Seeking Solutions for Ostomy Bed and Mattress Dilemma

Ah... got your attention, didn't I? Well, sure... we're all wondering why someone hasn't made a bed... or at least a mattress... for ostomates. My solution of cutting a hole in your foam mattress isn't very practical... well, the mattress is easy enough, but the sheets are a bit of a pain in the butt to make. So I'm surprised no smart entrepreneur hasn't invented such a thing. I did find an interesting 'ostomy pillow' online, which I'll post a link to below... but it's way overpriced and can be made for a tenth of the cost, not to mention the shipping. I've tried something like this and it wasn't very comfortable, and then in the middle of the night your brain tells you so and you move off it. But the idea is right... sort of. But there's not being an ostomy mattress available to us is really bugging me. Especially at the rate they're making new ostomates these days! I'll sleep on it and let you know what I come up with. But if you have any good ideas... please share. And here's that link

https://ostomybagholder.com/products/ostomy-support-body-pillow?gclid=CjwKCAjw-7OlBhB8EiwAnoOEk4-C1p7o0d0NoQsHin-jWrnMSDE85mfywTGWUY2Ubxi3HsVYI1FtUxoCBHkQAvD_BwE

;O)

That ostomy support body pillow looks a lot like a Boppy body pillow... not to be confused with a Boppy nursing pillow. I bought one last summer. I used mine more like a nest to keep me from rolling all over. I did use it for stomach sleeping after the first 6 weeks post-op, but I had to recruit another regular pillow.

Yeah, you got my attention for sure! The pillow doesn't look too comfy. It'll be interesting what people come up with. I just use pillow wedges to help with ballooning at night, but then you're on your back all night.

Think the velour would get too warm?

Yeah... it does look like half the solution. They do make beds that are made of sections of foam, like a jigsaw puzzle. You can remove sections of the bed or replace sections with different density pieces to make parts of the bed softer or harder... or you could leave out a piece where your ostomy bag would be. But it's a very expensive bed.

Expensive, and if you don't lay still... I don't know how that would bode well.

Hello Bob.
I’ll try to reduce this reply to a minimum.
In days gone by I used to have trouble with pillows, mattresses, and beds in general.

Experience led me to believe that the problems were not with the beds but with my restless movements during the night.
Your post puts me in mind of an incident/accident I had many years ago when I dislodged a few ribs back & front which caused tremendous pain whilst lying down(in any position).  

The (simple) resolution to this problem was to sleep in a riser-recliner chair, which (comfortably) restrained me so that I could not roll from side to side or sleep on my front. 
After a while, I realised that this was the most comfortable position, even though it restricted my restlessness during the night.   Since then, I have found a ‘proper’ bed that raises both the head and the legs into much the same position as the chair did and discourages me from rolling about whilst asleep.

This bed allows gravity to work on any nighttime stoma output and has the added advantages of preventing reflux (due to a hiatus hernia); Plus,  my CPAP nasal pillows no longer get dislodged due to rolling from side to side.

For a pillow, I use one of those travel neck pillows which are filled with polystyrene foam.  However it has been modified by putting in the washing machine and ‘aging’ it until the poly-balls are smaller and there is enough ‘slack’ in the material to have less filler in the middle (where my neck fits). This is the most comfortable pillow I have found and it fits/molds precisely around my neck holding my head in the perfect position ’for me’.

It occurs to me that ‘if’ I ever needed a pillow with a hole in it for my stoma, then a modified version of my neck pillow would be what I would try first. (Incidentally, the design of your illustrated pillow is not too dissimilar to my neck pillow)

Best wishes

Bill     

Oh, everybody, it's called a waterbed. No problems rolling over, no undue pressure on the ostomy, in general, no problem. I think I only ever had an issue once since I got my ostomy in 2015, 8 years ago. It's been so much easier to deal with than a regular mattress! Got my first waterbed in the mid-80's and never looked back!

Happy summer from Minnesota!

I love the Ostomate Mattress idea! If I win the PowerBall, I'll find someone to manufacture it! Hahahahaha

Thanks for the pillow update.

Colene

As a patient in Mayo (the best) for 5 weeks, they rolled me every few hours. Two pillows under my head, two pillows between my legs, and one folded pillow wedged under my back. Three years later, I still do it, but with one pillow in each spot. Mine are not worn out hospital pillows.

Do you get your own room at Mayo? Cleveland Clinic gives you a roommate, which is super fun after colorectal surgeries. But the mattresses are so nice. They have sensors built in that move when you move, shift when you're not moving. I really did wish I could've brought that home with me.

Hi D,

I'm not understanding. Why would a waterbed not press your bag against your body when you slept on your stomach... like a regular mattress would? The bag needs room to expand, and I'm not seeing how it could do that whether there's water under it or foam. Please 'esplain.

Thanks,

Bob

I once found a bed made of individual foam blocks, like in the link below. You could remove individual blocks, which would be perfect for sleeping with a stoma bag. It was designed to reduce bed sores and each foam block could be swapped out for a block with a different density foam or removed altogether. I think something like this would be perfect for us ostomates, but we'd only need the middle section of the bed to have individual removable blocks. We just need a rich guy to get an ostomy... and I'm sure this would become a reality.

http://www.mobilehealthtimes.com/intelligent-mattress/

;O)

This might work too, but I'm not sure of the size of it. It's for post-op bubble butt surgery.

;O)

https://yesindeed.shop/products/inflatable-air-mattress-air-pump