Fashion with a New Ostomy

I have a very new colostomy, and I'm still recovering from major open abdominal surgery, so I have some inflammation that will take time to go down. I got it on 7/28.

Everyone says my stoma is well placed; it's right in line with my belly button. My pants are all too high-waisted and tight - like they are all high-waisted pants that were very snug before surgery, I haven't even tried them on since.

My stoma protrudes a lot, like 3/4” or more - which means my bag does. Which means it shows in shirts.

I'm struggling with pants. If I wear them below my stoma, below my stomach, they are super low and uncomfortable. If I wear them over my stomach, but under my stoma/bag, they don't sit well; it's not a good place on my body for pants to sit. I don't have pants that will go over.

So I'm a woman, dresses work great - except, I'm cold all the time, so I want to wear pants.

I'm pretty rambly and frustrated this morning.

Hi Mspriss, welcome to the site. I've had my ileo for 30 some years. It sounds like you got a good stoma and not like some that have them at skin level, and maybe after all is healed, you may be able to irrigate and not have to wear a pouch.

Thanks. I do think the surgeon gave me an excellent stoma. I've just got a really short torso.

Unfortunately, I still have to figure out what to wear every day, even before my stoma is healed. I've got two new dresses that should work coming in the post today, and they are prints - should work great. But I'm just so darn cold all the time, I haven't figured out pants.

My secret weapon dressing is an ostomy wrap. I haven't bought any for a while, but Ostomysecrets.com is a good starting place.

The stoma protruding is going to be OK; it really should to make it work correctly. Mine has always protruded about an inch.

I understand it's a good thing it protrudes, but it makes the bag stick so far out from my body. Everyone says "no one will see your bag!" but it's just not true. It literally sticks out in front of me. I know it's new and I'm struggling a bit, mentally, it just makes it so hard.

I will look at the wraps.

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I wear tights or skinny jeans with a long top... I have a hernia and snug pants help to hold it all in as a hernia belt is uncomfortable for me. Otherwise, sweatpants are a great alternative if you are cold. Good luck in finding a solution that works for you.

Wraps or a belt that holds everything in. If you're wearing dresses that are long enough, could you not wear leggings under them?

That is what I'm doing, but it feels like all the leggings I have go up over my stoma - and that isn't comfortable at this point.

I've bought children's leggings; they are coming in the mail tomorrow (they were supposed to come today) because all of the leggings I own that are in women's sizes or that I shopped for are all high-waisted.

Hello,

Welcome to the site.

.... Just a thought Ms Priss  .....

I get what you say about panties under your stoma/bag - but I find that I have persevered with this concept and found MINI BRIEFS - NOT bikini v. low cut nor  [the  high leg cut]  DO work [4me] - THE MINI BRIEF CUT IS NOT DONE BY A LOT OF MANUFACTURERS - but search and you will find [here in the UK at least] but like you say - with a short torso [guess your height is in the legs rather than body - so registered this - maybe once you have tried on various brands - with a cotton [non synthetic material too maybe - and with a comfy edge [not hard or firm one - but gentle scalloped maybe - anyway a soft stretchy option] ] to waist and leg apertures - finding the right size is important too [usually the smaller the better] [within the sizing of a particular brand even if you get the 'cut' of leg right - I find this helps enormously.  

{You could always try a g-string maybe and perhaps a slip or camisole [for comfort as well as for intimacy - maybe .... this might suit you for regular wear comfort too].

Just trying to say - lateral - perseverance is sometimes needed - particularly in the early days - once more healing has taken place - comfort becomes less elusive.

Don't think I have answered you before - 'cause I did post some stuff concerning the cut of pants quite recently - but don't think it was you.

Let us know how you get on ..... and yes, I know what you mean when one is 'warm in close fit jeans and stuff - a loose dress is OK - but one misses the support of jeans [ particularly when newly operated - for there are no 'lesions' to hold stuff in place right after surgery].

And yes - a stoma which is not level with the skin is a good thing - over time you will heal further and probably be a little flatter too.

Eventually, as you have a colostomy - as has been indicated - you may find irrigation may become a preference - but I have no personal experience of the same - but in the longer term, it's worth investigating maybe - then the hanging pouch issue diminishes for periods when collection is not needed.

You will find a solution - but it's really frustrating in the early days - stay up with it.

BW

Jayne

I've had a good couple of days!

My sister brought me an ostomy bag cover (along with some lubricating deodorant and skin protectant - she made me a “care package”) which will really disguise the bag under my dresses, and it will hide the translucent bags if they have any output in them if I'm wearing a shirt and raise my arms. It's loose-fitting and causes no issues with my incision or stoma.

I bought a light compression wrap on Amazon; it's a pantyhose-like material, it's mildly compressive but I like the way it keeps my clothes from rubbing against my incision.

I got my samples from Coloplast today, including opaque bags. You have no idea how happy I am to have these. I also got my first shipment of insurance-supplied materials. It is kind of odd, though, not to be able to see much beyond the inspection window.

Sister ❤️ super hero! jb

I nearly cried; she spent a good deal of time on Reddit looking at ostomy posts and asking what would be a good gift. She's also helped me drive my kids to their practices and whatnot while I'm not driving.

