Hi Eric, 11 days and starting my countdown until ostomy time. Just wanted to thank you and the other ostomates for your support, hints, feedback on products, answering my endless questions, and keeping (trying) me calm. I did as you said and got samples (it's like Christmas when new products come in) I've already decided what type of system I want to use (hopefully my stoma will be agreeable). Just wanted to say thanks to my ostomy family.
Josh J - I think one of the main reasons that folks go to a one piece appliance is because they want a really LOW PROFILE bag. If you wear tight clothes, you certainly don’t want the outline of a hard Wafer showing!! Most two pieces I have tried have a hard inbuilt ring on the Wafer, which the bag “clicks” onto. I’m about to try some of the two pieces that the bag just STICKS onto the Wafer, instead of having the hard click on. I find the hard rings on the two piece wafers dig into you when you bend, whereas the one piece is completely soft.
I gotta give you props for trying out all of these new products. There are a lot of products I wouldn't try, one piece systems being one of them. It's extremely difficult to burp the bag unless you have an ez vent on it, and you definitely wouldn't be able to burp it in public. I still don't see why people use one pieces! I guess if they like it then they should keep using it, but man... I just couldn't do it haha. But again, thanks for doing these reviews. I don't think a lot of people think about the possible disasters (leaks, rashes, etc...) you probably go through trying new products. I'm not just speaking for one piece systems, but all the new pouches/flanges you try.
+Josh J I have definitely run into my share of skin problems from trying so many products, but I'd likely be doing the same even if I didn't do these reviews :) One-piece systems have two major strengths : low cost and very low profile.
+Josh J I actually have some Hollister adhesive, but never had a chance to use it because my appliances stick well enough already. The stuff from Torbot is meant for product without adhesive on it (reusable wafers they sell).
Oh really? I thought the torbot adhesive was meant for extra adhesion and for waterproofing. Well that sucks I just ordered 3 bottles haha. Oh well I guess. I didnt know they had reusable wafers though.
+Josh J oh I'm sure you can still use it, but it'll likely need some adhesive remover to get off ! LOL Yeah, they are one of a few companies that offer reusable wafers.
I have watched a few of your videos and been subscribed for a while now. I love watching you and the front butt you tuber. I have had my bag for about a year and between me and my husband, we have pretty much found what works. Things were going great, I was even able to go back to work for an hour a day. Then about a month ago, I hit rock bottom and have pretty much been home bound and mostly in bed.waiting for two weeks to pass for a new Dr because of insurance crap. Getting up, feels like I am trying to lift hundred pound arms and legs. Sorry to,ramble, the point is, you guys keep me informed nod I have tried products you have reviewed. Just letting you know, this little old lady appreciates you!❤️✌️❤️
+Angel For Animals So sorry to hear that you're struggling right now, but I'm glad that you at least have some entertainment by watching our videos :) Tell your nephew I say hi!
+Vegan Ostomy - I have had this for 20'years and never been in remission.mi just spent a week in the hospital. I have started on the drug Entyvio, not sure of the spelling, but my hope is that this is going to be what I need. I will show your video to my nephew, his name is Kash, and tell him you said hello. Keep,up the good work with your videos. I like be the ones of your travels. I hope to be well enough to travel to see my son at the end of May. ✌️❤️✌
Vegan Ostomy - WHEN I win the Lottery I am going to design and manufacture THE Holy Grail Ostomy Bag. Just ONE bag, with slight variances to suit ALL Ostomates. I know now EXACTLY how it would be......just need the money to do it!, Just going out now to put my lottery on.....Watch this space....lol xx
Oh YES Eric.....YOU would be THE One I'd get to review my "lottery bag", as your reviews are THE VERY BEST. Still trying for the big win - lol. Teddy UK xx
No problem! Hollister uses thinner plastic on some of their bags, in particular, their clear bags. This thinner plastic nearly eliminates the need to crease the outlet, however, it still helps to do it. 👍
We actually used this very bag system successfully for 2 years. My teenage son is developmentally disabled and I have to childproof his ostomy; That tough to open end in this situation is a plus. We also use Mefix to tape the tail end to be extra secure and it can pull off without ripping any of the plastic (generic Mefix will rip the plastic has to be brand name). We used to use 2 pieces but he learned how to pull the bag off the flange. The larger adhesive area also helps when you have a teenager constantly tugging on his bag. We can't use belts or anything binding due to his chronic abdomen pain and lower back pain so I have had to get really creative childproofing with adhesives only.
