Emptying the Pouch: Best Positions?

Can I ask how you empty your pouch into the toilet? Do you stand up, sit down, or get on your knees? Standing up can cause a lot of splashing and make a mess.

Regular toilets, I kneel. Out in nature or using a porta potty, I stand. I tried sitting; it's not for me.

It might depend upon the water level in your toilet.  Some are pretty much filled with water. Others, like mine, have a water level low enough that it leaves bare bowl sufficient to use when emptying while standing without splashing.

Public toilets, I kneel. I have an elongated Toto toilet at home, so I sit. Airplane... I just "hold it" and keep my fingers crossed.

I kneel; I have a garden weed-picking pad I use.

Airport Security Tips Living with an Ostomy with April | Hollister

I sit as far back on the seat as I can and put some toilet paper in the toilet before I empty it. It helps with splashing.

Early years knees only with TP to help on splash. Now 70% knees but also sit. TMI - sometimes sit backwards. Forward or back both have pluses.

Totally depends, and I've done all the above and probably more. It depends on time, place, situation, timing, current pouching system, how full/overfull, etc.

I personally would never kneel in a public bathroom, and mostly I sit and empty. At home, I have a sprayer attached to the toilet and rinse out my pouch that way. If I'm out and about, I try not to empty if I can since it's always a mess without a rinse, but sometimes you have to. I make the best of it and clean up better when I get back home.

If I have a closed-end pouch, it's pretty easy to lean over and dump it out since my gut notoriously likes to act up when the pouch is off! Lots of those kinds of stories 😜. At least I can try to aim for the toilet!

Good news is there's no right or wrong way to do it! And many to choose from!

I sit as far back on the toilet seat as possible. It also helps to have an oval-shaped toilet and seat instead of the older type of round shape. In public toilets, I still sit after wiping down the seat with a baby wipe or disinfectant wipe.

Terry

I've been wondering if I should replace my toilet with an elongated oval one. I bet it is easier to empty.

For home, Hubz uses a shower stool found at a thrift store for $9.00. It's comfortable, washable, and sits out of the way over the edge of the tub. This way, he can take his time to rinse out the pouch, add more lubricant, etc. In public facilities, he's tried all the options but says he mostly stands.

Hubz corrected me. The chair was $6.00!😆

Correct

Try every way and see which one works best for you.

For optimum emptying confidence, I recommend this solid gold toilet.  However many times per day you must empty your pouch, this lovely toilet promises to make it an experience to remember.

I sit facing the back wall; it gives a bigger space in front of you.

The right way is the one that you like best. I stand when out; just put some paper in first, and it stops any splashing.

Regards, IGGIE

I always stand and just wipe the splashes up after I finish. Sitting doesn't work for me at all.

Hi all, I'm a sitter on the shitter, enough said.

Haven't sat on the toilet since 2016, after colon removal.

Can't kneel, won't sit.

Standing (over toilet) makes a mess. 🤦

Found emptying into a handheld container, then dumping into the toilet saves time, TP, and less mess. Also, as you dump, you flush, as it minimizes the stink and backsplash. Works for me several years. Saves knees and back, too.

In public, line the toilet with TP. Stand. Dump. Flush. If possible. Run like hell!

Those damn eye sensors on them self-flushing loos can be really challenging. I just poke it 🧏‍♂️

👀😋

I normally use a closed-end pouch, and I sit to change that.

When I've worn drainable pouches, I use the handheld container method described by warrior.

I think a lot depends on where your ostomy is placed. I was taught to empty sitting down, but that is super difficult because the bottom of the bag comes to about the top of my leg. I tend to get it all over myself when I do that. But if my stoma was lower down, sitting might seem perfect to me.

PS the urostomy gets emptied standing up. A little toilet paper seems to prevent splashing. It isn't enough for the colostomy, though.

I stand over the sink and empty into a large Tupperware bowl, then empty into the toilet and rinse the container. Then I sit on a stool in the bathroom and play solitaire while I wait for the second load. Because of IBS-C, I usually go three or four times. The record was 11.

Then I'm done for the day—usually.😫

OMG, yes, I hate those self-flushing loos with sensors! There is nothing quite like having your bum washed with a combination of the toilet water and the poo that was already in the bowl! I've learned my lesson the hard way and won't sit on them.

Terry

Sitting works for me. I've gotten very good at getting everything that's in my bag into the toilet without a mess. It's easier to empty at home since I have my cup for flushing out my bag with water, M9 drops handy, and nice sturdy Charmin toilet tissue. With an ileo, emptying away from home is inevitable. It's quick, very unlike my UC and J-pouch days when I sat for a long time, typically in pain, wondering if people wondered what was taking me so long.

I am quite new to this and have tried various positions. So far, the most successful is to just squat down low and lean in, facing the pot.

I'm sure not everyone can do this.

But I'm still fairly limber for an old guy.😅

When I get through with treatments and get to go home, I plan on installing a bidet on my commode to wash out the bag. Right now, I'm just using toilet paper and washing my hands really well while staying at an Airbnb.

I squat sometimes too. 👍 I'm not really familiar with a bidet system, but I'd think you'd always be getting “bag water” on it if you're spraying upwards into the bag. Or maybe I'm missing the technique. 🤷‍♂️🤔 Simply using a cup or some sort of container to pour water into the bag has been as easy as it gets for me.

Yup. The squat. Been there. Do it. Sometimes, but it puts a toll on knees, no?

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Not sure what place on the internet I saw this bad boy! I seem to remember it being proposed for all public restrooms in some European country?! Wouldn't that be nice?!

Iggie and a couple other folks said these are in public restrooms in Japan!!

No toll on the knees when you're not old.

"Old" has nothing to do with it, my friend.

If you have early onset arthritis, which I did in my 50s, it is a toll on every joint.

I know people with Crohn's and colitis in their 20s and 30s with it, too. IBD, the gift that keeps giving.

Luckily, there is physical therapy and a pill for that. 👍 Injections, too.

They have that type of outlet in Japan.

IGGIE

Age catches up with everyone lucky enough to live that long.