Hello,

Your posts here are a big help.

I am only 3 weeks from the hospital, still have swelling around the stoma, went 5 days once, been having 'fall-off' issues, Convatec apron tape not adhering, trid seals, paste and strips-not so great results;
so back to Hollister rig;
the VN told me to change every 3 days for a few more weeks.
Awaiting Microskin and Assura samples to try the other 2 vendors.

Guys-what kind of clothes do you wear for Work?
My Stoma is at belly button height.
Do you wear suspenders?
Or belt your pants lower and 'tuck' in the pouch?

I am in IT consulting on the Client side and will be wearing a suit or slacks and a sportcoat.
The Hollister seems to jut out a LOT.

Any tips will be appreciated!!

Thanks
Eric

Hey CouchE, new in the business myself, but I find that belting low, and tucking the tail only in, seams to work as well as anything that I have tried. There dosen't seam to be an easy way out, do not get discourged, things will get better. Harry.

Hi Eric,

I'm not a guy but I think some of the same issues apply. First of all it's important to have good supportive underwear so that your appliance doesn't drag and pull on your skin, thus causing separation and leaks. Lycra cotton boxers night work well? They will give you support but still allow the stoma and bag to do it's "thing".

A lot of guys here buy a size bigger in trousers/pants and wear braces/suspenders to hold them up instead of a belt. Wearing a jacket will hide any bulges (and the suspenders) so no one will ever know you have a stoma unless you choose to tell them.

The swelling around your stoma will go down with time so you will gradually start to feel more comfortable. Make sure you measure your stoma regularly as it will carry on shrinking in size for a few months. It's important to make sure you have a good fit with your appliance to prevent skin irritation and leakage problems.

If you really can't wear your bag tucked in then wearing an ostomy belt will help to keep the wafer secure.

Hope some of this helps but I'm sure there will be plenty of guys along very soon to chime in with some ideas.

Good luck

Shell

Hi coach, everyone goes through the same thing until they find something that works for them. But I think the the thing that helped me the most was a plain old Ostomy Belt. It gives you the support you need and also gives you confidence. As far as the trousers go I can't help you, I wore jogging pants or shorts most of the time because I don't work.Best wishes and luck, Craig

I'm a mechanic (as you may have guessed by the nickname ) and wear the same clothes as I did before having an ostomy. I used to wear suspenders, but realized that the need for them was only in my head, so to speak. I now dress as I would if I didn't have an ostomy, belt and all. My belt goes over my stoma, but things still work fine.

As for appliance brands. I use a Convatec bag and wafer with a Coloplast pad between the wafer and my skin as my skin is sooo sensitive to adhesives.

I had similar problems when I first got home. I agree with Shell, good underwear is the most important thing. First the bag wasn't supported at all when I wore boxers. Then I tried briefs. My bag would fill with air--especially at night--and the pressure from the underwear would cause blow out leaks through my wafer. Also my stoma would get irritated by waistbands rubbing up against the bag. It was really frustrating.

I tried different types of underwear out of desperation, and I eventually settled on women's micofiber briefs. I swear by these. They're designed to be worn above the belly button--well above my stoma--and they expand with the bag. I haven't had a leak since I switched to them 7 months ago.

The Lycra also protects my stoma from the waistband of my pants, and I can pretty much wear anything I did before. On the pants, I wear Stafford dress pants that have an elastic waistband. I got mine at Penny's.

On the different types of systems, I eventually settled on a Coloplast Assura Extra-Extended Wear system. I put a ring of paste around the stoma opening, use no skin prep, and tape the edges down with 3M pink tape. I get 5-6 days routinely out of that system.

I'm currently sampling the SenSura system. They work too, but they don't work with paste. I think I prefer my Assura two-piece. I hope things get better for you.

mdg,

When you wear the briefs does the tail of your pouch hang out through the leg hole? I wear boxer briefs and the end of my bag is below my crotch. I also wear an ostomy belt.

Jim

No, my bag doesn't hang out of the leg hole. My stoma is pretty high--just below my belly button-- and I'm pretty tall (6'7"). I normally wear a regular 11 1/4" Coloplast bag with a clip. The bottom of the bag is usually right inside the leg band. The lycra will stretch down too, so I've never really had a problem with the bag hanging out.

