Tucking Ostomy Bag for Golf - Yay or Nay?

I have started to play golf again after having my ileostomy for 2 1/2 years. I have never tucked my bag into my pants, ever. I wear long shirts. Does anyone here tuck in their bag? Any golfers here tuck in? I'm wondering if it's something I should try. I've never tucked because I've always had a fear of poking a hole, having the bag come off, and I wouldn't even know it. And God knows what else could go wrong while tucking......

There's no right or wrong way, just what you feel is right for yourself.

My stoma is high up, so the end of my bag is at waistband height, so I can't really tuck it in even if I wanted to.

No, let it hang out.

I'm new to having a stoma but I've never tucked it in outside of the house. In sweats at home I have.

So, about golf. Did you wait that long to play because of your surgery? I'm now at 7 weeks. I've been putting and light chipping. Hoping to swing clubs in 3 to 4 months.

I waited due to a spinal AVM. It's taken me that long to learn to walk again. I had no feeling from the waist down due to a spinal accident. I've regained my balance and strength enough to give golf a try. I also got a parastomal hernia belt to wear so my hernia doesn't get any worse with golf.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I have tucked mine in with no issues but prefer to let it hang free or wear a wrap/belt.

Hmmm... if you tuck it in, how do you get your belt tight enough to keep your pants up without stopping flow into your bag? What am I missing?

;O)

Usually I wear joggers and long shirts or jumpers.... If I am going to a function and wear a suit, shirt, and tie, then I wear larger waist pants with braces and put them inside the pants.

Well, if I tuck mine in, it's usually in shorts or sweatpants. However, since you brought belts up... I bought a belt called Lizard Tale Belts. Made from climbing rope. Very, very comfortable and no buckle. Tighten it as tight as you need, there's no holes so it has endless adjustments.

I checked out the Lizard Tail belt... pretty cool...

Yep. They work really well.

Mine is always tucked. For one thing, the end of it would hang below the tops that I wear, and also, I don't like to put extra pressure on the adhesive that is holding the appliance in place if my pouch starts to fill up and I am unable to empty right away.

Terry

I have started wearing Stealth Belts to relieve the tugging due to weight of the bag. If I want a lot of support, I wear the Stealth Belt Pro. If just around the house, I wear the slip-on version.

The Pro is horizontal so all my shirts cover it.

I need one of those!

I worry about that too, Terry... putting extra pressure on the adhesive that is holding the appliance in place.

The problem with that is that it depends on the design of the shirt. Flat-bottom shirts can be worn untucked, and they are called untucked shirts or bush-shirts while those with different length hems like a dress shirt must be tucked in. I wear T-shirts and sports jerseys on the golf course, don't have to be tucked. Heavier guys have to tuck in for obvious reasons. Some say that tucking in looks more put together and neat. How to tuck the shirt in is a different story, but the front buttons of the shirt should be lined precisely with your fly. In the end, however, do what you are most comfortable with. What do the girls think? Some of them are very particular about the way their companion is turned out.

A bit of an issue with appearance, unfortunately. I can wear pants two or three sizes too big with suspenders if necessary, but tucking the bag is a problem for me. Extra long Carhartt T-shirts and sweatpants are the go-to. Can't afford fine dining anyhow, and the cancer center does not discriminate regarding appearance.

I don't tuck. But I bought a pack of Maddie Moo belly bands from Amazon. (I think they are actually for pregnancies) but anyway they work great. I wear one under any style shirt. They conceal my bag but don't restrict any movement. I'm excited to get back to golf also. Hopefully my body will be ready when the season hits.

Great tip, Alex! That is pretty cool... might have to get one!!!

Thanks!!

;O)

I see that a few others here have concerns regarding bag weight loosening the barrier. I had the same concerns but the link below offers a cheap (5) and easy fix. The belt is only 1 inch wide so there are no comfort issues. It's also easy to adjust so as my bag gains weight I can tighten the belt a bit at a time. Works well even with my hernia. I used to tuck occasionally but didn't like the bag being constricted. Hope this is useful to someone.

The link didn't show up here.

I don't know about all the manufacturers, but Hollister and Coloplast both have belts to fit their products. I have one for each, and you will notice that some of the appliances come with little loops on each side for the belts to fasten onto. They don't make all their appliances with the loops, don't know why.

Terry

I wish Hollister would make the belt tabs for their flat bags.

I agree. What would be even better is if there was one universal belt that fit all the appliances, regardless of brand. But then, that would make too much sense, and they wouldn't make as much money off of us.

Terry

Hi, I wear my bag tucked into my pants all the time. But, the pants have to be loose. I wear a two-piece system. Stretch material works the best. I do not put the elastic waist or regular waist on top of my system. Put it above. I get my pants 1 or 2 sizes larger to do this. I let the bag hang down the inside of my thigh or whatever is comfortable. If there is too much pressure on the system, it will pop the bag off. It has happened to me. For added safety, I wear a Depends and make sure the system is inside so if there is a breach, it is confined. This really works for me and gives me peace of mind. Enjoy your game. Best, Arlen

Well, we'll just give it another try, then. Hollister Ostomy Belt

I play golf and tennis. You gotta tuck it in, it's safer and no one can see it.

I always just fold up the bottom a little, tuck it in my underwear, then put my jeans or yoga pants on. I don't wear a belt. Never have had any issues. No right or wrong answer, trial and error, and see what you are most comfortable with.

I wear mine tucked in all the time for 25 years now. I wear suspenders to alleviate the need for a belt that can restrict the flow, as someone else pointed out. Especially for activities like golf, I would be more concerned with accidentally hitting or rubbing it if you leave it outside. When you are swinging the golf club, your arms go across your body and could easily knock it off. Of course, depending on the location of your stoma, as others on here have said, it's possible to keep your pants higher than the stoma and wear an elasticized belt or something stretchy to keep the pants from blocking the flow.

I tuck it in between my undies and my pants. I prefer not to have the plastic touch my skin. I have had no problems in 5 years even with a belt across the top occasionally. I prefer suspenders though I rarely wear them.