Keeping Your Pouch and Patch Dry in the Shower

I have tried a couple of ways to keep my pouch and patch dry in the shower and nothing has worked. Anyone have any good ways?

Want to keep your ostomy bag and skin barrier dry in the shower? Shower only your back.
Seriously, I've tried waterproof tapes, taping plastic bags over the skin barrier, and on ad infinitum.... I've pretty much said, "OK, shower time. Time to change the ol' skin barrier anyway." Resignation has proved less frustrating than resistance in this situation. Does anybody have anything workable? I'm with Swiffer-frustrated.

Mine is waterproof. Nothing gets out, and water from the shower doesn't get in or loosen the adhesive (maybe soaking in a hot tub would loosen it, but I haven't been that daring yet). After the shower, just dry off with the towel and, if you need to, use the low setting on a blow dryer. It has worked for me for over a year.
Then again, if it is time to change, just take it all off. Feels really great!!
Good luck.
Pat
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I have had mine for 6 years. I am on a 6-day change cycle. I can take one shower in the middle of the cycle and put more tape around the patch until the 6th day, where I do the whole 45-minute shower that does feel great.
I did order that neoprene thing you wrap around your mid-waist and pump it up tight to your skin (I don't remember the name). The first one did not work, so they sent me another, and it did not work either. (I now consider it a big scam on us that are looking for a fix to our problem.)

Hi!
I tried a few different things, but this one works best for me,
Bought some elastic and a toggle thingy (the toggle thingy is one of those thingys you have at the bottom hem of jumpers or on a hood of a jacket that you pull the string and it holds it tight)
I put the elastic around my waist and pull it tightish with the toggle thingy holding it, then hang a piece of plastic from it like an apron. This covers both my bags nicely.
Hopefully, that makes sense lol
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Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

'Weir Comfees' have a waterproof pouch pocket - presume if you google it, it will come up?

Rach xx

Me too!  I shower every day and even when I go swimming, I still only change the base once a week (2 piece Hollister) and the bags every 2-3 days.  I thought most appliances were waterproof, perhaps the base is not sticking well in the first place.
My shower first thing basically wakes me up, couldn't imagine how I'd be without it!
Do agree though, that weekly "change day" shower is bloody great hey!
Hope you find something that works,
Jo  

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That's the same thing but with a different name as the two I tried. It would not seal up, and when I did tape it where I found the seal not holding (around the belly button) and did get it to seal for a little while, the pressure of the thing in the stoma area hurt and I thought it might cause trouble.

Okay for me, this is an easy one. I put some adapt paste on a wafer like I'm going to change it, set it aside, pull off the old wafer, put it in a waste bag, and just jump in the shower and do my thing. Being a welder and a plumber, it's not going to hurt the drain. It's not going to clog it, and you don't have to cover your stoma either. If it leaks, so what. As I finish my shower, I run cold water for a few seconds on the stoma, and it slams shut for up to 10 minutes, giving me plenty of time to put on a wafer and bag. I've talked to many people, and they are doing it now. Live a little, it's all fun.
I sweat heavily when I'm welding on ships and haven't had a wafer come off. I swim in the ocean with only the wafer, and it's never fallen off. I get some stares, but I stay away from the kiddie pool. Last year in Guam, I was snorkeling down to 25 feet and didn't have my bag on. I looked around and wondered why so many fish were following me. I didn't realize my stoma was crapping, and all the fish were having a feeding frenzy behind me. For the next 30 days, I was feeding the fish and was drawing a crowd of onlookers. They were Japanese tourists who were out swimming and saw what I was doing. I was laughing, and they were too. I figure if fish crap in the sea, then why can't I? Just a little vacation humor (but true).

I use the Coloplast 2-piece and remove the pouch and wear just the base in the shower.  Then on complete change day, I remove everything before the shower.  Showering with just the barrier and no pouch cleans everything up fresh and then put on a new pouch and it is almost as good as right after a complete change.

Correct:

Remind me to never go in the ocean with you, bikerboy.
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The cold water was a good tip.

