Can anyone tell me if its okay to wear a girdle when you have a stoma. My hernia is getting quite big and causing discomfort :( I am having reversal surgery on August 8, 2017 but until then I was wondering if wearing a girdle will cause problems to my stoma :( When I have a girdle on the hernia feels better however I don't want to cause injury to the stoma. I've tried a belt but it doesn't offer much support. Any suggestions would be appreicated :)
Kooky Ukey
Jul 08, 2017 7:14 pm
Bill
Jul 09, 2017 8:50 am
Hello Kooky Ukey.
All these replies to people's posts should come with a warning that our opinions are not necessarily the best advice on the subject that we are commenting on and -- if in doubt, consult a professional.
However, that has never stopped us from making comments before and I don't see why it should change now. I cannot see any reason why a girdle should cause damage to a stoma any more than normal clothing. I have tried all sorts of things to help the hernia problem, including the most effective gadget so far, which was a back brace made from neoprene. Unfortunately, it makes me sweat too much so I don't wear it all the time.
None of these things have done any lasting damage to the stoma, although one or two of the gadgets I made myself did move out of position, across the stoma and onto my belly because the mucus made it all too slippery.
I would always recommend experimentation to see what works for you and if it doesn't work first time, sometimes a little tweak here and there can make things work much better.
Best wishes
Bill
MeetAnOstoMate is a remarkable community of 41,301 members.
“I found real people, real humor, and answers I couldn’t get anywhere else.”
“The support here impressed my husband’s medical team - they plan to recommend it.”
“This community saved me when I thought I was a freak. Now I’m thriving.”
“Thank god for this site - I finally knew what to ask my surgeon.”
Posted by: GoinWithTheFlow
Hubz had a regular checkup with the oncologist on Friday (his numbers are improving), and as they were asking how he's feeling since surgery, they became curious about how he's doing so well with his ostomy, both physically and mentally. He credited doing research online, trying different things, and especially the support from this group. They were asking because they see so many patients struggling to adjust.
We described this group as folks with every kind of ostomy, some for days while others for decades, but all willing to share what's worked for them with the caveat that every individual is different.
We described the most valuable element as feeling like you're not alone in this. That really piqued their interest, and they wrote down the link. It seems they had a few people in mind that might benefit from the community and thanked us for telling them about it.
You know, we can't remember exactly who we learned about this group from, but we're grateful for it every day! Thank you all! 🌻