Great strategy! I'd like to write an article about childproofing appliances so that it may help other parents or caretakers who are in a similar situation. Would you mind contacting me directly at veganostomy@gmail.com to discuss what's worked and what hasnt?
This is my bag ! It's the only one I'm not allergic to. I use two rings under to better seal and brava strips helps with the bending of this with movement. I wear mine sideways!! This prevents the sagging you mentioned. I'm only 4'11 , and all are way too long on me.,, try wearing it sideways or diagonal . Thank you so much for your support to all of us!!! It has helped me so much !
+Vegan Ostomy it deals better this way and doesn't pull... Leaks are much better now. But.... I have outlet to my right ... If my outfit is liquid, I do lay on my right side , to keep the filter from getting too wet .
My problems with the Hollister bags mirror your complaints. The bag sags and the drain outlet is difficult to open. Also, I found that the plastic "Velcro" tab would tear off of the bag after a 2 or 3 days. I went back to Coloplast which is easier to open and drain.
I haven't experienced that velcro tab coming off, but that would absolutely be problematic!! I always crease the outlet on my Hollister bags to make them easier to open, but I do think Coloplast outlets are the easiest and most secure.
Hi Eric, Thanks for all the vids! Been watching since my ileostomy (Oct 2015). Haven't commented, but I always give a "thumbs up". :-) After some trial and error, I settled on a Hollister 2-piece system that works for me: wafer (14603), beige/clear filtered pouches (18183/18193) and rings (7805). I came up with a simple hack for your complaint (at 8:59) about the hard-to-clean flaps on the outlet. The official "Lock 'n Roll" instructions are: fold the outlet 3 times *toward* yourself, then lock it in place with the "velcro" fastener. However, instead of folding *toward* yourself 3 times, try this: fold the outlet *away* from yourself once, then *toward* yourself twice, then attach the velcro. This prevents the flaps from getting mangled, so they're easy to clean. Be sure to unfold carefully when emptying the pouch, as the last flap is folded toward you. Hope this helps!
+daapdary Great tip! It's not so much that the flaps get mangled, but when you compare them to the outlets on Coloplast bags (for example), they are not as easy to clean with those flaps. I do suspect that the flaps help to seal the outlet (especially for liquids), so perhaps it something we have to put up with :) Glad you found a technique that works for you, and thanks for commenting :)
+Vegan Ostomy I agree, the Coloplast outlet is easier to clean than Hollister (based on some 2-piece Sensura Mio Click samples I tried). However, if you're using Hollister bags, it's much easier to clean the outlet if you do the "zig-zag" folding method instead of the "official" method (because the little flaps get folded last instead of first, therefore they don't become sharply bent). I really liked my Coloplast samples (especially the water resistance!), but didn't like having the belt tabs on the wafer. To use a belt, the wafer *must* be oriented/applied perfectly horizontally (hard to do with a cockeyed oval stoma). Also, the clear Coloplast bags required filter covers while showering (maybe not necessary with the opaque gray bags, where the filter is not exposed).Are you familiar with the Hollister FormaFlex wafers (e.g. 14103)? My experience was a disaster :-( Maybe I shouldn't have used a barrier ring (7805) with it.
+daapdary I'm currently testing ConvaTec products, but when I get back to Hollister I'll give this hack a try 😀 I have used Formaflex and will have a review on them in the near future (spoiler : they did not work well for me ).
I'm just using this one piece bag in the Ceraplus wafer option (wafer contains Ceramide). I've seen your review on the Ceraplus Eric.....excellent video review, as always. I'm having great results with this bag Eric. NO leaks from the wafer whatsoever, so I'm delighted with that, with my liquidy output!! Have to change them every 3 days. I using Hollister's Cera ring underneath and my sliver of sore skin just around the stoma is actually HEALING. I'm using a smidgen of the Adapt Stoma Powder too. Fingers crossed. Teddy UK xx
To prepare a new Hollister pouch: 1. Fold out the tops of the paper adhesive strips to make "rabbit ears" for easier application. 2. Cut off the thin plastic lips from the very end of the tail using a straight scissors for later cleanliness. 3. Pinch the tail end open in middle and near both ends (severely), so opening the tail will be easy later. These three steps don't take much time and result in a pouch that is competitive with the nice Coloplast designs (except for the other problems discussed here by Eric). These pouches now come with filters and in pre-cut versions, and in Ceramide (waxy lipid) versions for "long wear", whatever that means.
