I have had my temp ileo since September, and I am still struggling to get comfortable in my own "skin". I went from 160#, a little chubby I thought, down to 140# post-op. Now 140# is a good weight to be at, but I don't fit in any of my clothes. I try to buy new clothes that are the right size, but I just don't feel comfortable in them. I wear mostly loose shirts and loungy pants to keep my bag hidden, but I don't feel much like a girl. Fortunately it's winter and I can get away with wearing over-sized clothes, but I don't like it. If I wear fitted clothes, the minute I eat or drink, my bag starts to bulge. I have a long torso & am 5"7", so it's hard to hide it. What kinda of adjustments do you all make to look good and "hide" your appliance? Any advice would be much appreciated.

I have to wear my pants high to go over my temp ileo, so I had to buy a bigger size. I have to ear a tie to work, so that means a tucked in shirt. Needless to say, I hate it. At home I mostly wear pj bottoms or warm up pants. If I do go out, I wear a untucked shirt or a sweatshirt to cover how high my pants are. I also have a tube going into my left butt cheek to keep my abcess drained. The bulb I pin on the left inside of my underwear.

I fully understand what you are going through Annie. I think a Phoenix belt would help if you can wear it. I cannot, I have to use a ostomy belt to help with my wafers fit.

Hi Annie, I usually wear fitted jeans that I am comfortable in. As far as tops go I use longer ones that have a little flow to them around the bottom. So if my bag is to get a little full it's not as noticable. I just empty and get on with what ever I was doing.

I fold the bottom of my bag into my underwear so that it doesn't hang down loosely. Then, I wear my regular old clothes. I was never one for skin tight anyway, but my clothes fit well and aren't baggy. I do usually wear a shirt that comes down over my waistband and that helps hide if my bag gets full.

The thing to remember though, is that people aren't watching your belly. You are aware of it because you know its there, but quite frankly, other people aren't paying close enough attention to you to notice or care. THat's the hardest hurdle to get over. Once you clear that, you'll feel comfortable wearing anything.

Hi Annie,

I love to wear close fitting jeans, skirts and dresses and I find that stretchy material is more comfortable. I know you are thinking that if they are close fitting other people MUST be able to see your bag, but really they can't!

The secret for me is to wear high waisted lycra underwear (I wear Marks & Spencer's magic knickers or their bodyshaper range of panty hose) and to wear my bag at an angle across my belly so that the tail end of my bag is pointing towards my left leg (Wee Willie's on the right). I also wear the larger 12" bags because it spreads the load more evenly so there is no bulge or dragging when the bag begins to fill up.

Trust me, it really does feel so much more comfortable when the bag is well supported and as long as you empty it before it gets more than half full no-one will ever know.

Another trick I have is to wear patterned material. I did this last summer with a gorgeous rose printed dress that I wore to a wedding. It was fitted to the hips and then branched off into panels. It wasn't stretchy but with the combination of my magic underwear it really made me feel a million dollars.

Really, the only person who needs to know are those you choose to tell because no-one else will really have a clue what's under your clothes.

Oh and one last thing, those lovely floaty smocked tops that are all the rage at the moment are brilliant for us because teamed with jeans they hide a multitude of sins.

Take care

Shell

I got my temp ileo in August 2007 and it did take me a while to figure out what to wear. I wear fairly close fitting slacks/jeans that are not very low cut, but rather waist high, with tops that are longer - I don't tuck in. I wear tunic length - or just a bit longer than usual turtlenecks/sweaters, blouses and they look very nice, I think! No one can tell that the bag is there.

Mack