CLOTHES & STOMAS

CLOTHES & STOMAS.


When I was young I thought it right


that all my clothes were smart and tight.


I would closely follow fashion


with both pleasure and with passion.



When my friends and I went out


we knew what fashion was about.


Despite the adults who might scoff


we had perfected showing off.



Those were the days when clothes and we


remained relaxed and stayed carefree.


So full of trust and free from strife


our aim was just to enjoy life.



I never really had it rough


my stoma came - then life got tough.


The clothes and fashion took a dive


in my struggle to survive.



Now I've no money and I've found


it's funny how things turn around.


How with the advent of a bag


now my clothes have scent and sag.



With this bad hand that I've been dealt


I find it hard to wear a belt.


All my trousers are now baggy


as my belly's become saggy.



A stoma's output come what may


must have a way to get away.


If we've a mind to wear tight things


we'll find a pancake's what it brings.



Then when we end up in a mess


we muse on better ways to dress.


More relaxing things we don


for now our fashion days are gone.





B. Withers 2013

I have bad days regarding this fact... I still want to wear jeans and slim dresses... It is good to try and expect failure... And it is also good to be creative... Thank goodness jogging pants are in style!

Hello JRP. Thanks for the post. I was persevering with jeans for a while being held up with a belt but I had to give up on that as it was too painful when I bent over - and one of my jobs requires that I do just that. I've taken to wearing builders braces which are better but the waistband of the jeans still occasionally catch the stoma area when I'm in the bending position and can be painful. When I'm at home I mostly wear boiler suits. (I think they would call them industrial 'oneses' nowadays!) These give me the most comfort as well as providing a workman-like appearance which belies the fact that I spend a lot of time just sitting and writing. Another advantage of boiler suits is that I don't really have to take them off to sort the stoma out as they button up in front from top to bottom to provide full access to the stoma. They are also designed to be easy to wash - unlike most of my 'proper' suits which need to be thrown away once they are soiled.Best wishesBill

Oh Bill, you've done it again! I do so enjoy reading your work. Not only can I relate, but I get to crack a few smiles as I remember some of those days. I wouldn't like to be in the fashion the younger generation seem to be in today with the way they wear their pants hanging below most of what they should be covering! I must admit I have no idea what boiler suits are, but I will search it and see. Thanks!

Hello Mrs A. Thanks very much for your comments as I look forward to reading them and getting the much-needed feedback. My wife and I look at the fashion you mention and both comment that they will probably be paying for it with rheumatism in old age.Boiler suits are a sort of industrial 'onesy'. They were used by engineers and 'boilermen'(both on the old steam engines and in the boiler-rooms) because they were tough and easy to get on and off, but also easy to wash as they usually had buttons or push button fasteners that did not fall apart like modern zips tend to at the first hot wash. I tend to wear them because they are comfortable and do not require a belt which, in the past has hurt the stoma. Another advantage is that it gives the impression that I 'work' for a living rather than sit around thinking and writing. Best wishes Bill

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Ah yes, paybacks are not always a good thing. As for the boiler suits, I guess they don't come in pink or purple perhaps :).

There are definitely purple ones - and every other colour you could possibly want. However, when they come in different colours and different materials they are called something other than boiler suits. When my wife was working (she retired last year) she used to have loads of cotton and synthetic fibre ones which were very lightweight and ideal for working in hot environments. She didn't throw them out and we both now use them as painting overalls. I think she used to get them from a work-wear catalogue. Best wishesBill

Has anybody tried these stoma cover belts? My ostomy bag comes about an inch below the belt line, so I have to have it outside of my trousers. I wear a 10-inch band which really works, but I'm thinking if I wear a suit

Hello blueonthetyne. I wear what they call a 'hernia-belt' from a company called CIU(international)Ltd. I tried others but these ones allow me to have them at just the right pressure for me as they fix with velcro. They are not perfect but suffice for the job I want them to do. I devised a little gadget for keeping my hernia in place and the belt keeps that in place. The combination of the two puts about two inches or so on my waistline but does so in a manner that makes it look as if it's part of me rather than a medical device. In a society where most people are obese I can live with a few inches on my waistline. I can still wear a suit as long as the trousers are kept up with braces rather than a belt. Out of habit. I persevered with a belt for quite some time but every now and then I would do something like bend over and the belt would catch the stoma and be very painful. eventually I gave up on belts and and now have a relatively trouble-free existence with braces. However, I still prefer the boiler suits unless I'm going somewhere that requires a posher suit.Best wishes Bill