Trying to Find the Right Pouching System and Hernia Belt for Comfort and Gym Use

Following up on my original post, it's been a long time. I guess I did have an ileostomy in September, and I am still looking for the right pouching system and trying to get comfortable with the hernia that I have, along with going back to the gym and working out.

I am presently using a Coloplast pouching system, two-piece. The SenSura Bio Convex Flip. This works better than the original Hollister that I had, which wasn't or did not conform to the hernia around my stoma, which is the size of a grapefruit.

The thing I don't like about it is it has tabs on the outside of it, and I have tried a few hernia belts that are not comfortable with those tabs at the same time. I seem to have a lot; this pouch blows like a balloon, doesn't work, and I cannot burp every time. I've tried the whole damn thing off. I have to put it together when I'm putting a new one, trying to do that is impossible with the way my hernia bulges out. That's one thing I did like about the Hollister is I could burp it very easily.

So basically, I'm looking for help and suggestions to get my hernia belt, and I've heard about that stealth one that closes everything. I want to get set up so it's comfortable and I can go to the gym without having problems. I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if it doesn't, and I will try to correct anything.

Personally, I wouldn't rely on a Stealth Belt for hernia control and weight training. I'd rely more on something like a Movibrace belt.

I would contact an experienced ostomy nurse for suggestions.

Thanks, Alex. I'll look into that. I looked at it already, but the problem I have is with my pouching system. It has the tabs on it, and I was tabs at the hole in the belt is not right. Those tabs seem to bother me in or out. I need to find one with the right size hole. In my opinion, I haven't researched it that much, but that's why I'm here asking for anybody that has any help as far as the pouching options, what other people are using.

The thing with a Movibrace style belt is it goes around your wafer but not around the bag itself. You could also look into the NU-Hope ones as they are narrower and have an actual ring that goes around the back of your bag/wafer. Maybe it's just me, but I can't get my Stealth Belt tight enough around the waist to where I'd feel good about it protecting against a hernia. It hides the bag awesome, but for me, I'd question the effectiveness of hernia protection with one.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Sorry about your issue. I found the liner in the Coloplast pouches was too thin, leading to pancaking and then an infection. Have you tried to call Hollister to see what other products may help you? They have a good variety of products for very active people. They are also happy to send out free samples! ☺️

G-Day Spdjnky,  If you already have a Hernia why the hell are you going to a Gym, that's probably where you got it in the first place. Regards IGGIE

I have a hernia too. I use a Nu-Hope belt with a prolapse strap. Nu-Hope has 3 and 4-inch wide belts, perfect for a little dude like me. They are comfortable enough to wear all day. There is no hard evidence that wearing a support belt will prevent a peristomal hernia. But it won't hurt to wear one anyway.

I had a hernia prior to my surgery which was repaired during my total colectomy. My nurse recommended that I use a belt. I am small in size and have problems with severe fluid gushing. I wear a belt 24/7 and over time I don't even feel it in place anymore. While the belts do not prevent hernias, they may help prevent damaging your stoma after sudden outbursts. I highly recommend them.

Agreed! I am allowed to do only very low-impact exercises in order to prevent a hernia. A high proportion of hernias cannot be repaired, so use caution with higher-impact exercising.

Nu-Hope is probably your best option. If you download the catalog, you will see they can customize the belt for the flange opening, width of the belt, and length of the belt.

https://nu-hope.com/

For added support, you can also wear an ostomy support vest from Comfizz.

https://comfizz.com/collections/tops/mens