Hi Vegan Ostomy - I do hope you are keeping well. I have tried a couple of the "newer" Hollister bags recently and was delighted to see a small transparent "flap" that folds lastly over the roll-up Velcro fastener!! The ones I tried (not sure which model they were), had ONLY a roll-up Velcro bottom!! This is the fastener I was referring to below. It just rolled up (about 3 times) Can you imagine how easily this would just "roll-down" as they did on me - whilst out and about? Mega problem. I'm STILL on my never-ending search for my "Holy Grail" bag - lol. Love your videos Hunni Bunch. Keep up the good work!!
Hi folks. I am currently using the Holister one piece. I cut a small notch on one side of the very bottom closure and have no problems opening it for emptying anymore.
Hi Cynthia. Are these notches on the sides? Hollister did update the pouch plastic in the last few years, which have made them much easier to open without any other modification. I no longer crease my outlets since the change.
I use the opaque version that now has a filter. Its a convex flange. The only problem is applying the piece on my stoma because of being opaque. I use a smal binder clip on bottom to prevent the bottom from opening. I recommend this product.
There should be a viewing window on the bag? Look for a join on the front, as you have to open the join up yourself. They leave it joined in case you don't want to use the viewing option.
Ahhhh.....that's very interesting Eric. These I'm trying thankfully do have the viewing option. Great results so far with these in the Ceraplus (just commented above). Teddy UK xx
To Josh J....Many Ostomists prefer a one-piece appliance because they have a much lower profile under tight clothing. I hate how the flange on a two- piece is often made of hard plastic - and this hard plastic ring stands out under clothing. I have tried two pieces. I was DEVASTATED once when a stranger in our group prodded me (gently) on the tummy and she asked "what's that?". All the group looked at me....and at my tummy....waiting for my answer. None in the group knew about my ostomy.....and I did not want them to know, despite knowing the majority of them for years.....I said it was my suspender belt and received a few questioning glances....but I quickly changed the subject. I have never felt so embarrassed. I do wear quite clingy clothing, so could not imagine wearing a two piece because of their sheer bulk.
Could you put extenders on your peristomal skin (that you're not allergic to) where the tape touches you and then apply your pouch on top? The Trio Ostomy line has some whisper-thin extenders that are very flexible and made of silicone. Or can you trim off those tape borders and reinforce what's left with extenders? Brava Co;oplast has some wide/long extenders that may work (for either work-around) HTH - Good luck - it's disappointing when you find something that works... and then it doesn't! :/
Hey Dave, are you referring to the newer chlorine-free bags? Those are louder than the older ones for sure, but they seem to be as durable and odor-free for me.
@@VeganOstomy In the last few months, Hollister has changed the pouch material in their two-piece systems, and I assume in all of their opaque pouches. I am not aware of whether this is chrome-free but, when I spoke with their on-call consultant, she did not mention this. It seemed like I was not the first to express my disappointment with the change. I've been sampling other products and., for the first time, used the Coloplast products. The SenSura, Mio products are the highest quality I have encountered - in almost every respect. Perhaps the odor issue is more of a personal diet issue but the problem was eliminated during the use of Coloplast systems.
It sounds like it is their new chlorine-free product. They will eventually converert all of their bags to it, but I do agree that there were benefit to the previous version.
The Holister "roll-up" bottom fastenings are an absolute FAILURE. An absolute joke!! I tried Hollister a few times and, against jeans, or other fabrics that can "rub" against the fastener, this causes the end to just....roll-DOWN. THREE times, when out and about, these "rolled down" on me, causing a right mess - and sending me home....in tears!!! I will never, EVER use Hollister appliances UNTIL they change this REDICULOUS "roll-up" fastener.....which ROLLS DOWN!!!
+Teddy Burr That's a shame. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I've never experienced that, and I've worn Hollister bags on rollercoasters! Coloplast has the most secure of these Velcro style closures.
What are filters for? They are useless! Always getting clogged up. Hollister bags are some of the cheapest poor quality and durability. Always leak issues. Won’t use them again..
On paper, they do sound like a great way to passively remove gas, but in practice they do clog quickly. Do you have a colostomy or ileostomy? They work better for colostomates, but even then your milage will vary. I personally find the Hollister filters to be among the best, but that's not saying much. Go with filterless bags and consider something like the ostomy ez vent if gas and ballooning is an issue.
I find the closer has been very reliable for many years. Have you contacted Hollister about this? There may be a manufacturing defect for the products you received. Good luck.
@@VeganOstomy Yes, right. We found out after I posted that the mask has lifted off the bottom , causing the drip. Thank you. I used the belt the send and it seems to be holding secured today.
