Hi all,
I am new to this discussion group. I am a little over a year with an ileostomy now—very happy to be here and asking this question!
Has anyone tried swimming in an indoor heated pool? Would you recommend it or stay away? Also, if you do recommend it, what precautions should I take to make sure there is no leakage? I appreciate any advice you have.
Thank you,
Susan
Hi and welcome. Swimming in a heated pool sounds very comforting. Go jump in!
Are you familiar with belts? Wraps? Strap extenders?
Some even wear tightly clad bathing suits.
All kinds of swimwear for us are located on various sites. Ostomy Secrets seems reputable. Sit tight as other swimmers will advise.
Go have a splash.
This is a remarkable community of 40,828 members.
You will get real advice from fellow ostomates who truly understand you - things you won't find in the books.
And it's not all about ostomy - there is friendship and relationships too.
Privacy is very important - your profile is not visible to the outside world.
iMacG5
When I found this web site, I didn't think its name had anything to do with actually meeting an ostomate but I later learned there were some folks who did meet and develop relationships. How good is that? That wasn't my intention. I definitely didn't want anyone to meet me. I felt broken and wasn't prepared to express those feelings. I thought it was a place where ostomates wrote about themselves, posed questions, shared thoughts, told jokes and, sometimes, just vented. I thought of it as a community of folks with similar interests and various degrees of experience. Mostly I found some of the most caring, selfless, wise and understanding people I ever imagined. I was so impressed with some of the writings; not because of their literary value but the way in which they addressed such a very complex environment. I read hundreds of exchanges and admired the way folks cared for each other. I became hopeful with my own situation and looked forward to the next day's offerings. Certainly some contributors stood out with their experience or particular skills in addressing some things but it seemed like a total effort with synergistic results. I felt blessed to have found this site. I still do.
Mike
Hi Susan, I have an ileostomy too, and I swim weekly at my local community centre pool. No issues at all, so don't worry. I also spend long periods in the steam room or sauna, where the heat is intense. It has never reduced my wear time at all. Enjoy your swim!
Terry
p.s. I know some ostomates have added flange extenders when swimming. I have not done this, but if it makes you feel more secure, go for it!
I love swimming at the Y in the heated therapy pool. I haven't had a problem. I wear a wrap and I am good to go.
If it's tight on land, it should be good in the pool. I like flange extenders.
Hi again, Just another thing to add, on the topic of swimwear, although you didn't ask, if you are concerned about what kind of suit to wear to conceal your ostomy. There are some options, i.e., two-piece sets, where the top is very blousy, or what I did. I already had a really good polyester (material that is chlorine resistant) swimsuit from before my ostomy and it was almost new, so I didn't want to throw it out. I found a really good seamstress and bought a piece of similar material, same color, and had her sew it onto the front in a kind of flourish, that looks like it was made that way in the first place, just a cosmetic addition to the suit, but what it really does is hide my little mound. Works perfectly.
Terry
Or... she can go swimming wearing only... a smile! 😁 The few, the proud, the stomarines! ⚡️👍
Thank you for your answer. The heated pool—I wasn't sure if it would affect the adhesive on my skin. Great to know you can even go into a sauna since my gym has both a heated pool and a sauna. I will totally be trying it out. Thank you again.
Way too funny ~ but proud & happy to be here asking these new life questions :))
I will look into a wrap... do you have any you like better than others?
Yaaa, thanks...
Someone very wise from this site wrote that knowledge is power...and laughter (humor) is medicine. I dig that.
Unfortunately, not only do some of us osties lose a few organs, they also lose their sense of humor. 😊
I totally agree with the above statements. Swimming is no problem; even a whirlpool spa has had no impact for me - my pouch holds up fine. Ostomy Secrets is great. Also, you can experiment on what clothing works for you. Until you get comfortable, layering might make you more comfortable, like a wrap plus a swimsuit, or even adding board shorts (high waisted) over everything. The only caution is to make sure to check every so often to see if you need to empty or if you need to burp because of air in the pouch. The water pressure can make air in the pouch "pooch out", making it more visible. It's not a big deal, but make sure you check it to keep ahead of it.