Worse Than Skin Erosion (part 2)

After a lot of hassle, I finally got to see a wound/Ostomy nurse in a nearby town. She took a look at the disgustingness, but just kind of shrugged and said she wouldn't be too worried about it.

After I cleaned my ostomy and the area around it, I put on my ostomy powder------>

Then I ripped open a package of Cavilon No-Sting barrier film and padded that on, as the little sponge within has liquid on it that turns into a film after 30 seconds------------>

The nurse gave me a small square package that had what looked to be a rectangle of wispy cloth within.

 She proceeded to cut a corner from it, laying this "cloth" over my wound. This cloth-thing is Clacium alginate, which Wikipedia defines as "a water-insoluble, gelatinous, cream coloured substance that can be created through the addition of aqueous calcium chloride to aqueous sodium alginate"

I warmed up and stretched out a piece of wax/ strip paste ( I don't know why they call it paste--it's like soft wax) and placed it around the base of my stoma, covering the stitches still bristling out from my skin. The powder helps keep the area dry, then I brush away the extra that fell on my skin, and the barrier film helps keep the area protected and covered.  The tiny pad of Calcium cloth thing help to protect the open area further, and the wax strip stretched down and molded over it helps really protect it all. Then After I've cut my wafer to size, I fit it on over my stoma and press the sticky-ness down so the bag stays secure.
SET TO GO.

    I have to call her at the end of the week to let her know if it's healing, and next Tuesday I see my surgeon again for a checkup. I hope he actually TAKES A LOOK at the ostomy he made. Ugh. I am always very nice and respectful and listening when at a Doctors appointment, but I'm firm about insisting medical help if I think I need it, and I don't give a shit about acting shy describing something. I speak bluntly, I don't beat around the bush, because hey. These people are here to provide a service, for you, one that you and your insurance are paying for. They aren't Gods, even if some act like it. They aren't better than you. You aren't supposed to feel stupid in an office with them.

    You don't have to be a bitch about it, but you must clearly educate yourself about your condition and ask questions. Who cares if they are put-off that you're asking them things? I've had many Urologists irked at me because I was more up to date on state of the art treatments then they were, but this is a very small stupid town I'm currently in. But anyway, if they are tiffed, so what? Oh no, you might step on their toes suggesting a medication or insisting on receiving a mammogram? Fuck it. This is your life. What if you didn't mention something and that turned out to be the thing that could have saved you? That could have eased your condition? Maybe you could have caught the cancer sooner, or been able to get off steroids or whatever. You get what I'm saying. Only you can take charge of your health. You need assistancee, and you must demand it from doctors that otherwise may not go that extra mile for you.

Oh look, another rant. Sowwy. This has nothing to do with skin erosion, but too many times I've experienced personally and seen people demeaned by surgeons and shamed by doctors into thinking their condition was "all in their head" or sped along in the office and hushed up with "Here, just take these pills--I don't have time to get to the bottom of your pain." If half of these doctors had the same conditions and/or chronic pain their patients did, NONE of them would act like this. Unempathetic assholes. Please be strong when speaking to the medical community. Be educated, be firm, and stand your ground. You deserve it.

<3 Tinylittlelifeform