Ileostomy bags won't stick and leak after a few hours... Help!

Wow you're really lucky to be alive! And thank you! I have a few of those. My bags about the level of where my belly button used to be. I was cut and glued back together right across there. And then my open wound is right below where mu belly button was so pants will be fuuuuuun. Yoga pants and sweats with a wide waistband have been what have worked so far...

don't wear the belly band under your bathing suit, it will make it bulky and feel weird. I was doing that for a while and it just wasnt working, it looked much better without it. if you really feel like you must have something, wear your underwear instead.
i got my belly bands at motherhood maternity, i don't know where you are in the country though, or whether they have that store, they are like 10 dollars there. when i do wear it, i pull it on, fold my bag up under it, put my underwear on over top of it, then my clothes. like i said though, i only wear it with skirts, loose pants or when i work out.

I am just reading this thread for the first time and I am so sorry that you are dealing with so much. I can relate in a lot of ways; I was diagnosed with severe pancolitis at 22 years old and gave up my career dream and many other things as well. I had gotten into a very competitive 7-year PhD program that I had worked EXTREMELY hard to get into. Upon my diagnosis I realized there was no way I could go, and my life took a completely different path as I went into teaching, met my husband, and had three children. To this day I still think about the path I couldn't go down, but I don't dwell. That path will not be in the cards for me for a loooong time now, if ever.

I had a really hard time in the beginning between hospitalizations, never being able to go out with friends to clubs, etc. Luckily, I didn't need surgery until 14 years later, but I am struggling in a lot of ways even at 36. What has helped me is resuming my old life in the best way I know how. That being said, I do wish I would have taken more time off of work for recovery. If you are lacking energy now, going back to work could make that worse. I went back at 5 weeks post op, and by 6 weeks in I had crashed in terms of energy. By then it was difficult to make any sort of modifications to my job, as I had gone in ready to take on the world. Bosses aren't always as receptive when you decide after a couple of months in that you're exhausted, especially if they can't relate to those of us with medical issues.

I do struggle emotionally with all of this, and will be having more surgery in July, so I am sure that won't be easy considering how much I love my summers. As sad as I am to miss out again, I realize that this is only a temporary situation, and that eventually it will all be a distant memory. This is just part of the ebb and flow of life - I know this because I never thought I'd bounce out of my first horrific flare, and I made it through and have lived a great life since, despite the illness still being there.

Still, it is okay to feel the pain, disappointment, and whatever feelings that go along with what a lot of us have been through. LOL, but early in my recovery movies that helped get my mind back on track are "Soul Surfer," "Dolphin Tale," and "A Beautiful Mind" (my all-time favorite). They are all about people (or an animal, LOL) overcoming huge obstacles and trudging on with life. The stories made me cry, but they also drove the point home that I am not defined by this bag. Proof of that was going back to work and no one treating me any differently because they had no idea I had it (and still don't).

Do you use soap around the stoma? If so it must be fragrance and oil free. Otherwise, no seal! Try Dial and Ivory soaps. Both do not contain lotions or scent. Works very well for me.