I’m having one of those days.
I’m struggling for clothes that fit comfortably around my stoma. I seem to either end up wearing clothes that make me look like a miniature tent or end up sitting uncomfortably in my favourite skinny jeans secretly undoing the top bottom to relieve the pressure off my annoying front butt.
But what to do?
My APR surgery in April pulled my stoma from its neat out-of-the-way left side position into the centre of my body and it’s causing me great jeans angst. Not exactly the worst of my problems you may think. BUT it’s an annoying one all the same.
General advice seems to relegate me to a life of leggings and long baggy tops but I don’t want to give up just yet. Don’t get me wrong, it is a tried, trusted and comfortable combination but being only 4 ft 11 and 6 stone, aesthetics wise it’s just not the best. On the jeans issue, it has been suggested that I wear maternity jeans. This both horrifies and depresses me in equal quantities. Don’t get me started on high-waisted jeans either, they just squish everything wrong.
Dresses look better but I have this insane fear of my bag falling off and dropping to the ground, where as at least trousers hold it in. I’ve tried support tops to conceal my bag…yes they do conceal it but they also stop it from functioning and this has led me to some potentially messy situations.
Maybe I should take a leaf out of Homer Simpson’s book and just wear a poncho and be done with it…then again?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
SH*T HAPPENS 
I’m assuming you’ve already looked and possibly tried specialised support pants?
I’ve just googled “support pants for stomas”
Found these http://www.suportx.co.uk/products/ostomy-underwear/ amongst other websites too. Maybe these would give you the confidence to wear a dress, and could pasibly make things a little more comfortable with your jeans.
The other thing I thought was creating your own range of clothing/underwear! That’ll keep you occupied for a while 😊
I do hope you manage to find a solution that will leave you feeling more confident and comfortable xx
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Thanks Nat. I’ve not actually tried the support underwear as I didn’t have much luck with the vests. Maybe I’ll have a look though. I hope they come in different lengths though as I don’t want to be wearing them up to my armpits! Lol x
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There is so much support out there, but hard to find it when you don’t know. Do you have a stoma nurse? Not sure if you live in England but I got a waist support belt on prescription after one boxing day being in a pub wearing a dress but thankfully I had tights on. I could smell something but thought someone had bad wind!! Later on I was outside having a good old snog the first kiss I’d had since stoma surgery, when I felt something run down my leg…. it wasn’t his hand either! Crap, shit arggggghhhh the bag had leaked and it was me who I could smell…… I ran as fast as I could and jumped in a taxi. After a few days of being mortified and crying I saw the funny side of it and got the support belt and some extra tape for the edges of the bag. You will grow in confidence, given time. I went swimming, traveled round America, Abseiled down high buildings, wore tight fitted dresses and learnt to be in control rather than it controlling me, took a year or two though and a lot of tears, it’s true that time is a great healer but support and like minded people helps too. x
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