I have the Pacific; you can have the Atlantic. LOL. LOL.

Between you and BP i guess i will have to stay with the Lake of the Ozarks.

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Those Ozarks are my old stomping grounds; there's nothing wrong with the beauty. I am glad you and bikerboy found your place on this earth. The jokes have been so good lately too. I felt bad for Montana as I would have let them arrest me first. Not even with a tear, I just would have never let them intimidate me, and I don't steal either. Now biker and the airport, not much you can do about that, I am just not flying for a while. I am so close to my reversal and getting my life back, that I am going to buy myself a convertible black Mustang. I did get the one that was the 25th anniversary as a gift in my twenties; they only made 5,000 of those. Even though I used to only drive Lincolns and now not driving at all, I was always a Mustang woman. Haven't wanted to drive, but I can, so far I have been renewing my driver's license for ten years since they started that; I hate hassles and any drama I try to avoid. Hope you boys have fun and the fish is great in the Ozarks, I love fish, God love you, Jenny

Jeez, Swiffer, you live right near my ex-husband. Feel free to remove your pouch when you swim in the Lake of the Ozarks!

Bikerboy - you are a classic. LOL doesn't even begin to cover it when I read that part about the fish and the feeding frenzy!

Jenny - have you tried the 8-hour Vitala thing? Has anyone? It's been available in Europe for a while, I guess.

And ladies - what brand are you using that is so waterproof? I've only heard of Cymed "second skin" being that waterproof, and I can't seem to deal with the wafer - it gets all tangled up like Saran Wrap!

Pinky
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Hi Pinky hon, I haven't tried the new one; I want to. I am going to buy it if it will fit me so I can let people know how it works. I would love to go to the waterpark, but Pinky, I have a 12-year-old who is a thrill-seeker like his mom. We ride some really scary and crazy slides, and I used to get summer passes for the water park, but I am so worried about going on something so fast and hitting the water so hard. Plus, one summer I flipped off a water slide and they had to call an ambulance, but I am here and well. I just know if I do something too crazy, I could mess up my surgery in October, and I don't want to do that. You're so sweet to think about me, knowing I would love those 8 hours of living without any bag. Pinky, I promise if it wasn't summer, I would care less about trying that new gadget, but I love the thrill of the water. I'm going to keep using this Nu Hope Hernia belt and wait until after surgery, and next year you all will be hearing about my crazy trips like stepping out of an airplane. I just want to know it won't hurt my body when I do these things. I can take a broken arm, but no way have I ever had to deal with a hernia, and dang, I have owned so many stores you think I would have got one. Pinky, I am watching out for this, and I almost flew to I think Arizona, and my husband said, "Honey, you don't have much longer to wait," but darn, I love helping people, and if anyone has to go through what I did and freak out, I want to help them. Pinky, if I can wear this, I will get it before surgery, even if I have to ask a doctor I know to get me one. I will try anything if it will give people hope. Well, almost anything; I am also a careful person. Thank you so much for caring, and I will let you know as soon as I get one how they work on colostomies. I am just so excited that I have my belt I stuff my bag in every time I shower, I sleep in it and live in it, and altogether I have three belts on. But the silk one covers everything, and I wear a tight t-shirt and my belt and zip my bag in it and jeans, plus if you cuff them down one cuff, they fit perfectly. beyond taught me that. He cares about us all too, and he is here if any one of us thinks we can't make it; he also gives us a reason to fight, he fought and his Illio saved his life and to be honest, Pinky, I am glad he has it. He looks good and healthy now, and I am not sure, but I bet he feels better too; I should have asked him that as he was so kind to me. Anyway, as soon as I know when I can try it, I promise, Pinky, you will be the first to know. Love, Jenny

This is what I do at bath time. I have a good quality plastic sheet 10 inches x 20 inches in size. I fold it in the middle and pass a thick, strong, cotton cord underneath and tie it around the waist, tightly. The plastic covers the pouch and prevents it from getting wet. Also, a hand shower is more appropriate than a fixed shower.

