Above or Below the Belt

I saw a utube video last night that showed an ostomate with the stoma and pouch above the belt line. I just wondered if most are that way or if most, are like me with the stoma below the belt line. I made sure when they marked me before surgery that it was well below my comfortable belt line. I had had a temp a few years earlier and I knew I wanted it lower for my perminent.

Mine is below too, although when I was originally marked before surgery it was in line with my belt line too and then I was transferred to a private hospital as I had private cover and the stoma nurse there took one look at where the other nurse marked it and said 'no way' that will not work being that high up and I knew nothing about stoma's at that time so I am forever grateful I was transferred to that hospital and the spot was moved, even my surgeon said it was the perfect spot for it to go. I am really loving my stoma, never thought I would be this happy but its so wonderful to have quality of life again

Mine is above my belt line, which causes trouble.  After step 1 while I was home, my bag lasted me 4 days.  But now that I am back at work and wearing work clothes, my bag lasts maybe 2 days.  It's because of where my stoma is and my belt line cuts off flow and the poo builds up and stays around the stoma instead of falling down in the bag.  It sucks but my takedown is next Wednesday so I am rolling with it...

Mine is above the belt line, too. I have the same problem as the others. I keep thinking that there ought to be an invention that would go around the top of the bag to keep it from being squished. Then the poo could drop down like it is supposed to.

Are any inventors listening?

tape the top of your bag to your stomach, then the bag wont flop down and get pulled on!

Mine is below.

i think you can have them moved.

I have wondered when i hear people say they wear their bags over their underwear or over the pants and wear a long shirt to hide them, what kind of pants and underwear are they wearing that are that low?

mine is about an inch above my belly button which makes it 2 inches above my pants when standing. Mine is a transverse colostomy so I couldn't really have it anywhere else. The location is really crappy because I have a natural fold right along my belly button line that's been there since I was a baby so when i bend my wafer digs into my stomach. Also when i sit, if I'm wearing jeans or anything stiff I have to unbutton the top button and pull the pants up and over the wafer because its natural inclination is to slide up my tummy, but the dumb wafer is right where the pants need to go! I'm so glad this is temporary, but it's coming up on pant weather and I can't wear any of the pants I own without having to fidgit every time I sit. Guess I'll just have to go shopping

Mine is about 2 inches lower then my belly button and about 1 1/2 inch to the left. I went and got an "X" marks the spot about 2 weeks before my surgery. I brought in a bunch of different types of pants and the nurse had me standing, bending, sitting, stretching....everything! I don't have any placement problems with Oscar.

-Allie

Thanks Ron. I think I might be able to manage the one made from a pipe cap. I don't trust my self with a torch and plexiglass. I'm not that much of a handyman. :)

Thanks for the ideas.

My daughter was 3 years old when she needed her colectomy. It's only been a year and at the time I was not aware that placement of her ostomy was so important. If her ileostomy is permanent do you think she could have it relocated in the future?
I mean right now it's right next to her bellybutton. Much higher than her belt line. I am concerned when she's a teenager if she's going to have trouble finding clothing that she will feel comfortable in.
Just wondering if it would be an option for her. I am always stressing over her future..I know I shouldn't, I just can't help myself. ;)

My ileostomy is directly to the right of my belly button. So far it's caused a lot of leakage issues because I had the more rigid Convatec wafers initially. I just started using their one piece Active Life systems and it seems to be working a bit better. It's more flexible and since my stoma is right where I bend and move that's come in handy! I didn't have a choice where mine went as I ended up having emergency surgery after a routine colonoscopy gone bad. If I ever have to have a perm one I will definitely have it moved! I love the idea of elastic pants. I have ONLY been wearing hippie skirts since surgery (about two months). Any other clothing doesn't seem to work well with where my stoma is located.

if you start wearing kilts, you need to post pics!
and they have the highland games up that way somewhere don't they? you could just say you were practicing!