Post-Surgery Bloating, Pain, and Showering Tips

Replies
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201
pianowooster
Feb 01, 2025 1:32 am

Hi All,

Thank you for the wonderful welcome!

Couple of questions.

Did you all have a lot of bloating, and pain under the ribs like a belt after surgery for several weeks after surgery? Ileostomy here. How long did it take for the bloating to go down? 

I wasn't able to empty my bowels before surgery and haven't been able to empty my large intestines yet. My Dr wants me to wait to do an enema until after my 2 week appointment and we'll discuss. Anyone have this issue?

Last question for now.

I have a port that I have to keep covered for showering but now I have this to cover as well. Any ideas because I did not do a good job with my showering yesterday and it stressed me out. Any help or recommendations would be appreciated!

 

Thank you 😊 

Megan 

SusanT
Feb 01, 2025 2:25 am

You do not need to protect the ostomy from getting wet. Personally I shower bag on but many here will extoll the virtues of showering bag off. Either way, no need to keep it dry. 

Royal pain keeping a port dry... I know. I have both a port and a drain I need to keep dry and showering is very difficult.  

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warrior
Feb 01, 2025 2:34 am

Hi, welcome.

How would you describe your output in the example of showering without the bag attached?

Some have explosive-type stomas, others have well-behaved ones.

The issue of showering without a bag on is the poop running down your leg into the shower drain. I found a way of catching that poop with a handheld container you can use a regular belt strap to hold just under the stoma. This makes showering hands-free; however, I shower with the bag on and when done, remove everything and set up the container-belt "just in case".

You can run warm water over the area of skin and stoma and not fear anything will hurt it.

It's very liberating. And one less thing (port or hole) to worry

about...

Beachboy
Feb 01, 2025 3:39 am

Hello,

I have a colostomy.  I waited several days after coming home from the hospital to shower.  I was slightly unstable, didn't want to fall in the shower.  And wanted the surgical wound to heal a little more.  

It won't hurt the stoma if it gets wet.  Use soaps that do not have fragrance, lotions, or dyes.  These chemicals interfere with adhesion, weakening the wafer/flange seal to your skin.  I use Cetaphil soap.  Since your stoma is new... be mindful it's there.  It's easy to bump it while moving around.

I mostly shower with bag on.  Once a week when I change wafer/flange, I shower with nothing on, just the stoma sticking out.

Do you have a loop ileostomy?  Usually a loop ileo is temporary.  Allows the colon to time heal.  

Be aware... it is easy to develop a parastomal hernia.  Do not lift anything for several months.  Be careful coughing and sneezing.  If possible, place both hands on stoma area, holding it in as you cough/sneeze.  Or, wear a support belt.  After 4 months post op, I developed a small parastomal hernia.  To keep it from becoming larger, I wear a Nu-Hope support belt all the time.  Only remove it to shower.  I'm now 2 years post op, and the hernia is still small.  

It will take time to recover from surgery.  Your stoma could shrink during that time.

 

shawnywb.68
Feb 01, 2025 9:24 am

I have an ileostomy. I shower naked (no bag) on bag change day. I take a doggy poop bag into the shower and place my bag into it when I remove it. I empty my bag before entering the shower. I try to shower when my stoma isn’t active. If it spits a bit I don’t worry about it, I just rinse and soap off the spot. It’s just digestive enzymes and food, but the enzymes can burn the skin. I save my Rx bottles that are large enough to hold over my stoma. My stoma sticks out a lot from my skin. While I’m trying to put a new bag on, I hold the empty pill bottle over my stoma so he can spit in it. I don’t cover it at all in the shower, just when I exit. My counter is just the right height that I can put the bottle over it and lean against the counter to hold it on and be able to have my hands free. I do love my naked showers!

 

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Gracie Bella
Feb 01, 2025 9:43 am

Hi PW,

With many of my operations, I experienced discomfort and pain which you are describing. My doctors told me it was because of all the air they need to pump into my body so that they could see things more easily and get to things easier, and it took a few weeks for the air to expel. I was encouraged to walk a lot after my surgeries (I lost count after 33 laparotomies, and over 50 operations in total).

I shower with my bag on. On days that I am not planning to change my bag, I wear a shower cover to keep my bag dry, as my bag has a habit of coming off after it has gotten wet. But using a hair dryer on the lowest setting helps me to dry any areas that get wet.
I cannot shower with my bag off as my ileostomy works ALL the time. I tried in the beginning, but so much output going down the shower plug was just too dreadful to deal with.

All the best from New Zealand

IGGIE
Feb 01, 2025 11:39 am

You can try this little thing I put together using the belt from Hollister and part of the Hollister bag I cut out then glued a plastic cup to it. Shower with your bag off then before you get out of the shower put this on and it stops making a mess on the bathroom floor.  Regards IGGIE

 


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warrior
Feb 01, 2025 11:43 am
Reply to shawnywb.68

They are invigorating, aren't they? 👋

Justbreathe
Feb 01, 2025 11:56 am

This is helpful immediately following an all naked shower - allows for towel drying time and preparation for new product change.  jb


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warrior
Feb 01, 2025 12:01 pm
Reply to Justbreathe

Have you tried this job? By waterproof, do you mean or do they mean not allowing water in? Who cares. I'd be more concerned about poop leakage. Are you thinking the seal isn't "poop proof?" Otherwise, it does seem like a decent product if it keeps poop inside it.

