Hello everyone! I just joined this group and am happy to be here. My ostomy journey started in March of 2022 when dx with stage 3 rectal cancer. I had an ileostomy at that time which was very challenging for the first several months! Convex wafers were the game changer for me! After 1 1/2 years of trying to have a reversal several times, I was able to have it done in Aug. of 2023. I then had an issue with LARS which was no picnic but I was doing my best until July of 2024 when I developed a rectovaginal fistula. Yup! It’s as bad as it sounds! Another surgery for permanent colostomy in August of 2024. When I had my ileostomy, I never took a tub bath which I love. Do you all take baths? How long can you stay in the water? Does your wafer lift on the edges? How warm can the water be? We also have a pool and want to start enjoying that again next summer! Any ideas and input appreciated!! Sorry for the long entry! It’s been a long 2 1/2 yrs!!! 😩
Yes, I love baths; couldn't live without one. They're so relaxing and good for relief from aches and pains at my age. I just had a nice long relaxing hot soak in the tub myself. There's no time limit, and it can be as hot as you like. I was in for around 60 minutes tonight, but I have been known to stay in for 2 hours and longer in hot tubs.
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Hi Mike and all. I am not sure how panoramic my perspective really is as my peripheral vision shrinks with each passing year. I can tell you that when I came to this website six years ago I was truly ;impressed by the positive attitudes of so many members, especially the younger folks who refused to let their ostomies define who they were or what they would become. I also came to appreciate that having an ostomy is not the same thing as having a disease. Pardon ;my pun now, but ostomies and cancer don't belong in the same bag. One is a solution, the other is a problem. Celebrating National Ostomy Day ;is also well outside my comfort zone. That's like celebrating National Wheel Chair Day. Come on!
I think there is a ;need for improved ;public awareness of ostomies, but I am not sure how that's best done. There ;remains ;some social stigma attached to our situation, and it's acutely felt among our young. We need to get out of the dark ages on this issue, but not by going 'in your face' to everyone else. I think Bill and NDY are 'spot-on' when it comes to telegraphing the right message to friends and family. People will know how to react when they ;see ;how we accept the cards we were dealt. I also appreciate the contribution some people here are making to this effort through their publications.
On a personal note, my son has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for years just like I did. I am very concerned because people with UC are at a higher risk for colon cancer. Years ago my GI told me to get annual colonoscopies to be on the safe side. I am glad I did because he eventually found pre-cancerous cells which led to several surgeries and my becoming an ostomate. Since then I have always ;conveyed a positive attitude to ;my son about wearing a bag because it has kept me alive to enjoy many more years with my loved ones. I think he got the message. We both go to the same gastroenterologist in NYC and get scoped on the same day. Father and Son moments!
Someone once wrote that our children are the letters we write to the future.
PB
You will be able to enjoy your baths and hot tub. Welcome to the site.
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How long does everything stay in if you're in a pool, and do you cover it with something before you get in? I guess a two-piece bag would work better for a pool.
Get in the damn water already and enjoy, taking a bubbly bath isn't going to hurt anything.
Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister
I wear a one-piece and exercise in our pool for around an hour or so… When I say exercise, I actually play music and dance… so I keep moving… I have never had any issues (pool heated to 90 degrees) and I wear a one-piece bathing suit which is a snug fit, so the pouch is held tight to my body. jb
Hello Sly.
Welcome and thanks for your post.
Like most people who have already replied, I take a hot bath every morning without anything to cover my stoma.
However, this is largely because I irrigate in the evenings and therefore have no worries about output during the day.
For anyone with a colostomy, I will always recommend exploring the possibility of irrigation as a management technique because (for those who can) it is a game changer for the better.
There are plenty of videos on Youtube graphically explaining irrigation of stomas
and a prerequisite should be to discuss it with your stoma nurse, in case there are contra-indications.
Best wishes
Bill
Get some flange extenders for your confidence and jump right in, I've been in spa and bath no problems, just do it, you won't look back.
Hi Sly, welcome to the site. I just tape around the edges of my base plate and shower, swim, and used to use the hot tubs when my daughter played hockey and we would go on road trips for tournaments. Pretty much the whole team and parents would take over the pool and hot tub area with pizzas delivered and cold beer for adults and Gatorade for the kids.
Hi Sly,
I have not had any issues with swimming in my pool, going in my hot tub or sauna, and while on vacation I love the ocean. I do hope you give it a try and start enjoying yourself again.
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We lived in the Keys for 17 years…(Key Largo) just off Rattlesnake Key…good news - no ostomy then - I never got into the water that much, just spent hours kayaking…then a brief dip at the beach. In my “today world,” I believe, ostomy and all, I'd jump in that ocean…at least once to see if it was doable!!! Loved the Keys! jb
I often bath naked with bubbles or salts. I keep a dipper handy in case of any output. I shower after to remove any oils or stuff.
Hello Sly, yes, I too developed a rectovaginal fistula after reversal. I came out of surgery with another stoma and was told I'd never be able to have another reversal. I'm now waiting for an appointment again as I believe the fistula has come back 🫣. Sometimes I wish I'd just had the parastomal hernia repaired and not gone for the reversal. Sometimes I go in the bath without the bag, with toilet roll on hand; the heat of the bath usually makes the glue on the bag's plate stronger, so I stay in longer 😀
Hi, I was okay after all my wounds had healed. I went on a cruise and into the hot tub. Everything was fine for me.