Tips for Keeping Ostomy Wafer Dry in Shower

Hello everyone....I am new to all this (2 weeks) and was wondering how everyone keeps their wafer dry while showering. I'm sure this has been asked a bunch...any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Smokeshow, I ordered one of these Shower Guards. Works great to keep everything dry. Empower yourchange.net.

🔒 Login to see image

🔒 Login to see image

Hi Smoke

I don't do anything, get in get out, pat the bag down with a towel to get the bulk of the water off then hit it with the hair dryer, two - three minutes tops.

I do use one piece of Brava elastic tape C shape, cut in half, one half on the top and the other half at the bottom as a precaution as the water can make the bag peel off a little at the top sometimes, but the tape is not just for the shower I use it all the time.

Axl

Thanks, Sally, for the link as well.

Thanks Axl. Appreciate the response.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Hakuna Matata

I do just like Axl... wash, rinse, towel dry, and then a blow dryer for a couple minutes.

When I first got my ileostomy, I was so concerned about my daily shower. I would wrap Saran Wrap around my belly to protect the pouch from water. Turned out the stoma nurse said no need, and also showering without the pouch is great for my skin. I was under the impression showering poor Seymour (my stoma's name) might drown him! Turns out it was the best advice ever. I change my pouch every other day, so I shower with the pouch on every other day. I also swim for at least 1 hour every day and have never had any issues or leaks regarding water-drenched adhesive or pouch. I merely pat dry, and I am on my way. I have, on occasion, used the hairdryer to dry it but find that task unnecessary. My pouch is a one-piece Convatec #22771. My only complaint is that it makes "crinkly" noises. Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure. I hate being bogged down by "parts and pieces," and I frequently hear Jimmy Buffett (Six String Music song) whispering in my ear "keep it simple, stupid" - that's me!!!
Many lessons are learned on this website, and I am thankful to have found it! Keep smilin'

🔒 Login to see image

I just turn my back to the shower head, which is detachable.  I cleanse my chest with a soapy shower gel, then wipe it off with a washcloth.  With one of those soft spongy things on a stick, and the shower gel, I get the rest of me, spritzing off by removing the shower head and spraying everywhere but directly on my pouch.  The pouch gets a bit wet in the process, but I just pat it dry and dry around where it meets my body.  Oh, and I also whistle a lot while I'm doing it.

Yeah, the Saran Wrap thing was worthless in my opinion. The only advantage it may have is to keep water from hitting the bag directly. But from my numerous tries, my bag would still get wet to some extent.

Hi guys... dolls... I just forget that it's there and don't worry about it. I use Micropore tape (all the time) on the four sides so water doesn't get to the sticky bits. As others have said, just pat it down with a dry towel. The heat of the water on the wafer actually makes it softer and stick even better. I had a long learning curve, was afraid at first but never had a problem being totally immersed, ocean, pool or shower. Magoo

I'm not ready for the fully submerged. Baby steps..lol

Two weeks is very early on. Baby steps for sure. I've had my colostomy since March 2020 but I'm still learning.

Welcome to the "cool kids" club, Smokeshow. Go easy on yourself these first few months. You have lots of healing and plenty of learning to do. This is a great place for advice, friendship, and comedic relief.

There's comedy?

Hello Smokeshow.

I'm sorry I cannot answer your question  directly, as I usually have a long soak in the bath each morning and I DON'T WEAR  A BAG for this.  It may sound like a 'risky' business, but in practice  I have only had a couple of occasions in about twenty years where I've had output during this process. Even then, it was easier to clean up than a leaky bag. So, I CONTINUE WITH THE BATHING, AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE.  For me, living with a stoma should not mean that we cannot enjoy life and try to carry on with what we want to do without the stoma dictating otherwise.

I am a firm believer in experimenting to see what we can get away with and what we would be well-advised to avoid. We are all different, so this is a process of personal trial and (sometimes) error. I tend to keep count of the number of times I get away with stuff and compare it with the number of times things go wrong.  This gives me confidence because invariably nothing untoward happens most of the time. However, sometimes things go wrong when I AM NOT DOING ANYTHING 'RISKY'!  So, who's to say whether taking risks is any more 'risky' than  living what people euphemistically call 'a normal life'.

Best wishes

Bill   

Sorry Smokeshow! Two weeks in, really in the newborn stage!! Yeah, give it a bit of time. It'll just become a pain in the ass rather than a source of unending stress! Different stomas have different habits, so when you get to see how it operates on a daily basis, you will be more comfortable.

One heads up...eat steak sparingly (IMHO), it is hard/slow to digest and can get backed up. If you wolf down a steak and spuds, dessert, etc., it can lead to the universally feared blockage. Been there, done that, and got a week in the hospital as the top prize!!! Small amounts frequently is the way to go, I think the crew will agree. Just ask, and you will receive. Take care.

Magoo

Don't tell my intestines that about steak.

Like Axl said, I've been using the Brava elastic tape. I put them on right when I do a bag change, and just keep them on until the next bag change. Like everyone else says, just pat dry the bag afterwards and you're good to go. So far, so good!

I was the same way at first. I would try and keep my bag out of the water. One day, I wanted to see how much it would hold up with water in the shower, and it didn't budge. I shower with it on or off. It will be second nature for you and become a part of you that it will just do it without thinking about it. Best advice: see what it does in the shower, how it holds up, and you will know if you can shower fine or if you need a pouch cover. Hope it helps and also welcome.

Here is member xnine's video on making a shower curtain for your ostomy.

Thanks, Rae....great advice

Appreciate the help, Beth...

It's either laugh or cry at this point. You are always a serious one though, Alex.

Hi Smokeshow, welcome to the site! I shower with my pouch on with no problem at all. I soap it up and rinse it off just like the rest of me. I pat it dry with the towel, and then a minute or two with the blow dryer, and good to go. On 'change day' I shower after removing it, so my stoma has a chance to really breathe and get a good soaping and rinsing.

Terry

Welcome to the site. I just wash, rinse, towel dry. Never had a problem. Best wishes.

Thanks, Magoo!

I meant that some foods like steak have a long half-life in your gut, especially in the early days. Your small intestine is learning how to be a hybrid of colon and small intestine at the beginning. I eat steak and love it, but my belly has had a long time to adjust. My early days were consumed by my wide open full belly incision (9 months to heal), so food for me in the first year was limited. I was afraid my guts would spill out of the wound (just the deep stitches were left intact) every time I took a mouthful of food!! So easy on the hard-to-digest stuff until the belly function adjusts.

Keeping the bag on and washing it as some said is a good idea. Even a tiny bit of the liquid shite left on the outside (splashes etc) will really stink, very potent stuff!! So washing it while wearing it is a good idea! Magoo.

That is another reason I shower with my pouch on. There is always the chance of a bit of splashback, and it can go unnoticed. I only change my pouch every six days, and I work out three times a week. I sweat, of course, and naturally, the pouch is going to absorb some of that sweat. I just wouldn't feel clean if I didn't wash my pouch along with the rest of me when I shower.

Terry

Hi there,

I shower with the pouch on. When I get out, I pat it dry and use the blow dryer for a quick minute. It has never been a problem. I'm thinking about trying to shower without the pouch soon. You will gain confidence once you do it and nothing bad happens. Good luck!