Do People Notice Your Stoma?

I am seriously wondering. Anyone else have problems with people noticing their stoma in public? For me, it has happened quite a few times this summer and I am just completely sick of it. It started when I got a colostomy a few months ago, and have since been trying to adjust to life with a stoma and ostomy pouch. Some days are not bad, but there are other days in which I feel that people are constantly staring at me and at my ostomy pouch. I was told that it is pretty easy to hide an ostomy pouch underneath clothing, and I feel that this is true for the most part. However, now that it is summer time, I want to be wearing more of my summer outfits and clothes and I feel like that makes it harder to be discreet about my ostomy pouch. 

Since the summer has begun, I have started really wearing anything I want. My philosophy is that if people have a problem with my ostomy pouch then that is their deal not mine. Well, I used to feel that way. Lately I have been feeling a lot more insecure about it. I have always enjoyed going to the beach with my family and friends ever since I was younger, and boy has it been a struggle to do that ever since getting my ostomy pouch put in. It can be really frustrating to have to worry about everyone wondering what the heck I have attached to my body, let alone worrying about all the sand and other junk that can make changing my pouch a lot more problematic on the fly. Does anyone have suggestions about going to the beach with an ostomy pouch on? I feel like I am the only person I know who struggles with this problem, because I do not really have anyone in my life who also has a stoma. 

Another thing I noticed is that there are certain days where my ostomy pouch will fit closer to my body than others. Maybe it has to do with how I’m wrapping up my pouch, but I am really not sure. I’ve searched the internet far and wide to find some ostomy products that offer more discretion in social situations, but almost all of them involve putting on more layers of clothing to actually be effective. What’s the deal with that? I am not going to be wearing several layers of clothing in the summer, especially when it is 90 degrees outside. I feel like some ostomy supply companies are just so out of touch with their actual customers. 

I think for me personally, I am just going to start wearing my ostomy pouch however I please. So people might stare at the beach, so what? Like I said earlier, if they have a problem with my ostomy pouch, they can go ahead and look the other way. They won’t ever know the experiences and problems associated with having a stoma like me until they’ve actually had an ostomy. Let me know if anyone out there is struggling with the same issues as me this summer regarding your ostomy pouches. I would really appreciate some tips and tricks from your end if you have anything of value to share with me.

Can You Still Enjoy The Outdoors With a Stoma?

One of my biggest hobbies is enjoying the outdoors. I’m no stranger to extreme sports, hiking, camping, rock climbing - you name it. I absolutely love the outdoors and it has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up in rural west Michigan has given me plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the great wonder of nature. Long summers spent with my grandparents in northwest Michigan will always be great memories in my heart and have fueled years of excitement well into my adulthood about getting out to the woods or the beach. A few months ago I underwent surgery due to some unfortunate circumstances that left me with a whole new development in my life. That’s right; I’m talking about a colostomy. Not a lot of people understand what a colostomy is, and that’s okay - it’s not something that I hope very many people have to experience in their lifetime. My ostomy left me with a whole in my lower abdomen called a stoma, in which the waste in my body will basically filter into a pouch that’s connected to the outside of my stoma.

Now there are a lot of changes that happened in my life after getting a stoma. I had to take a couple months off work to get through the whole ordeal of surgery and recovering from the ostomy, and I can tell you right up front that it was not at all a pleasant experience. To make things worse, I was super afraid that my stoma will affect my love for going outdoors. Not only does a stoma limit you because you need to have ostomy supplies and gear on hand in the event of an emergency, but you also need to be wary of any movements that could cause complications for your stoma. I talked with the doctors a lot about what I would be allowed and not allowed to do as far as exercise; I told them with tears in my eyes that I absolutely love exploring the outdoors and that I need it to continue to be a big part of my life.

Fortunately, I felt a lot better about my situation after talking with the doctors. They explained that I would need to rest for a while after my stoma was put in and that it is not great to go running around outdoors after an ostomy. But after the recovery process, I was free to return to my normal activities for the most part! There are still a few things that I don’t feel completely comfortable with doing with my stoma, like swimming, but for the most part I am able to completely continue my hobbies outdoors. 

This summer, I have been super into kayaking and canoeing. It’s always a good time to stroll lazily down a river or lake and stand as a witness to the beauty of nature. I also have spent a lot of time cycling; I even found stoma pouches online that are more form fitting and allow for more comfortability during sports or athletics. This has been a game-changer for me when I’m going on hikes or runs outdoors. Overall, I want you to know that your ostomy won’t ruin your life; in fact, your life will continue to basically be how it was before your ostomy in a lot of ways. Don’t be discouraged, you will get through this!

Best Exercises to do With After an Ostomy

Working out is a huge hobby and passion of mine. I got into weight lifting in college, and have long since made it a part of my daily routine. I usually break up my lifting into a 5 day week, hitting different parts of the body on different days of the week. This is something helpful to do if you plan on working out a lot, and that way you can get a more total body workout over the course of a week. The hardest part of working out is always starting - getting to the gym, and actually putting in the work! It’s hard to get there, but once you’re done you will almost certainly be glad you went. For me, leg day is always the hardest. It is the least fun and oftentimes involves a decent amount of cardio alongside the strain on your calves, quads, and hamstrings. 

Ever since undergoing surgery to get a stoma put in my lower intestines, working out has changed a lot for me. For a long couple of months, I was only able to do even the most minimal workouts to avoid any further complications with my stoma and to prevent hernias from forming. It can be hard for a lot of people to get back into their regular lives after undergoing an ostomy, especially when it continues to affect your physical health and wellbeing. It’s weird, it truly made me feel like a different person for the first couple of weeks. After the first month or so of recovering slowly at home, I started to look for ways to exercise more often and continue my workout regimen in different ways; more specifically, how to adjust my normal routines to cater to what I was physically capable of doing with an ostomy bag and all that.

The good news is that it is still possible to lift weights after an ostomy. I spent lots of time having different conversations with my doctor to make sure I was confident on what things I was and was not allowed to do. I wanted to continue lifting, but did not want to risk further injury to myself and my intestines. I had to get my doctor’s approval to go back to the gym, and he advised me to take things very slowly; in short, I would not be able to do the same amount I used to, and would have to slowly add more weight and intensity with my workouts as I worked up to that level. The practitioners also mentioned to me that core exercises are very important, as people with ostomies tend to have weakened core muscles.

I spent a lot more time running, walking, and even swimming than I used to. Even though I can’t lift weights as much anymore, I still enjoy working out, and have found a new love for cardio workouts. Running and walking is nice because it is something I can do with my friends and family and it can even help me get in touch with nature and the outdoors. If you got an ostomy recently and you’re reading this, I hope you feel that things will get better and that you can return to living your life with relatively normalcy after you recover from surgery. I hope things go well for you, and I encourage you to start your own exercise journey!