Folding and Tucking Tips for Hollister Bag Rat Tail?

Does anyone have a trick or tip for keeping the rat tail of the bag folded up and neat? I do fold it and tuck it in, but it does not stay that way. And depending on what I am wearing, it drives me nuts when the tail hangs down.

Thanks,
Terr

To shorten my high-output Hollister pouch, I use a rubber band which goes through a belt hole on the pouch ring and connects with a tap closer at the other end. It shortens the bag by about 3 inches without compromising storage space. PB

Easier to just let it hang and swing around, it makes a great conversation piece. I don't tuck my shirts in because it's too confining.

I am not sure what a rat tail is and I usually use Coloplast products but if I need to make the pouch shorter, or find it won't stay tucked, or if I just need it out of the way (wink wink) then I find sticky-backed Velcro to be wonderful. I apply the smooth Velcro sticky dot to the backside of the pouch and the scratchy part to the tail and then when I need it to be short I just fold it and stick it. When done doing....whatever...then I unfold and I am back to normal.

The short answer, you might try using Velcro to hold things where you want them. The local superstore will have an assortment of Velcro in the crafts department.

Hope this helps!
Dean

Doesn't really matter which brand of drainable pouch...a tail is a tail!

I found a wonderful product for keeping my pouch (and tail) contained and comfortable. It's a wrap, made of stretchy gauze, and washable for repeated use. I just fold the tail up and tuck it into the wrap...it's stretchy, so it allows expansion. I can also fold the top of the wrap down, so it doesn't show above my waistline. And it has two slots, high and low (depending on the position of your stoma) to slip the pouch through, and a bottom slot for draining. It's called "Carefix StomaSafe Classic" ostomy support garment. I buy them online at Amazon.com. They come in packs of 3, and cost about $20 to $25 USD, depending on the vendor. Again, they are washable and reusable...I haven't had to throw ANY away since I first bought them a year ago. In fact, two of my WOCNs have requested information from me about these garments to give to their patients! (Funny thing is...I first purchased these weeks before I had my surgery...just to see what they were like! Glad I did!)

I'll post some photos of the product packaging in my profile photos.

--fuzzland

I wear a medical wrap to keep me from getting hernias, and it keeps my tail close to my body. And if it's hot out or while I am riding my bicycle, the sweating is there. They don't let air in. What about trying a tube top that is cut to fit to keep your tail tucked in? It would probably breathe better. Good luck.

Thanks everyone - lots of ideas but I think that Notthatguy has the best solution for me - I can tuck the tail up into the bottom of the bag no problem - but after a while the sides of the bag get loose from folding and unfolding the drain tail that it just won't stay tucked and it drives me nuts - so a nice little Velcro dot sounds just right.

Thanks again all.
As always, hope this finds you all well and happy.
Terr

I tape the drain tail of mine up. I tape it so the curved side is next to my body. Before I do that, I put a piece of 2" tape on the ostomy bag and that is the place to where I tape the tail. A Velcro dot would work too...the sticky kind. Tess, you wrote about your abdomen and mine sounds the same. It is a mess...it's in two sections (either side of the incision) and it looks like buttocks. YUCK. I couldn't see your photo.

I use a piece of tape, a brown waterproof band-aid tape, after I fold the bottom up, I put a strip of tape over the bottom to hold it and shorten the bag. Works well for me.

I'm going to look for "Carefix StomaSafe Classic." I have a horrible hernia and at times I get the worst indigestion, which I think is from the hernia for some reason.

What's wrong with leaving your shirt untucked and just letting the bag swing freely wherever it wants to go? I work on a ship and just let the bag do what it wants, full or empty. I just have fun with it. I like the curved clips from Hollister to clip the bag - they're easy on and off, and they don't get caught on anything. After dumping, I go to the deep sink and rinse the outside of the bag off, then wash my hands and get back in the action of life.

I tape mine because it's way too long and gets caught in my crotch (sorry, but I don't know of any other word for it). My problem is a huge hernia. I have to wear a belt to hold it in.