I’m in the same boat: Need to dress good for work and have an Ostomy above my waistline.

I just wear slacks 1 size larger than normal; the bag rests between my slacks and underwear. The only issue is when I sit for a long time (like my drive to work), the stool gathers up at the top above my waistline. I just give my slacks a little pull out and gravity takes over from there.

It took a while to adjust and feel comfortable, but I don’t even notice now.

I'm not a guy either....but just wanted to add that when I had the ileostomy, I used to just roll the bag up a few turns on the bottom and tuck it inside my briefs...never had a problem with it hanging out the leg hole..and I felt secure that the clip was folded up inside a couple turns...I also wore the regular thin style ostomy belt, not the ones that you enclose the bag in..I think they are something new now...

Good Luck...

Ah, now this is another trick of the trade for those problems where the bag peeks out through the leg of your underwear. Just wear your bag at an angle across your belly so that the tail sits in the opposite goin area to your stoma. (ie: if your stoma is on the right then point the tail towards your left leg)

This not only supports the bag but also spreads the load when your bag begins to fill up and stops that lopsided feeling. If you feel that you may get too sweaty under all that plastic bag then simply spray the area under the bag (not the wafer) with your regular antiperpirant deoderant. I used to make cloth backings for the bags to absorb the sweat during hot weather, but since I've started using the antiperspirant I haven't needed them.

Good luck

Shell

Hello Eric,
I have a permanent ileostomy, I don't have to dress for an office(factory work) so dressing is more simple for me. First I would suggest a ostomy belt, I use the Holister belt. My usual clothes consists of what my son calls a wife beater, the kids in his high school call it that? A type of tight fitting muscle shirt, tuck it in over the bag, bag sits outside of my briefs and inside my jeans,slacks etc.(one size bigger then I use to wear)then a button down or a T shirt over that. If it does fill up then as 6M$S said just a little tug and gravity takes over. I tried suspenders but that just wasn't me.

Your correct about the holister sticking out at the top more then the others, I found the convatec to be the least. I use the 2 piece durahesive w/the tupperware type snap. I can't stress the ostomy belt enough. Before I used the belt maybe 3 days, w/belt I get 5 to 7 days depending if I want to change it, never because a leak! Hope this helps....Don

I usually wear a bag with a clip. But I forgot to mention that the Coloplast Velcro folds back into the bag. I'm wearing the SenSura now, and it has the Velcro that folds back into the bag. Do an 11" bag really becomes 10" or so.

Hi

Thanks for the reply.
As it is only 3 weeks into the pouch, I am 'tucking in the waistband of my briefs-was always a brief guy-hated boxer 'ride-up', with shorts.

When I had my 1st step in 2000 and temp ileo, wore suspenders and really hated it-felt like Gordon Gekko/Wall Street or a character from the Old Green Acres show-about to fleece Eddie Albert on a rain machine or something.....

Sammy2toes[B]- Parthenon no longer stocks those briefs-at least not on the website-will call this week-Thanks

[B]Bill -since you are a 'suit' guy too-Do you wear suspenders or a belt?
I guess with pants a size too big, you wear pleated pants?
I picked up 2 pairs of pants with the sliding size elastic inside-still dress slacks, with hidden stretch-hope that masks the pouch.....

Due to swelling around the stoma, I am stuck using Hollister for a few more weeks, Tried 1 Convatec durahesive and it fell off same day, called for Assura and Microskin samples and will try those when stoma area is more flat.
Several recommended Karaya powder-works great-this area no longer looks like it went through a cheese grater and stopped bleeding.

Appreciate all advice/anecdotes.

Toughest thing is for me not push too hard, kind like Sammy Two toes-I was very active, exercised/worked out daily with weights, did Tae Bao and coached my son's football, baseball and basketball teams.....so it is very hard to not physically be able to do what i did (right now anyway).(have to wait another 2-4 weeks).....even before Jpouch (7 years) I was a ' hard gainer' of weight and only put on weight with barbell/dumbbell work, etc so feeling like a plague victim being thin-

Yes, I always wear pleated. No suspenders (not for me...), but I do use a belt. Just make sure you have a little room for a tug every so often.

I have a pair of those elastic inside pants too, I find them a litte unconfotable but they do confrom nicley. Should be good for you now since you are swollen a bit.