Playing Contact Sports with a Stoma: Any Tips?

Hi there.

Future ostomate here, I will be having surgery in about a month.

I'm pretty active with sports and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with playing contact sports (ice hockey) with a stoma and if you'd have any tips or tricks that you could pass on to me.

Thanks!

I don't play hockey, but worked construction, some heavy duty shields out there... Check this out. https://www.ostomyarmor.com/product/titanium-max-ostomy-armor/#reviews

Hi Chico.

I agree with Ostojock. Get a shield and you'll be good to go. Maybe also something like a 'Stealthbelt' (Google - Stealthbelt) for support also. After you heal from your surgery, you'll be able to do pretty much anything. You just have to protect the stoma, so yeah, a shield is the main thing. Maybe go to some stick n puck sessions to get the feel of things before jumping back into league play. Also, make sure you're healed up good first.

Hey - got my ostomy when I was 14 in the midst of my rise to mediocrity in the hockey world, needless to say played a few seasons of rep hockey with my pouch, continued to play hockey till present. My first few years I played with this weird cup protector thing that on paper served a purpose, but was really more uncomfortable than functional, I found it pancaked poop up on the inside of the pouch just based on where it sat relative to my hockey pants and jock strap. I stopped wearing it after minor hockey, when I started beer league, and have played the last 15-20 years without the protector. I've never taken a puck there, got hooked once, but it wasn't bad, your pants and the kidney/waist protector took most of it. But never had an injury, leak or accident playing. I work as a firefighter too, so I just make sure, similar to hockey, that I don't go in with a 5-day-old pouch on. On my work sets, I freshen up every 2 days to be safe, and then on my days off I don't need to change more than once. But again, if I have a game or something like that, I make sure I'm on top of everything. I'm all ears if you have any questions.

Cheers

+1 on ostomy armor. I just did 30 miles of backpacking and it protects the stoma. I work out with kettlebells ranging up to 55lbs and always wear the armor to protect from stomal injury as well as to lessen chances of parastomal hernia. You can do everything you want. I have a pic of the ostomy armor in my profile. Great product.

Any problems with your pouch draining, my output can be thick, pancaking at times

Be sure to take your time and heal completely, then build the abdominal muscles back up before you start any contact sports.

Amen to that, took me a year to work my way up to doing push-ups...

Have no fear. I have an ileostomy (going on nine years) and I'm a distance cyclist (I've completed countless century rides), a snowboarder, competitive standup paddleboarder, motorcyclist (sport bikes and track riding), plus I fly aircraft. No issues, other than having to manage hydration and dealing with emptying the pouch, but after a while it's just part of life.

I went into the surgery in good shape (although beat up with severe ulcerative colitis), so I was back on the bicycle doing short rides three weeks post-surgery and have been full throttle ever since.

I don't know how you guys do it. I was never a competitive jock but I've been a really fanatic fitness nut ever since my surgery in '94. Was a maniac cyclist for a while and would occasionally have spontaneous races uphill with college kids- and beat them- but I've had so many accidents and close calls in traffic that I've stayed off the bike for the past few years. Someday maybe I'll get my nerve back up to get back on the road, but for now it's mostly fast uphill walking and pedaling an elliptical machine for 80 minutes nonstop when the weather is inclement. I push myself hard, till I'm drenched in sweat and my heart's pounding like a jackhammer. As a result, that heart is in excellent shape for a 65-year-old guy. I've been told that by every MD who listens to it. And I've put so much muscle on my legs from working out on that elliptical that I've had to buy new pants. But I perspire so much I can't get more than one workout out of a bag. Just got in from a sweaty, 8-mile hike and discovered that a new bag I put on last night is already history and I'll have fast all night before I can change it. Even working out on the elliptical machine totally nude (except for sneakers and socks) with the AC turned down to 64 degrees F and the ceiling fan on I sweat so damned much that the gummy flange(?) that rests against my belly simply turns into mush. I've been warned that my epilepsy meds make me vulnerable to heat stroke, and the other medication that I have to take for my enlarged prostate is the very same drug that is sometimes used to treat excessive sweating, so I'm really out of pharmaceutical options. My houseplants already hate me for what I'm doing with the air conditioning and I'm at wit's end.

