Showering Without an Ileostomy Device: When Did You Feel Comfortable?

Mini marshmallows to the rescue.
I have no problems at all with naked showering after I found this tip that works wonders for me:
Get up in the morning and eat a cup of mini marshmallows only. Wait 30 minutes before removing your pouch and hopping into the shower.
The marshmallows somehow temporarily stop any flow from the stoma (for me about an hour) so I can get my shower over and sit for twenty minutes while my bare skin around the pouch dries completely before I put a new pouch on. I have done this successfully for six months now and I hope it works for all of you.
Cheers and best wishes from Texas.

Same with my husband. After a year, he still doesn't want to try that.

I don't shower "Naked" until I need to change my "ileostomy." I am getting 5 to 7 days wear out of a wafer and change the bags every other day unless needed sooner. I am a hardcore Coloplast believer and wearer. I've tried them all but get a lot longer wear-time without irritation from their products. I know everyone has their own opinion about changing and brands but this is what works for me and this way I am only showering naked only 1-2 x per week. I love the convenience of not having to change so often as I did with Hollister and Convatec. Plus the bags are so much cleaner and you don't have to get your hands covered in crap like you do with some of the other bags. Coloplast has a set-up for everyone, rigid wafers, soft wafers, belts, no belts, intimacy bags, security barriers to extend wafer wear time and protect against the inevitable, "Oh crap...my wafer is leaking," they have just about everything you can dream up, they have. I am just a superfan of the convenience that Coloplast has provided me with wearing these "shitty" devices.

I do the exact same thing - lay out my supplies before my naked shower and have the garbage bag and Kleenex ready to go.

I've had my ileostomy since I was a kid (1980) and it took me a while to embrace the naked shower, but I do it every time I change my bag (for years). I use the 2-piece Convatec with a clip. I tried a couple of other kinds of bags but came back to this over 30 years ago and never leak. I am quite active and change it every 3-4 days.

Best of luck!

I have a colostomy, way larger area than yours.
For the first 3 months, I am naked in the shower only when the appliance is renewed.
Then for 4 months, I shower with the flange to see how water can weaken the adhesive area inside and outside. So it is time to accept that part of things out of your skin surface. I do not like to see it often, but can't choose not to see it. Just sharing my thoughts.

It will feel wonderful and your skin will love it

I am still not able to shower naked, seeing my stoma, appliance change days are still hard.

I have a colostomy, way larger area than yours.
For the first 3 months, I am naked in the shower only when the appliance is renewed.
Then for 4 months, I shower with the flange to see how water can weaken the adhesive area inside and outside. So it is time to accept that part of things out of your skin surface. I do not like to see it often, but can't choose not to see it. Just sharing my thoughts.

4 months after my ileostomy, too nervous to shower without the bag. But 2 days ago a badly leaking bag meant I had no option but to do the naked shower. Awesome, not uncomfortable at all. Felt nice to be able to wash the skin and stoma properly. Go for it, you'll enjoy it.

Once I got the clear from my surgeon, about 6 weeks post-op, I always take a naked shower. It feels wonderful!!!

I only have experience with Hollister. I've never tried anything from Coloplast.

I just switched back to my clip bags due to the Velcro ends issue. I had stuff all over the place from defective ends. All over my bathroom floor. I had to wipe and mop that up and re-shower. I was late for work. No more roll Velcro or anything like those type ends for me ever again after that experience. Just grateful it happened at home and not in my car on the way to work.

I can relate. However, I have stuck with the Velcro closures. They work fine, as long as you keep the closures clean and avoid lubricants like baby oil. If you get baby oil on the Velcro, it will eat through the adhesive of the closure and cause it to fail. Also, if you get shit on the Velcro, do not try to clean it with toilet paper. That will leave behind little bits of the paper that will stick to the Velcro and weaken the hold. I use a damp washcloth to clean the Velcro closure if it gets dirty. As long as I am diligent about keeping it clean, the closure is fine. I normally change my appliance on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so never go more than 4 days with the same bag. If the bag gets dirty on the outside, I will change it before the time to change the entire appliance.

--Daniel

I am with you on this. Reading your comment sounds like myself :)

Hi, I use Hollister One Piece. The newer bags have a strip of Velcro on the bottom opening. You just squeeze the Velcro really tight!! to make the Velcro hooks lock in place. Sometimes it takes a very tight squeeze to lock it. I find the Velcro more reliable but I still put a little strip of tape over the end, just in case. I had the Velcro open only once, didn't confirm it was locked so my own fault. Pull the edge of the Velcro to make sure it's locked and then a little tape over it.

Magoo

Hi there Baggers, my first experience with a naked shower was rather traumatic!! I had a huge wound infection from a leaking bag in the ICU. After my incision turned black, the surgeon opened me up again...full belly incision. He poked my incision with his finger and his finger suddenly disappeared into my belly followed by a fountain of black smelly blood hitting the ceiling...Really!! I remember asking him, "Shouldn't I be dead now?" (my first surgery ever!!).

Anyway, long story short...Three days before I went home, the nurse took me into the shower and helped me debride the huge deep slit in my belly. She showed me how to clean the wound and wash out the dead tissue clinging to the walls. I was amazed at how deep it was since I weighed about 90 pounds. It was a couple of inches deep from the breastbone down to (a bit too close to!!!) my naughty bits! The nurse was a real angel and was so careful not to scare the shit out of me (LOL). Then she said to pay attention because in a couple of days I would have to do this at home...by myself!! I almost passed out!!

Anyway, I spent about 9 months waiting for it to close fully and had to shower with the thing open all that time and do the daily removal of dead tissue. Happily, it remained nice and pink and it was just a routine I had to go through every day.

I would lie on the bed in my shorts with the wound exposed to let it air out for as long as possible. My little 3-year-old nephew opened the door and walked in. He casually strolled over to the bed and just stared at the deep gash in my belly for about a minute. He wasn't scared because there was no blood, just this wide pink valley in my belly. He looked straight into my eyes and with huge wide eyes..."WOW!! Uncle E....that looks just like the Grand Canyon"!! We had watched lots of nature shows (staying with my wonderful brother and his very caring wife). I had to struggle to hold back my laughing and crying all at the same time! He was so cool about it. He grew up as expected, a kind generous dude with the coolest head I've ever encountered...never gets excited or angry...just like the little guy by my bed.

Ever since then, I shower naked every time and it feels so good to have the bag off. I leave one fingernail a little longer with smooth edges. I use my fingernail and whatever shampoo is handy to gently scrape off any sticky residue. After that, I shave all around the stoma...Very Carefully!! My brother saw the fingernail and it brought back memories of working on skyscrapers in Chicago in winter. They used to keep one fingernail long to knock the icicles out of their noses!!! Gives picking your nose a whole new meaning!

Magoo

I fully naked shower now, it's great. Feels good to have the bag and device off of my skin, even for just a few minutes. I don't go too long though, because I don't want to output with nothing on. That's not very fun. Even marshmallows don't stop it forever lol

They'll send you free samples. They're great!

Interesting. I'm still showering with the bag on. Question: Do you lather up the stoma itself, or just around it? I'm kinda afraid to mess with the stoma. I wonder about the "seal" between the stoma and skin. I'm sure it's watertight... it just makes me be real careful.

Does everyone get the stoma completely clean (all residue removed) before putting everything back on? If so, is it really necessary? No one at the hospital has talked with me about this.

Thanks

Beachboy

I am sitting here with my mouth open thinking: Oh my God. I am amazed to read your story, Magoo! I freaked out when the bottom of my incision opened up. I had a 1-inch diameter hole... not a "Grand Canyon" valley down my torso. Thank God you survived. And thanks for sharing your story.

Beachboy

Hi Beachboy, I do lather up my stoma and all the skin around it. I'm gentle with it but do try to get everything off. Sometimes there are stubborn bits, but I do my best.

Terry

I never got used to the feeling. I put large gauze over the stoma and then secure it with a tube top (cut the tube top and then can stretch it to tie it tight so everything stays in place in the shower). As far as when, I agree with the other poster that said once there are no open wounds/skin looks healed.

I lather my stoma up completely and even use a sponge thing over it lightly. Rinse well and then put Head and Shoulders all over the skin that gets covered by the sticky part. Let it sit on there for maybe 30 seconds and then rinse well again. Dry off and I let mine air out for at least 15 minutes but sometimes up to an hour before putting a new bag on.

Thanks delgrl525! I haven't really touched my stoma. I do get it clean of residue. Since it has no nerves... I'm really careful with it. I'm not sure I could get up the nerve to lather it up. I will take the wafer off and shower without it and the bag. I bought plain Ivory bar soap... The adventure continues.

Thanks delgrl525! I haven't really touched my stoma. I do get it clean of residue. Since it has no nerves... I'm really careful with it. I'm not sure I could get up the nerve to lather it up. I will take the wafer off and shower without it and the bag. I bought plain Ivory bar soap... The adventure continues.

Thanks AlexT, good info to know.

Ok...

I took off everything and showered....naked. It was nice to easily clean my stoma with a wet paper towel. Real time saver. I didn't get up the nerve to lather it up. Maybe on future shower adventure.

Hey, baby steps are fine, you're getting there!

Just remember the stoma doesn't feel pain....no nerve endings. But it can bleed if touched, even a little touch can do it. But it's totally fine. This is probably not in the DO part of taking care of your ostomy, but I remember the first time I flicked mine to see if it really couldn't feel pain. It's kind of like a new baby- they are way more sturdy than you think (have you seen nurses handling newborns??)

Thanks for your advice. I'm still getting used to this little beast.