Today my underwear (and pants) are irritating the bottom of my incision. So it's a dress day.

As a guy, dresses would probably be awesome! Instead, in my early days of healing, sweatpants or gym shorts were my options. You'll get more confident, I promise!

I've been wearing pajama pants all day (I work from home). It isn't my stoma that is getting the irritation, it's the incision from my surgery. It will heal. It goes down quite far.

I can tell you have a good mindset. Those incisions will heal; keep moving forward, it will pass.

Try wearing loose-fitting leggings over your underwear/stoma.
I have the same problem with a hernia and protruding, and I wear tunics that are A-line shape and go to hip length generally.
And then I wear a drainable pouch so I can keep it flat throughout the day.

I have found a good temporary solution. I just wear the PJ pants, but I grabbed a foam bra insert (like the ones that come in swimwear and cheap sports bras) and stuck it in the waistband over the incision. It keeps the waistband of the pants from putting pressure on the incision and/or rubbing. It's been great. Such a simple solution.

Hi there,

I recall feeling pretty down in the early days about finding the right solution. As others have said, it gets better, and you gain more confidence in how to handle things and how you feel! Glad you've found some things that are helping. I use bandeaus or what used to be called “tube tops” and have used them for years. I wear it like a wrap around my ileostomy folded/bag. I find it helps with both comfort and security. They generally are comfortable & stretchy fabric, so I just stock up when I see them. I have found this works really well for me. Best wishes to you!

Jumpsuits! Different colors, styles, shirts underneath. No binding, no waist bands. Dresses are fine in summer but in fall and winter this is what I dress up or down depending on the occasion.

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Love this look!!! ❤️

…However,

Looks good - but it is not.

When we must sit down on a pot,

All that cloth drops to the floor.

Not so great when at a store. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Hello MsPriss! First of all, welcome to the site! You are in the right place! I totally understand your issues about clothing. I had my ileostomy eight years ago, and I wrote to this site about clothing choices. Got lots of good suggestions. From my experiences, here are some of the things that have worked for me. You might want to look into buying some ostomy panties. They are not necessary, but can give you coverage and support your bag. Ostomysecrets.com is the site where I bought mine. They are expensive—$20+ per pair, and you might be disappointed in the quality for that price, but they definitely serve a purpose. I wear regular panties most of the time, with the waist below my stoma, but I wear the ostomy panties when I am going to be out of the house for several hours, or when I'm going to be trying on clothes. Check out the website, and think about ordering one pair to see if you like them. They occasionally go on sale, but not very often. When I first had my surgery, I also found loose dresses to be the most comfortable thing to wear. The most comfortable pants I have found are from J Jill. The style name is Wearever, and they run $79 a pair. They are made of a lightweight knit and have a top kind of like yoga pants, with thin elastic at the top. They are not binding against your stoma at all, and are very comfortable. I find that I can wear any type of pants for a while, but those are my favorite for everyday. Jeans are the most difficult for me to wear for more than a couple of hours at a time, but I do wear them sometimes. I hope this has been helpful! Things will get easier for you! Please ask any questions you have on this site. People here are so knowledgeable and so helpful.

Let us know how things are going.

Lucy

Hi,

I've had my stoma for a little more than 2 years, and it was hard at first to tweak my wardrobe. I find it most comfortable and secure to wear high-waisted underwear that covers the bag and keeps it in place. It also contains the occasional leak. My pants are all stretchy with wide, flat waistbands. It sometimes works to go up a size and still not look frumpy. I do not wear tops that need tucking because I'm short-waisted also. You are right about prints; they take attention away from any lumps. Much of this depends on your age, size, style, and lifestyle. I'm happy to be of more help if you'd like because I get it.
Best wishes for your recovery and acceptance of all the changes.

I have had ileostomy for almost 50 years. My stoma is on the right side of my abdomen and is approximately 2" below my navel and 2" to the right of my navel. I feel I am very fortunate with the placement. While I can't wear bikini underwear, I can wear ones that fall just below my naval if I want to. I think I would have a problem wearing most pants or skirts if it were placed at the same level as my naval. I don't know if you would want to have another surgery but you could discuss with your surgeon about repositioning it. I understand that colostomy stomas are on the left and ileostomy stomas are on the right.

This is a temporary solution for some days. Just a strong rubber band. 

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Mine is level with my navel, but that means that my bag/flange rides above it by an inch or two.

It makes wearing something above it quite difficult.

The plan is to do a reversal eventually; I doubt a repositioning surgery would happen. Who knows, though. 

@Sasquash.. I'd pay good money to see YOU in a dress, dude. 😆

When I first got my ileostomy about 2.5 years ago, I was really self-conscious and tried different ways to hide the bag. I came across the Stealth Belt through an online search and decided to give it a try. At first, I used several products, including the Stealth Belt, along with tight T-shirts to conceal the bag. Over time, I found the Stealth Belt to be the most comfortable and convenient option, and now it's my go-to. I also tried a similar belt called SIIL from Europe, which was a bit cheaper, but I didn't like the design as much—it wasn't as user-friendly. I hope this helps!

I’m looking at some of the SIIL covers myself, they are some of the nicest looking and most comfortable looking for women. I haven’t gotten any yet, but I have one on my wish list.