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.