Like what iggie designed. Both seem decent. His appears to have better sealing capability.

This one you suggest... hmm. It looks more comfortable than efficient. Thoughts?

Justbreathe
Feb 01, 2025 12:02 pm
Reply to IGGIE

👏👏👏Very smart, Iggie, and a money saver as well... For those of us who are entrepreneurially challenged, there's always Amazon... jb

warrior
Feb 01, 2025 12:09 pm
Reply to IGGIE

This would be ideal for those of us whose stoma mushrooms when exposed in naked showers...or

 

Even simply for a naked walk while skin heals.

You mention Hollister products.

You cut a bag, then a regular flange and a belt.

Do you have part numbers we could use to get this working? Let me know.

Both you and jb offered some good stuff for naked showering challenged people here. 👍😁

Justbreathe
Feb 01, 2025 12:11 pm
Reply to warrior

I use it every naked shower change day… I don't usually have output in the shower, but if I do, that's what the water and drain are for, right? I use this immediately after turning off the shower - I place some toilet paper over the stoma while wet… then place the “catcher” over it. This allows the use of both hands for drying myself as well as drying my shower. My stoma is not very active in the morning, but for those who have more output, there is room for a folded paper towel or any absorbent stuffing would work.
Works great for me! jb

warrior
Feb 01, 2025 12:16 pm
Reply to Justbreathe

Good to know. Tried and true. Works for you. Good suggestion. I would try it myself, or Iggy's design is simple "in case" the stoma decides to spit. I have a behaved stoma though; several naked showers, no output. Still, I want to keep it covered so the towel doesn't touch it, or when bending to dry my feet off.

Both products or ideas do seem solid though.

Going to check Amazon. Cool beans. 😁

pianowooster
Feb 01, 2025 1:12 pm

Thank you for the ideas. I have a two piece system from Convotec. I don't care if I get the bag wet when I shower because that's easy but I only change the entire system every 3 -5 days. If I get the outer part wet then I noticed it weakens the seal. How do you cover that part, or the entire thing?

warrior
Feb 01, 2025 1:28 pm
Reply to pianowooster

It's good you don't care about the bag getting wet. It should not matter because it's a material that doesn't absorb water. Just wipe it dry with a towel.

So many people worry about a wet bag.🤷‍♂️ It's silly.

To avoid weakening the outer perimeter, some people use waterproof tape. I get what you mean though. Frequent showers will weaken that seal.

When people shower, and they shower without a bag, that's their only time they change the entire appliance. So getting that outer seal wet may help them remove it. It really depends on their stoma schedule too.

Also, the usage of a handheld shower head will redirect water to where you want it. Avoid the bag area. I found this helps a lot.

The above type of shower head can't do that obviously. 🛁

 

Justbreathe
Feb 01, 2025 3:08 pm
Reply to pianowooster

Ileostomy here... I wear a Convatec 22771 (one piece). I change every other day... shower with the bag on one day, then bag off on change day. Bag-on without any cover-up dries after a while... after almost 5 years, Lord knows, nothing will keep water out. Stretch and seal wrap, Saran Wrap, nothing; however, during my early years, I think stock in those companies was definitely on the rise 😬🫣 thanks to me!!! As yet, I have found nothing that will keep the outer tape dry when showering. As a side note, in warmer weather, I swim in our pool almost daily and the wet tape dries and (knock on wood) has never separated from my skin. jb

pianowooster
Feb 01, 2025 4:08 pm
Reply to Justbreathe

Thank you, this was helpful.

How is the one-piece? I feel like this takes over half of my abdomen; I'm not a big person, so washing is a challenge. I guess it will have to be trial and error. 🙄 Dealing with a pretty top too, so I feel like I'm half covered.

AlexT
Feb 01, 2025 5:31 pm

If you’re not having any output for several days and are having pain and bloating, I wouldn’t wait 2 weeks before being seen. A true blockage can be deadly. 

pianowooster
Feb 01, 2025 11:27 pm
Reply to AlexT

I'm having output. Just so much bloating. 

warrior
Feb 01, 2025 11:49 pm
Reply to pianowooster

Bloating as in gas maybe? You are less than 2 months post-op. Your body is adjusting. Be careful what you eat and drink. Maybe for a short time, have a food diary.

Your new normal is coming. More challenges, more questions, and answers will be forthcoming. 👍 Are you walking much?

SusanT
Feb 02, 2025 1:51 am
Reply to pianowooster

It's normal for your system to be wonky right after surgery.  I know it's uncomfortable.  Maybe try a low residue diet until you see the doctor. Too much fiber may make it worse. 

IGGIE
Feb 02, 2025 9:23 am
Reply to warrior

G-Day Warrior, look at the photos and you will see it's easy to make. Just cut the flange out of the bag, which is a Hollister 18183, and find a plastic container that you can glue to the flange, then fit the Hollister belt 7300. All done and ready to go. Regards, IGGIE

 


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warrior
Feb 02, 2025 10:57 am
Reply to IGGIE

Thanks for posting the item part numbers. The pictures are excellent too. You're the man!