Waterproofing Ostomy Appliance & Travel Tips for Viking Cruise

Has anyone come up with anything to waterproof your appliance? I've heard about using pink tape. Anything else.

Also, suggestions for traveling? Going on a Viking cruise and scared to death of leakage during the night.

I don't know what your whole story is or what kind of day bag you wear, but my everyday bag - I use a Coloplast skin barrier first - has been my solution for maintaining healthy skin for the last 20 years. Then, I use a Hollister 8632 one-piece on top of that. Knock on wood, I have never had a leak due to an adhesive failure. I'm very active every day, and I manage my ostomy as such. Especially with work - I have a 4 on 4 off shift rotation of extremely physical work. So, I purposely change my pouch every 2 days to ensure maximum confidence and security. Then, I usually go the whole 4 days off without changing (I'm trying to give you a measurement of baseline to understand how I manage it all).

So, to get down to your question, if I'm swimming or scuba diving, I just make sure I'm not at the tail end of my pouch's life, so to speak. And if so, I'll make sure I freshen up before heading out.

As for sleeping, regardless of location, home or away, the same logic applies. I just keep an eye on the amount of time I've had any given pouch on. With the system I use, I have little indicators to tell me roughly how much time I have left, like half a day or more. It has never led me wrong if I pay attention to that - no sweat. If I get lazy and ignore it, I'm rolling the dice. I don't gamble. This goes for any traveling I've ever done as well, no different if it's in my backyard or the other side of the globe. Hope that helps. If you have any questions, feel free to message me! Cheers

I made myself a bed protector or bought one. It is not the water so much as the heat and sweat. Bravea strips work better than the pink tape.

The Coloplast barrier you use, is it a 4x4? I use Hollister 8614 one piece. Part of my problem is that my ileostomy was moved from right to left side, and unfortunately, I have an indentation between the two which can make it difficult to seal. I do have leaks during the night. I sleep on my side. I've had my ileostomy since 1984 due to ulcerative colitis, so I'm not new to the game but can always learn new things. Thank you for your response.

Coloplast barrier is a 4x4 yes. I understand how that could make things a little tricky. I have a very small indent, so it isn't an issue but my nurse did suggest, and provide samples of a putty of sorts, by Coloplast again, to mold and stuff in the little gap if I felt so inclined. I tried it a few times but didn't notice a difference, as I said it's a relatively small indent, but I don't know how it would function on larger spaces. Just a thought.

With that said, I'd be curious if you could find a larger skin barrier, as if so I would think that could buy more time prior to it failing. There's never an issue with the fusion between the barrier and bag, so it would just be your skin and the barrier.

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Sure Seal Rings. I buy both the small and large size. https://parthenoninc.com/sure-seal-ring-alrs0210-alrs0110/ It's like shrink wrap that has to be applied all around your barrier, covering the entire barrier. Supposed to last for three or four days. If applied with care, it does keep your barrier waterproofed. With that said, when I had my ileostomy done in 2010, my house had a pool. I used it much less after the surgery, which really made me sad. I used to sit in my chair and read for 3-4 hours at a time. I have breached in the pool and the ocean - not to the point where anyone was aware, but to the point where I had to go and change my bag immediately. Sure Seal does work but it makes me a nervous wreck to get in the water, not because I would breach in the water, but I'm always expecting a breach. It's rough because I live in SW Florida well I have a pool and I'm 10 minutes from the beach. The 3M waterproof tape does NOT hold up under water or in the heat. SW Florida is always hot and humid. I used Sure Seal and 3M tape when I was in Punta Cana. I sat in a chair where I was partially submerged. When I got back to my room, my bag had to be changed. I have since gotten better with my techniques applying Sure Seal. Last summer in the pool, I didn't have any breaches.

I just came back from vacation. Every day that I used the pool, I would leak that night or right after going in the room. I too

would like to know what to use so I could use the pool

I've had an ileostomy since 2008 and I do like camping and swimming. For a while, swimming was out for the fear of a blowout...you know the drill. I found the Sure Seal rings in 2010 and they were a godsend. They hold and keep things where they're supposed to be. You can leave the ring on for up to 3 days, but if it's hot/muggy and you're moving around a lot, I would change it more frequently (1-2 days max).

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The manufacturer is: Active Lifestyle Products, Inc. found at: http://www.alpglobal.com/

I use the Sure Seal ring. I am most fortunate that my appliance for my ileostomy only has to be changed once a week. My procedure is to apply the Sure Seal ring right after I apply the barrier ring and wafer. That way I do not have to work it around the bag ... but then again, I am fortunate in my output being a little bit predictable at times during the day.

I have gone on quite a few cruises and never had an issue. As far as leakage during the night -- if you are concerned, take some bed pads with you and have them under you when you go to bed at night ... that should help you sleep more relaxed.

On shore excursions I take a disposal bag and an extra bag with me. If for some reason my bag gets to the point of "having" to be emptied and there is no place to really do that ... you can actually just remove the bag, place it in the disposal bag and tie that up and replace the bag with the one you brought. You can dispose of the disposal bag when you get to a place that allows that. Just a thought!

I have been on many cruises and flights, and in pools and have never had a problem whatsoever.

I have used Coloplast Sensura one-piece drainable pouches for almost 10 years. They do just fine in pools and even hot tubs. I have never had to change because of going in a pool, hot tub, or ocean.

Most manufacturers are happy to offer free samples, so try it, as well as other manufacturers to see which might work best for you.

Check ostomysecrets.com for their swim wraps - their products are designed (men and women) to keep things secure while swimming. You could easily also wear one at night and feel safe. With a swim wrap, in the very unlikely event the adhesive fails, the wrap keeps things in place, so even if that happened, you would not be dealing with a mess. There really is no need for anyone who enjoys swimming to not do it.

The only travel or swimming issue is if the filter is clogged and the pouch balloons. That is solved by emptying it, and to avoid issues, simply use the "empty when 1/3 full rule" to stay ahead of it. When flying, I always make sure I change to a new pouch the day of my flight, so it is not an issue.

Resurrecting this post because I'm at the beach right now. Been here since Sunday and today I rigged up a semi-waterproof cover using a cut-up zip-top plastic bag and pink tape. Worked ok for the most part, only minor leaking. Hoping it works the rest of the week!