Hi there,

You should be able to continue a normal, active life. People still swim with an ostomy, so I see no reason why you can't continue to play sports. There's no restrictions on what you can or can't do after an ostomy :) I want to also talk a bit about the "bags" itself. I was given the one piece. That's all my home care nurses put on me. It was all I knew. Then one day I was in a forum, when someone mentioned the two piece. With the one pieces, you have to drain them, which can be messy, and not to mention, stinky. I switched to a two piece, and never looked back. The advantages are that they are disposable, no draining needed. With a one piece, when it fills with gas, there's no way to get the gas out unless you unwind the bottom of it. With a two piece, you simply lift where it is connected to, and the gas releases, then you snap it back in place. Done. And one last "plus", is that the ones I use are like a "mesh" material, and you can't see through it! :) So you don't see the "output" :) So you might want to consider the two piece. So much better! :)

Best of luck with your surgery, and your sports playing! You will be just fine!

Maybe try the Convatec ActiveLife one-piece appliance?

Hi John,

I don't understand why you are going through so many appliances. I take a shower with mine on, and I have no issues with it coming off, slipping, etc. People swim in them, and have no issues. You probably do the following already, but I'll suggest these steps that may help "just in case".

Use the adhesive remover wipes. These will remove any adhesive left behind, which will keep the surface smooth when applying the next appliance.
Use the sting-free alcohol wipes to clean the area after using the adhesive wipes, which will provide a better hold.
There are some strips you can put around the stoma where it attaches, that will give some extra support and better hold.
Do you use one piece or two piece? If you use the one piece, as I mentioned in my other post, I switched to the two piece for many, many reasons, and will never go back to a one piece.
I don't know where you buy your supplies at, but I buy mine through Edgepark. I recommend getting these for extra holding power. I'm attaching a screenshot of them. There are different types, so you may want to look for "skin barriers" to find one that you think might work. But again, consider the 2 piece appliance.

I love to dance and workout, and sometimes when I am dancing hard and forget my ostomy, I will notice it starts leaking. How can I prevent this from happening? It is very discouraging.

The only time mine leaked was right after I got home from the hospital, and I had home care nurses come in. They changed my appliance, etc., but once or twice, they didn't snap it on quite right, and a leak happened. So make sure your appliance is on TIGHT and is sealed. I'm going to copy and paste what I posted to John who also sweats a lot, and is having accidents.

Use the adhesive remover wipes. These will remove any adhesive left behind, which will keep the surface smooth when applying the next appliance.
Use the sting-free alcohol wipes to clean the area after using the adhesive wipes, which will provide a better hold.
There are some strips you can put around the stoma where it attaches, that will give some extra support and better hold.
Do you use one piece or two piece? If you use the one piece, as I mentioned in my other post, I switched to the two piece for many, many reasons, and will never go back to a one piece.
I don't know where you buy your supplies at, but I buy mine through Edgepark. I recommend getting these for extra holding power. I'm attaching a screenshot of them. There are different types, so you may want to look for "skin barriers" to find one that you think might work. But again, consider the 2 piece appliance.

I don't quite know how this forum works yet, so I don't know if you saw any of my comments. I also suggested trying the two-piece appliance. For me, once I tried, I never looked back! With a two-piece, there's no draining. You can't see your input, etc. Just toss them in the bags they come with, tie the bag in a tight knot, and toss in the trash. Put a new one, and you're done. After about 4-5 days, you change the piece that the bag snaps to. There are wipes you can order to clean around the piece (around the stoma area). For me, when it comes to appliances, you can't go wrong with these. :) Worth a try!