Bladder Cancer

[buzzardfriends]

i got my ostomy in august of 2008. summer is coming soon and i really want to go swimming. problem is, my appliances dont stick very well. i am afraid i will spring a leak or lose my appliance all together. does anyone have any ideas or suggestions what i can do?

[gilbertld]

I am surprised that no one has responded to your post since I believe many ostomy patients are concerned with swimming. I know my wife is and she is 71! But we are still 4 to 6 weeks away from that point. I think there should be a real concern about 'leaking' but on the other hand not to be overly concerned.I know in the weeks since my wife's surgery she has not experienced a leak, but then again, it just makes sense it will happen sometime.
It would seem to me that a new bag would hold up better than one that had been on for 5 or 6 days. It makes sense that the seal would be better. I also think that there are some steps to take to keep the area drier than it would ordinarily be. We had a nurse suggest some of the sticky plasticks, but that might depend on the type of bathing suit you wear, and how private your swimming is. We have the good ffortune to have our own pool. I can attest to reading very encouraging stories from younger people who pretty much attest to doing what they want to do and not let their life be definded by a 4" by 4" section of their abdomin. God bless you and good luck.

[HappyJack]

I got my ostomy in April 2006.
It took until June 2006 to find the correct ostomy pouch to use.
If your pouches don't stick very well maybe you should see a wound care nurse to be fitted
with the correct pouch.
I use a Hollister #8486 convex pouch. I must trim the opening to fit my stoma which is
oblong shaped.
The wound care nurse I had took a photo of the stoma and measured it too.
She made a pattern out of stiff paper with a hole in the correct size and shape.
I simply trace the hole onto the pouch around the existing hole and then cut to fit with
a surgical scissors.
My wife changes all of my pouches for me. She cleans the area with alcohol first and then applies
the pouch. I press it down to my abdomin firmly for 2 -3 minutes. She then uses Hypafix tape around the pouch to reinforce the seal.
My pouches usually last from 10 to 14 days (I only take showers when the pouch leaks) and then change
it after showering.
I don't know if you can do that. I'm on disability so I don't need to shower very often as I don't leave the house more than twice per month and then only to go to Walmart. And I'm not concerned about offending anyone anyway. I'm too old to play that social game.
I know when I was in the nursing home (20 months) the nurses aides who helped me get bathed(showered) at first were supposed to bath me twice a week. Even though the pouch had tape to reinforce the seal the pouch would always end up leaking even when they wrapped clear plastic around my abdomin covering the pouch and taped the plastic to seal it as well!
So the only conclusion I have been able to come to is this: the pouches cost me approx. $10.00 each
in a box of five(5), I stretch the time the pouches stay on as far as I can therefore saving as much money as I can. Swimming is not an option for me because of this cost.
If you can find the correct pouch to wear, if yours isn't sticking well, then find some waterproof tape you can use to reinforce the seal and you should be able to go swimming. No guarantees!
Also: the pouch I use has two tabs, one on each side, that I hook a belt to that helps to keep the pouch in place.
That's about all I can say.
Good Luck!