the left so it is awkward as F to put the bag on in exactly the right place.
The Eakin seals have helped so much these last years and without them I feel sure my skin would be so much worse.
It has been a few months since my surgeon has passed me on to a colleague due to retirement but I haven’t heard anything probably because of backlog covid etc. I have managed this long so a bit longer is neither here nor there. I have such a love hate relationship with Tomas, if it was a normal stoma with no issues I would be so happy because the stoma actually is great ( when it was working) . I rarely got partial blockages, and have never had a full one, it just seemed to cope with whatever food was given, with no trouble. Even a pea popped out in full like it was being shot from a cannon, hilarious. A slither of mushroom, no problem just popped out too. Peanuts on the other hand can be troublesome for me, I did have a partial blockage from too many handfuls of peanuts, I just massaged around and drank plenty of fluids, luckily it seemed to work.
So to have to change because of an added complication is a worry.
As you can from these photos through the years, you can see the fistula changes, and I suppose it will only get worse.     Â
