HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

For those of you concerned about swimming

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/10/2008 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe this will some of the people worried about having surgery because of thinking they can't go swimming.  I was in the pool for 6 and a half hours, consecutively, and i had no problems with my bag, at all! 

Now i actually do not reccomend that, as my fingers are still pruded and that was friday night, and i think the chlorine ate everyones skin off, lol. 

But the bag came through just fine! and had my whole body in the water almost the whole time.

Posted 8/11/2008 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
glad to hear! been 1.5yrs for me i have yet to be immersed in water...

--matt
Posted 10/4/2008 8:50 AM (GMT 0)
Oh when I had my colostomy, I was about 12 yrs old and I went to Raging Waters, which is a big water park in California. I was just careful and mostly went on the waterslides with the rafts not the ones where you are without one. I did a couple without the raft, just depends on if you hit the sides or if its more smooth. Not only did I only have to empty the bag once the whole day, but the water made it seal more tightly to my body actually, so there was no leaks and no close calls. It was a really fun day!
Posted 10/4/2008 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
i loooooove raging waters hahaha. my friend and i went there a few years ago and got yelled at for bringing a floatie into the wrong part of the park, apprently you have to pay for them now. sadly, the lifegaurd was at least 5 years younger than us. we got put i our place.
Posted 10/4/2008 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
I just came back from a holiday in Thailand and did a lot of SCUBA diving and my flange and pouch held up perfectly!
It was a very scary first dive - but even after diving for an hour at depths of 60 meters nothing bad happened!!
Woohoo!
I did change my flange and pouch after each day of diving however, just to be on the safe side.
Posted 10/5/2008 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
I do the water thing, too...but I don't scuba dive:(
Posted 10/6/2008 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
I live in Florida and love going to waterparks, too. The first time I went, I thought the wafer would definitely fall off when I took my bathing suit off, but it stayed on and even lasted a full week. I was amazed! smilewinkgrin
Posted 10/6/2008 2:45 PM (GMT 0)

Yeah, I was really concerned about the swimming initially myself.  But I've had the ostomy for 2 yrs now with zero problems in pools, lakes, rivers etc...  In fact, I don't even have to wear any "protective" appliance over the bag.  I'm a guy and my stoma is pretty low on my abdomen, so I just pull the band of my swim trunks over the top of the bag, tie the waist and nobody notices. 

Posted 10/7/2008 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
I bought a hot tub when I lived in my previous house, and I had no problems with the appliance. I don't think there's a better litmus test than being in 104 degrees water for an hour. Though, I'll admit, the first time I went to the beach after my surgery I was a bit nervous.
Posted 10/7/2008 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
I am okay with swimming...but I am AFRAID to do the hot tub thing!!! Does your appliance really stand up to the heat? I always think that it will make it weaker...thanks, I might have to try it next time!!
Posted 10/7/2008 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
i haven't tried the hot tub, but i do go to the tanning bed, and i was so worried, but then i thought, ok i use a hair dryer to make it stck better, how is this diff?
And as for the hottub, you take a shower, and i take pretty hot ones, and it's ok then.
Posted 10/7/2008 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
i have been in the hot tub many times...and can't remember a problem....

to be safe, whenever you go in the water, make sure you have a spare flange and pouch nearby, and then enjoy yourself.....
Posted 10/8/2008 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Bought a pool this summer....the redneck kind that sits above ground in the backyard. Love it. I wear bikinis and let the bag hang out because hey! I'm in my backyard!! No problems.
Posted 10/8/2008 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
hey nothing wrong with being redneck, lol. I got more cars than drivers, until recnetly i had twice as many cars as drivers, lol.
I am not sure i could wear it hanging out, simply because i can't stand to have it flappping around.
Posted 10/8/2008 4:39 AM (GMT 0)
Crohned, thanks for the visual. I'm ROFL!!! turn  
Posted 10/9/2008 12:40 AM (GMT 0)

OHIO76 said...
I am okay with swimming...but I am AFRAID to do the hot tub thing!!! Does your appliance really stand up to the heat? I always think that it will make it weaker...thanks, I might have to try it next time!!

Not a problem at all! As long as you "picture frame" your appliance with a good waterproof tape(which I always use anyway...I prefer Hy-Tape) you'll be just fine!

Posted 10/11/2008 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Allin,

Omg...u r so young!! I thought I was young and never met anyone with a pouch.  But u sound like me. I only have 6ft left as well and they're trying to taper me off of the tpn.  I'm actually off but they're worried about the hydration.  I would love to talk to u and compare stories.  Maybe we can help eachother out.  I'm a 32 yr old female and have had problems for the past 3 years.  It seems like it's never ending.  I have so many questions that can only be answered by someone that's been through all of this and NOT dr's.  Please email me [email protected] if u don't mind discussing it.  I live in New Jersey and I'm trying to find someone close to meet up with and buid a relationship because i'm sure it'll be easier on the days that I want to give up.  Where do u live??

Looking forward to hearing from u...

For those of u swimming...how do u women wear a bathing suit??????????????? Doesn't the bag fill and show???????? I will never understand that....how do u go to the beach when the bathrooms r so far away?? i have to empty a lot so it's hard and i haven't figured it out yet...

Posted 10/11/2008 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Rita,
  I did a lot of searching for swimming suits that would work (I just got back from Thailand) and I found that boy shorts and a bikini top worked the best.
The boy/board shorts ride high enough that it hides almost everything.. the inch of appliance that shows I just cover with a large waterproof bandaid.
  Because the board shorts are baggy even if my bag fills up it doesnt show.
Also if I know I am going to be at the beach I take a couple of immodium before hand and it slows down the output.
   Also - landsend.com has some awesome options.
They have 2 piece skirtini's that are still trendy for people our age (I am 31).

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply