Laura’s Review of Our Vitamin E Urostomy Bag

Hi, it’s Laura here again. I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone so far.

The last few months have been so busy but good. I attended a Pelican and Respond Event in Cardiff in May. I was very active on social media doing my bit to raise awareness for Bladder Cancer, during the Bladder Cancer Awareness month in May.

Last week I had a great meeting with my local MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) to raise awareness of Bladder Cancer. It went well. No, it went great. The MSP wants to collaborate with me to approve awareness and get it some airtime in the Scottish Parliament, so I am thrilled.

What is essential for me to do all these things? Well, No.1 is having a urostomy bag I can trust. My urostomy has been retracted since a few days after my surgery, 4 years ago. This makes it prone to leaks. I have to use some accessories with my bag including Eakin Cohesive Paste but this only works so well as a whole solution as I have a bag that is kind to my skin and provides a secure seal.

How Long Have I Been Using This Bag?

I have been using this bag since just a few months after surgery. I was given the same bag without Vitamin E when I left the hospital and swapped to the Vitamin E version and really noticed quickly how it was even kinder to my skin.

Overview:

The Vitamin E bag is made to suit every ostomate regardless of stoma type – urostomy, ileostomy or colostomy and comes in flat, soft and firm convex versions. It comes in closed and drainable types.

The main aim of the bag is to provide a bag which puts skin health at top of its priorities. This is provided alongside security, flexibility and comfort to make a great all-round bag that works so well for me.

Why is Vitamin E Important in a Stoma Bag?

Vitamin E makes a real difference to my skin. I feel like the bag hugs me due to both the good fit of the bag and the skin kind vitamin E in the bag. Vitamin E is found in facemasks and skin moisturisers. So, it is clear to see why this works so well in a stoma bag and takes care of peristomal skin (peristomal skin is the area of skin immediately round your stoma).

Key Benefits of the Bag:

There are lots of things I love about the bag. Very soon after putting on a new bag, you really can feel the healing properties. Any itching/burning sensation you feel as a bag change is due, almost instantly disappears as the bag soothes your skin.

The bag has contours around the edge of the bag which allows for an excellent fit, even where I have some uneven skin.

The discreet but easy to use viewing window, helps with lining up the bag to apply to your skin and also to check on your stoma as needed. This works really well for me to get the bag on right first time, every time.

The bag holds up well when exposed to water in the shower, when swimming or in a hot tub. This is key for me because I love the sea and pools on my frequent holidays abroad and I have been partial to and Airbnb hot tub during the pandemic when travel allowed.

Why Don’t I Use Other Urostomy Bags?

Simply put, it is the only one that works for me.

Like many ostomates, you see something different or new, and give it a try. No other bag works for me.

The range of the urostomy bags available on the market is much more limited compared to colostomy and ileostomy bags. This is understandable from a business perspective due to urostomates representing a smaller share of the market, but it does limit the selection for urostomates.

Pelican Vitamin E Urostomy Bag is definitely top of the class for providing not only a bag I can trust to provide a secure fit but one that looks after my skin. As someone who had their urostomy created at 41, maintaining good parastomal skin is so important to me.

Laura @2bagsforlife