Questions from a new Indiana Poucher

All I know is that where I cath is just a tiny slit in the skin. It looks like a small blade was put in and taken out. Like you put a small knife in a potato and pulled it back out. After I cath or put in the small nipple and leave it for a while it looks like a tiny hole not much bigger than a popcorn kernal or maybe a very small pea. That may be why I am having trouble. It is very low in my abdomen, do not know if I would show it to a male. It is on the underside of my belly roll and the weight of that pressing down on it may have something to do with it.

I searched on Youtube to find video of cathing an Indiana pouch before my surgery so I could see what a stoma looked like but did not find anything but there are several showing how to care for a ileal conduit.

Maybe we will meet sometime and compare!

My but this is getting racy!! Quit pulling your pants down Melodie!! Pat

Tammy,

I was interested in hearing about what you call the slit...but what is the size of your stoma ? Mine is the size of a dime and has a star burst quality around the outside of it. I'm just trying to imagine what yours looks like. If you were here, I could show you mine and you could show me yours.

Someone else on this site did exactly that one day...we met for coffee since we learned we both work for the same company...he showed me his; he has a illeal conduit and I have the Indy...and I showed him mine....we both are happy with our diversions. Now that isn't something you see everyday; two co-workers having coffee and pulling down their pants for a peek.

hello everyone sorry I have not been able to respond sooner. My mother had to have back surgery and I have ben busy helping to take care of her.

Dr. Campbell said my stoma was fine, it is the skin over top of it that is growing closed and crusts over. He clipped it a couple of times and told me to put in a 16 (I cath with a 14) a centemeter a few times when I cath to open it up. I do that but it still crusts over and it is hard to get in but as long as I only go in a cememeter it is not going to hurt anything else but the opening which does hurt and tears a little.

Someone on another site advised me to buy a "pupple nipple" at a pet store, lube it, stick it in (goes in very little) and tape it down. that seems to help the best although it is not comfortable and it still wants to crust over if I do not do it once or twice a day.

My "slit" as I call it is very small, smaller than a pencil eraser and my stoma is under that (can't see it). After I put the nipple in for a while then it looks like a small circle and is so much easier to cath.

I asked Dr. Campbell's nurse about the saline and she said it would be fine for a week, since an Indiana Pouch is not sterile anyway and it is not like an open wound that is healing. I do keep it from getting anything in it and wash the syringe well before I put it back inside. She did give me a script for 500ml bottles instead of the 1000.

Thanks Pat for the link to the UOAA site. I had already been on there. There are about 19 pages of links to posts about Indiana Pouches. I also found a CONTINENT UROSTOMY GUIDE on their site that really helped with info about Indiana Pouches. There sure is not much info out there for us IP'ers.

Take care,
Tammy

Here's an interesting site of nurses discussing sterile solutions....they say 24hrs and pitch it.......
allnurses.com/nursing-issues-patient/does-bladder-irrigation-234410.html
I saw actually on the internet where they have l00ml. bottles of sterile irrigation solution which would be better for my stage of the game when i only need it occasionally.
Pat

Gracie - My bottles of sterile water have no near term date on them - and I have kept mine for several days...possibly a week and never had any problems. I usually irrigate once daily so the bottles will usually last me 4-5 days. My insurance pays $25 and my co-pay is $5 for five bottles...at that cost, I don't want to toss them after only two days use.


Pat - Thanks for sharing the website in regard to stoma closings....E-gads, I did know that sometimes they try to close up or heal over but didn't realize the problem was so complicated...mine is a "star shape" and I have never had any issues with it closing...I wonder if shape has anything to do with it. ?????


Tammy - Now, we just need to get an update from you.