How Do You Empty Your Bag?

I've had my bag for almost two years. After a lengthy hospital stay for flesh-eating disease, I got sick with C. diff and ultimately toxic megacolon, which necessitated an emergency total colectomy. Therefore, I was not prepared for life with an ostomy.

Upon waking from my surgery, when I first had to empty the bag, I instinctively knelt in front of the toilet and emptied it that way. I have done so ever since. I understand some ostomates do it differently. How so?

For a two-piece, that is the way. I got a kneeling pad just for that. Others with a drainable bag have other choices.

Personally, I sit in the normal direction and scoot as far back as I can. I also have an open front toilet seat, with lid, to see what I am doing and to avoid messing the front of the seat. Some people stand and some people kneel, like you do. Others sit backwards. IGGIE has a pretty cool setup. You can see it here: https://www.meetanostomate.org/discussion-forum/viewtopic.php?t=30262

Daniel

Kneeling is fine, I suppose. If you have the knees for it. Some of us old farts don't. Actually, I didn't when I was a young fart either. :-))

Daniel

If you're like me and your tub is close to the toilet, you sit on the edge of the tub and just lean over into the toilet, absolutely no problem.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I'm like Daniel, I sit on the loo normally, just a little farther back. Men gotta pay attention and not let the bag flutter about....... we have something in the way.

I put 3 overlapping strips of toilet paper on the front of the toilet, half hanging out, half in the water. Emptied output falls on the paper. When done, I flip the end of the papers into the toilet and flush. Everything goes down easy, nothing left to clean up.

Also, make sure you have all your supplies close at hand before you begin to empty..... I hate it when I forget. Bag is empty, but not cleaned, and I have to waddle over to grab deodorizer lube.

My cat laughs

Mine is a one-piece drainage.

I'm confused... How do you empty the bag while standing up?

Most people put a layer of paper in the toilet before emptying standing up. Personally, this is still prone to splashing and can be too messy. Both in the toilet and on you. I only used that method when I was too weak to use the commode normally. I just find it much easier to sit normally and can also take care of mucus discharge, as well. Sometimes after taking care of the mucus, I forget why I was there in the first place and find myself about to wash my hands still having a bag needing attention. The varieties of age! 🤣

Daniel

I stood while emptying my bag when I had it. My toilet is too small to sit on and do it, so I emptied into a container, then added water to it, and poured into the toilet. The container I used had measuring marks so I could see how much I was producing. That's how I learned to do it, so it stuck for the 5 months of my ileostomy.

You need to train it to retrieve. Oh wait, a cat? Yes, they just laugh… Never mind, I was thinking dog. Lol, sometimes I crack myself up. JB

My bathroom needed to be redone. So I got a walk-in shower and asked if my sink could be moved closer to the toilet, which was a yes. So, I got a pedestal sink in the bathroom and he special ordered a sprayer for the sink. I put warm water in my bag and shake it into the toilet. When larger amounts of poop go in the toilet, I rinse it out in the sink with warm water, dry it off, and all done. I am not kneeling at the toilet throne in my own house. If you like, I could send a pic of the faucet with the sprayer.

Initially, I did the same thing. Then I bought a small stool and simply sat by the toilet to empty and then rinse the pouch. I hate to say “bag.”

The non-ostomy way with a one-piece drainable.

Hi all, I sit in the traditional way with toilet paper in front of the toilet so there's no splash. Like Daniel said, my knees wouldn't like it if I knelt.

Whatever works is fine. Standing is fine when there is no risk of splash like the hiking trail toilets. In fact, standing may be preferable because those toilets are never cleaned! Some people will sit backwards on the toilet. Personally, I prefer to sit normally, slide back with paper at the toilet water edge to prevent splash and facilitate the flush. Save the kneeling for church.

I kneel, I've only emptied my bag by sitting a few times before I started kneeling.

Goes to show you there are no manuals for people with ostomies, improvising most of the time! 😄

I keep a lightweight shower chair in the bathroom. Facing the bowl with a knee on each side suspends the pouch in the perfect position. I'm too lanky to sit in the normal fashion and have enough room to manipulate the pouch. No way I could kneel after the surgeries—or I should say no way I could get up. While out and about, one must do what one can. An empty Big Gulp cup can be a great thing!

I stand in front of the toilet like a man would to pee.

You got that right!

Being tall, I always have water. I take a water bottle, get on my knee, and drain, flush, and go.