Wardrobe Changes After an Ostomy

So you just went through an ostomy? Enjoying life with your new stoma? Well, I know things can be a bit rough. I know from personal experience that getting a stoma put in is not a super fun process, but there are definitely things you can do to make things easier for yourself. When I had my stoma put in, one of my biggest concerns was what I was going to wear with an ostomy pouch hanging off of me. Obviously I spent the first few weeks after surgery in sweatpants and a hoodie as I recovered on the couch at home, but eventually I knew I was going to have to go back to work and I didn’t know what I was going to be wearing. I don’t want everyone I work with to know that I have had an ostomy! So I’ve learned a few tips and tricks when it comes to dressing with an ostomy pouch and I hope you can find some valuable information in this article that I’m writing for you.

One big tip I have for you is not to sell all of your old clothes that you are worried about not fitting; a piece of advice - it will be easier to fit into your old wardrobe when your body recovers more fully from surgery! It is likely that things are a little bit raw and bloated, which is pretty normal and understandable seeing as you had an ostomy. Unfortunately I jumped the gun a bit after my surgery and threw out a bunch of old clothes that I thought would not fit anymore due to having an ostomy pouch. However, you will find that you can actually wear most of the things you used to even with your new stoma. One of the most important things to do is keep your stoma pouch nicely wrapped and close to your body. This will make it easier to wear even more form fitting clothing and not have your big old ostomy pouch be super noticeable. 

I also recommend some sort of tighter leggings underneath if the weather is not too warm and it looks good with your outfit. This will keep things all nice and tight regarding your pouch and people will not even be able to see your ostomy pouch. I remember feeling very uncomfortable and worried about the idea of people I know noticing that I’m wearing an ostomy bag, but I have come to accept it as just another part of life. Even though it is not very noticeable at all with most of the outfits I wear, it’s still nicer to have peace of mind about the idea of people seeing it. Honestly, it makes me mad that people would make fun of others who have had an ostomy. They really just do not know what it’s like.

Another tip I have for you is to buy ostomy pouches and bags that fit your style and fit well to your body. There are specially designed pouches that are more centered around fashion than functionability, so those are always an option for a fancy night out or something like that. I hope you can find some wardrobe changes that suit you, but remember that most of your old stuff will work just fine! It’s also not the end of the world if people notice your ostomy pouch either.

My Hiking Experience With An Ostomy Bag

So I’m going to kick this off by saying, right away, that I am nowhere near what you would call a smart person. Now I don’t mean academically or logically speaking; because in this sense, I am about average intelligence wise. However, I fall apart when it comes to any sort of common sense, situational awareness, or emotional intelligence scenarios. I have struggled to make smart, conscious decisions for most of my life, and my parents have officially labeled me as their dumbest child out of the family. Maybe some people see that as really discouraging, and I think I used to see it that way too. However, it has been comforting to know in recent years that, no matter how badly I screw up, I can’t do anything to make the people around me feel any more disappointed in me.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you about the time I went hiking with an ostomy bag. I ended up needing a stoma put in my lower intestines when I was 13, so I’ve long since been used to wearing an ostomy bag and taking all the necessary steps and precautions that go along with having a gaping whole in my lower abdomen. I went on a trip for spring break with some of my buddies for college a few years ago, and this would have been the first time ever going on a serious backpacking trip with an ostomy bag. I made sure to research about what fellow ostomates have to say about camping and hiking with an ostomy bag, and got a pretty good idea of the supplies and gear I would need for the trip. 

The trip started off well with me and 2 other buddies in the north east part of the Appalachian trail. Both my friends knew about my ostomy bag but did not really know much about it beyond the extent that if I don’t have it things go poorly for everyone involved. One night we stopped to camp somewhere in the mountains, and I took off my ostomy pouch to start the cleaning process with a few sanitary pads I had brought. Somewhat disguised and intrigued, my buddies wanted to see for themselves how I go about cleaning that wretched thing. I go to put on a new pouch and realize, to my dismay, that I have left my entire supply of ostomy pouches in a bag pack home that I meant to pack. 

“Get used to the smell, lads”, I say to my two buddies. For the rest of the trip, I will have to be sporting the same ostomy bag over miles of mountain ranges and river crossings. All the while I had to hope that I wouldn’t snag my pouch on a stray tree branch or sharp rock, which would lead to serious leakage of my own bodily waste that will forever taint the ground somewhere in the mountains of the Appalachian trail. Luckily, we made it through the 4 day trip without an incident, and I ended up not seriously needing an extra ostomy bag. However, I would not advise spending 4 days without changing your bag, especially when sweating, climbing, and hiking through the mountains. Oh, and the camping food was not helpful for my digestive system either.