Well Pinky, they have shut down most of the Lake of the Ozarks this year from swimming because of E. coli, so I know what you mean. Still a great party place though. 1500 miles of shoreline full of bars and hotels.

Well Swiffer, after divorcing me my ex became a Mormon so none of those delights would appeal to him - too bad!  

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Someone told me to try Glad Press and Seal at an ostomy support meeting. I use it all the time. It helps, but isn't perfect. Try not to let the shower spray directly at it and use a good size piece across your abdomen with the bag  folded in half under it.

Maybe Swiffer should take Pinkies ex-husband for a swim, hehehe

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I just can't be bothered by my bag getting wet, because it will dry again.
And it also gets wet by itself when it's blazing hot and I am sweating.
To prevent the wafer from getting wet, I tape it off with surgical adhesive film from 3M.
I cut one film into 2 strips because that's the best width.
It's called Tegaderm Film; 4 in x 4 3/4 in - 10 cm x 12 cm; Order number 1626W
Have a look on the 3M.com web page. It's fairly cheap.
The good thing about this stuff is that it sticks superbly, does not cause rashes, it breathes, does not let water through, and it slows down/retains upcoming leakages.
So if you do have a little accident, your leathers aren't soaked immediately and you have some extra time to look for a facility. Don't wait too long though because in case of an ileostomy the corrosive bowel contents have more time to eat away your skin.

Haven't been on my bike for ages.

Cheers,

Why did I not think of this before?????

Just take down the shower curtain and wrap it around your waist.
As easy as that.
The whole bathroom will get wet, but your baggy stays dry, hahaha
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Don't forget to take off the shower curtain before you step out of the shower to avoid painful crash landings.

P.S. If you shower in a cabin, forget what I wrote
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What! Get back on that bike. Oh, and some good advice there, Cagabola.

Yeah, you're right. On Tuesday, I will take my 1500 cc Intruder out of the garage, pressure clean it, put on my Australian leathers, American boots, and helmet (my head is very very big) and let someone take a new pic for my profile.

It's a pity that they don't produce cool leather (waterproof) ostomy bags for us bikers.
I wonder how many ostomized bikers there are.
It would be nice to organize a bag bikers event.
As long as our machines run, nobody can hear the belly farts

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Ride on ............................

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Cagabola, thank you for that laugh; it was so good. I was shocked that you said it, but it was one of those jokes you hardly ever hear. I needed that today, and that was like dessert, so thanks again, Jenny.

If you have a regular ostomy, try going to daily irrigation (takes about 45 minutes) and use all disposable stuff, irrigation sleeves, and pouches, then shower using nothing. The best part about irrigating is no wafers, hardly ever anything in your pouch, and if you have a bad irrigation anytime, you just change the pouch. Years ago, when I did wear wafers, I didn't have a problem showering; I never tried to keep it dry. I think it's all in the seal you make on your wafer. I hated those damn things though. Good luck.

FL, I hear you. I would love to get in the pool with my son, and I can wait another year for the water slides, but we love the water. I don't want a hernia, but even more, I don't want a bag bursting. I didn't study this one in school; I should have been paying attention. Anyway, what is the best way to learn how to do this, and I am just a colostomy and in for a reconnect in October. I would love to take my youngest in the pool here but am scared. If I know it is safe, I won't be afraid. If there is a group or website to teach me so I don't mess up, I would be so grateful. Thank you for the hope. Love, Jenny

I cover the thing with a wash cloth and hold it with my hand and with some flexible moves in the shower I find I can shower without getting it wet.  I have it covered while I get wet, then uncovered while I soap up, then cover it with another dry washcloth while I rinse and it has worked for me.  2 dry washcloths in the shower each time.  Maybe this will work for you.

I bought the plastic shower skirt and the Weir Comfees "waterproof" pouch pocket, which promptly filled up with water and actually served as a water holder rather than a water-proofer! It was like a swimming pool for my pouch! That was my experience, anyway.

Haven't found anything that really works or lives up to its promises.



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Bikerboy!