Tips for Keeping Ostomy Wafer Dry in Shower

It's great showering with no pouch on.

Every other day I have a bath with the water below the pouch because I like to soak my arthritic knees a bit. I tie a thin plastic hospital apron, which I cut down around my waist, to keep the pouch fairly dry. And I do shower off. After the bath/shower and removing the apron, I do like other people: pat dry, hair dryer, and wrap a large size tissue under and over the pouch, which is held on by my underwear while the tissue takes care of the damp left on the pouch.

Every other day I have a bath with the water below the pouch because I like to soak my arthritic knees a bit. I tie a thin plastic hospital apron, which I cut down around my waist, to keep the pouch fairly dry. And I do shower off. After the bath/shower and removing the apron, I do like other people: pat dry, hair dryer, and wrap a large size tissue under and over the pouch, which is held on by my underwear while the tissue takes care of the damp left on the pouch.

Hi and Happy Memorial Day!

I had my first operation last December, ending up with an Ileostomy, and this past April, the completion Proctectomy. I've had 5 months to get used to it, and it does take time. You are new to this new normal for you, and give yourself permission to be new and not know everything yet. You'll get it soon enough and feel so much better not being sick and having some freedom again. Acceptance is key, and if you remember that this is better than being homebound or hospital-bound, it helps the anxiousness of being new.

Some brands/adhesives are better than others, but most do very well in the water (any water, lakes, oceans, etc.). Like everyone else is mentioning, they dry well with a pat down.

You can do it! Take the time you need to adjust and learn, we all understand it's a huge adjustment! Just imagine that first shower - it'll feel so wonderful!

Hang in there and thinking positive thoughts for you!

Colene

Take the pouch off, shower, run around the house and see what happens.

I shower with and without my pouch, never have a problem either way.

I used to use a plastic grocery bag wrapped around it when it was new, until I figured out that it's just no big deal. Like a lot of people on here have said! I will say that usually my hot shower tends to make my colon (what's left of it) active for some reason, so I end up having to change the bag right after I shower quite often. I do use an AquaSeal over the appliance and under the bag, which keeps the faceplate dry (I don't do it for the shower, but all the time anyway to keep the edges of the faceplate from rolling up).

As always, great advice from all. Time, patience, you'll be a pro at it.

Hi, like Axl, I don't really do anything. I let the bag get wet. I do tape the sticky part of the bag down with Tegaderm (super thin film tape which comes in rolls of 2", 4", 6", I use the 4") which does just what Axl says his solution does, keeps the edges from peeling up a little. I also leave the tape on until I change the whole appliance. Nice thing is it also can prevent a blowout by giving you more space for leaks. Oh, and it gets easier, just try products that look good, keep what works! I'm 6 months in now and finally finding my stride! Good luck.

I haven't seen it yet, but I can't gain weight and all together from the beginning of my surgery 18 months ago, I've lost about 35-40 lbs and am down to 117 lbs and seems to get worse. What should I do? Thank you. All the messages that I've seen are amazing!

Six years in with an ileostomy and I shower with the pouch on or off, depending if it's bag day.
If the pouch is waterproof on the inside, it must be on the outside as well.

I use Press and Seal. I burp all the air out of my bag, put Press 'n Seal above my bag, fold the bag in half, press on the sides and below the bag. I still shower pretty quickly, and I try to keep water from running constantly on my bag, but for me, it works great. I was only showering on change day until I learned about this, and now I shower every night, and I'm so happy!! Not everything works for everyone the same way, this works beautifully for me.

I use Coloplast products, opaque bags, and just like a waterproof tent, water rolls off. I towel dry everything, including the bag. It's dry by the time you redress, and if not, a short blast of warm air from a hair dryer does the trick.... Shower on, friend. I do it every day.

Evening smoke simply covers your filter if the bag has one and jump in....water normally doesn't affect wafer or bag....dry it with a hairdryer after or let it air dry....I wear mine for 7 days and shower every day!!!!

Let there be water.....

Tracy