Dressing Comfortably with a Colostomy and Urostomy

I have been uncomfortable wearing slacks - forget about my favorite jeans - since my colostomy was installed. I now pretty much wear dresses all the time. My urostomy is below my waistline and my colostomy is above it. If I wear slacks, the output from the colostomy gets all squished and flat and horrid and difficult to clean. Other than wearing pants up around my armpits, does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Don’t put the colostomy bag under your pants, leave it out and use a wrap or belt to hide it. 

Well... I'm thinking firstly as an ileo, which might be wrong here since you have a colostomy... but they—the appliance—should be the same.

How are you wearing each bag?

Are you familiar with horizontal vs vertical bags? Maybe one could solve your issues.

No armpits were used in this comment. 😄

Forgive me for being dumb as a box of rocks, but wouldn't a belt or wrap still cause the squishies?

I have a colostomy.  Wear jeans and regular pants all the time. Even use belts.  I don't tuck the bag in.  Just let it hang free.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Hmm, I'll have to research horizontal, which sounds weird. I wear both appliances vertically. How does one keep ones bags from flopping all over the place if they are vertical? 

If I really wore my pants all the way up to my armpits my eyes would pop out.

Hmm, I'll have to research horizontal, which sounds weird. I wear both appliances vertically. How does one keep ones bags from flopping all over the place if they are vertical? 

If I really wore my pants all the way up to my armpits my eyes would pop out.

Flapping in the wind? You are very brave.

You sure? My nose is twitching. Me thinks you're trying the old armpit hat trick.

Would pay good money to see you in that way... 🤣😂 just kidding.

You asked about keeping the bag from flopping around vertically?

I don't know how they do that, or even why wear it that way? It hangs. It will put unwanted pressure on your appliance. People love it that way. I don't. Banging around like that... nope. So I go horizontal when upright. Vertical when lying down. If horizontal while sleeping, it's too easy to roll over and pop the bag. No thanks. Lesson learned the hard way. Been doing this for 8 years.

You don’t have to have a super tight wrap or belt, just something to hold it against your body so it doesn’t “flap in the wind”.  Some use maternity wraps. 

Good point!

Hello BethE.
Sorry to hear of your problems, which are not unusual with stomas. We each have our own ways to deal with these things and what works for one will often be inappropriate for someone else. 
My way of dealing with the squidgy, sticky output problem is firstly to irrigate. If this method works it can be a complete gamechanger (for the better) and I would recommend anyone with a colostomy to look into it.
The second thing I do is to analyse what I feel is amiss and then try to make my own devices to resolve the issues.
I envisaged that my problem stemmed from the fact that the bags/sleeves tend to rest on the stoma outlet and inevitably prevent the output from moving freely down into the bag/sleeve. This simple, mechanical problem could be solved by making a baseplate that has a device to hold the bag away from the stoma outlet (some people find that oils in the bag resolve this problem for them). 
I have made several devices to achieve his end and most of them have worked very well (some can be seen as photos on my profile). The upside being that the problem (as stated) is resolved and I also get a very effective stoma support and guard. The downside is that they tend to stick out a bit and sometimes need disguising ( I use my own belt design to achieve that!).
At present I am trialling a (similar) new device, which is much smaller than previous ones. For the past 2 weeks it has been very effective and much less noticeable in its protrusion.
I don't like to hail things as a 'success' until I have used them successfully for at least 6 months, but I am hopeful that this one will be the best (for me) so far. 
As for clothes, I find that a 'onesie' (Zipped) boiler suit works best for everyday wear, as it allows for instant and easy access to the stoma, it doesn't need a belt on the outside and it is easy to wash regularly. I have in mind to make a 'dress suit' with a waist coat that can be fixed to the trousers, which would essentially be a posh boiler suit. However, the motivation for this endeavour has been much less that other priorities, as I am quite happy attending any events in my boiler suits. It is my wife who likes me to look what she thinks is 'normal' when we go out together. For night time, I found a 'onesie' with a Zip front (from Temu), which acts just like a boiler suit, only they are more comfortable and much warmer.
I realise that not everyone is a fan of DIY and many people don't have access to someone else who would make these things for them. It is for this reason that I am hoping that one day everybody will have access to AI and 3D printing so that they can make things to fit their own particular circumstances.
They have such facilities for things like hearing aids and many other prosthetics, so I cannot think of any good reasons why devices should not be made for ostomates.
I hope you manage to resolve your issues soon.
Best wishes

Bill  

I have an ileostomy, but I wear pants and just keep the bag outside my pants and wear long shirts that cover the bag. If you like tunics, you can wear those over your bag, and it should cover your bag up so others can't see, and just wear your bag outside your pants. Also, a long t-shirt will do the same thing.

Ahhhh! It takes me a while, but I finally get it. Thank you.

Thank you Bill. You are quite innovative!

Thank you Bill. You are quite innovative!

You can wear it outside and cover it up with a bag cover with a belt support. For example, something along the lines of the following:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/747947224/ostomy-buddy-canada-hand-made-support?click_key=14dc4acd674f1f64aac83ee3837b3bbe75974bd2%3A747947224&click_sum=a4b7eb49&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=ostomy+fanny+pack&ref=sr_gallery-1-22&organic_search_click=1&content_source=7cf596a3385cc6ac07d2c437a6490e66f56ada5f%253A747947224

For other ideas check out:

https://www.etsy.com/market/ostomy_buddy

Good morning, Beth.

Yoga pants! They hold everything in place.

When I had my colostomy, I too wore mostly dresses...sometimes difficult to find.

Once it was changed to an ileostomy, I had to find something different and comfortable. Pants, jeans, or slacks are not the most comfortable or practical clothing for an ostomy. I also have a large hernia, which sticks out quite a bit. A hernia belt helps flatten the bulge so as not to show too much in my pants.

There are pants out there for us. Yoga pants, higher-waisted pants without a waistband. Zippers and buttons can accentuate the bulge. Try to stay away from them.

I have been doing the master of disguise for almost 20 years. I am 68 years old and 112 lbs., finding the right outfit can be a challenge.

Good luck with your adventures. We are all lucky to be here.

Cheers!

Linda from St George, Ontario, Canada

I could never wear a bag out and not hidden underneath jeans; I would be a nervous wreck that something will happen. I went from wearing anything I wanted to now basically being in sweatpants every day. Right now, I can't even wear Lycra because it blocks up my stomach.