"How I healed excoriated skin around my stoma and surrounding area so I can continue my daily swimming routine
My name is Robin and I am 76 years old and I have lived with an ileostomy for 55 years.
It’s been quite a journey with various health issues along the way although I am fully aware my ileostomy saved my life and in spite of obvious frustration with it and blips at certain times, I am grateful it has given me the opportunity to live a full and happy life which I hope to continue for many years to come.
I live in Miami and enjoy making the most of the sunshine here and I swim daily to keep fit. My swimming routine has however been thwarted in recent months as the skin around my stoma and surrounding area became more and more sore which was painful and also made it extremely difficult for my baseplate to stick properly, resulting in me using more and more tape and exacerbating my skin problems!
It’s been a 6 month journey for me to achieve healthy skin to which my baseplate can stick. At times I didn’t think the skin was ever going to heal and I am amazed how much time and effort has been spent researching for me to find products which help and function as advertised. Perhaps I have been unlucky but in case anyone is experiencing similar issues, I want to share what helped me and without exaggeration, has been life-changing for me.
A few weeks ago, by pure chance, I read a post which mentioned Smith & Nephew No-Sting Skin-Prep. There is also a version which isn’t no-sting but it was too painful for me to use so I started using the no-sting version and the results have been quite amazing. It’s available in spray form or wipes and I have found the wipes the easiest to use. The liquid seems to form a barrier which protects the skin against whatever is being stuck to it and it also helps the item to adhere much better. When it’s time to change the baseplate, it doesn’t leave any residue and is easily cleaned with a skin barrier wipe. I don’t have any allegiance to any supplier but after trying various skin-prep wipes, in my case, nothing has performed like the Smith & Nephew No-Sting Skin-Prep.
There are other products I’ve found along the way (Coloplast skin barrier wipes; Safe n Simple skin barrier arcs; Nu-Hope pink adhering tape strips) which have had a positive impact on my ileostomy changes but there’s no doubt that the skin-prep is what has allowed my skin to heal (along with Coloplast ulcer dressings when necessary and Ultrabase emollient cream too).
As I revert to my Miami daily swimming routine (thwarted today only by the weather!), I am thankful to be back to normal (or my normal) and I wish fellow ostomates luck with finding what works for you and enables you to make the most of every day."
