How do you cope with excercise/sport?

[robbo87]

Was just wondering if people on here find it easy or not to be active when having an ostomy? i have an ileostomy and i think its a bit to soon just yet after 6 weeks but eventually i would like to get active again. I used to really enjoy swimming and playing football, and especially playing golf which almost became an obsession. Do people manage to do this sort of things without problems? I'm really worried about swimming mainly because of how i will look. Ive seen ostomy belt which look great but having a mucus fistula aswell its a bit more difficult to hide things. and also the usual concerns about bags coming off etc?

how about more physical things? I really want to be able to play golf again but im worried about doing some form of damage or getting a hernia of some sort.

 

[Terriernut]

Martin, it's a holiday weekend in the USA...so it may be a bit slow getting responses to this. Several of the folks on here swim, golf, and even run marathons! But they gradually built up to it. So the answer to your question is YES...in fact I think most folks on here are actually more active now than they were when they were so ill.

 

[glum chump]

Hi Martin:

I can't answer all your questions, but I was having dinner at a friends house last weekend, and there was a guy there with an ileostomy and he was going golfing the next day. He was saying that he does wear a belt when he goes golfing, but he's been golfing most of the summer with no problems.

I know that people definitely go swimming but I'm not sure what men wear that conceals the bag---some guys at my local pool wear form fitting tank tops with shorts which I would think would cover the bag, but I'm not sure. My local pool also has athletes training in the morning, and I notice that the male athletes are wearing one piece suits that come down to their ankles which look mighty snazzy. I think even *I* could swim amazingly if I had one of *those* suits!

Good luck with the ongoing healing....

Cheers,

Kismet

P.S. Yes, Misty, it's a long weekend here. Thankfully, there's at least one of us on here that doesn't have a life!!

 

[Terriernut]

I dont have a life Kismet, I work every weekend and bank holiday...fun fun fun. You have a life!!!! Go grab it!!!

 

[glum chump]

I wish I could have a life, but I'm babysitting a dog for a friend (who has a life!) and I"m in charge of our dog since my partner's away. Our dog just had ear surgery and I've been changing his dressing every three hours. He's very miserable when I've gone out to the shops and he's extra miserable on his walk because I put the cone around his head.

Martin, I forgot to mention that I use a waterproof bandage around the tape when I go in the pool (I have MS and am back doing water therapy now). I use NexCare Waterproof tape and just use it around the edges to keep a proper seal. I change my appliance every four or five days and haven't had a problem with the seal. I've also heard of a product called SureSeal, but it's more expensive and haven't tried it yet. The waterproof tape is not as less pricey. As well, I find that the waterproof tape isn't too rough on my skin.

 

[CDDad]

Hi Martin,
I'm pretty active - I run 5 or 6 days a week, swim, play softball, all with no problem.
I wear the thin Hollister belt and that keeps things secure and makes sure the bag won't come off.
I think the 3 sports you mentioned will be fine. For swimming, I wear a "rash guard" shirt. At least that's what they are called in the US. here is an example:
http://www.zappos.com/oneill-skins-s-s-crew-10-metal

I find I'm able to do everything I did before. I've lifted heavy things many times without a problem. But, I started slow and careful and just kept adding activities.

 

[robbo87]

Thanks for the reply's. That sort of shirt looks quite suitable, my only concern is with tight fitting tops like that does it not matter if they sort of push down on the stoma if you know what i mean? its about 7 weeks from my operation now and im wondering whether to go to the gym just to do very light exercise like going on bikes or a bit of light walking and jogging on the treadmill. Im seeing my doctor in the coming week so i guess he can give me a good guideline.

They have jacuzi's and stuff aswell but im not quite confident enough yet to be going in water in public. since ive come home ive had quick showers where ive tried my best to avoid getting the bag wet unless im planning to change it straight afterwards, i did have one bath but again i was planning to change straight away, and this caused problems with the patch over my mucous fistula as this doesnt seem to stick near aswell as my ileostomy bag.

its so frustrating because im so bored at home and really wanna get back to activities i did before, but i dont wanna do too much to soon and cause more problems!

 

[Terriernut]

Martin, just go easy. I know you are bored! (we GET it, really we do!)

As for swimming and bathing, check if you can get some tegaderm tape. Put that around your appliance and see if you dont feel more secure. I know that feeling a bit more secure about things will make the biggest difference to you in every way. Then just slowly start doing things. SLOWLY being the operative word! Trust me, you DONT WANT a hernia.

 

[glum chump]

My dilemma, also, Martin was how to get back to some 'normal' activities without causing further problems. I had some complications after surgery, but at the nine week mark, I started going to our local pool/gym and would gently do an easy 'ride' on the stationary bike. I still had/have an open wound, but being on the bike didn't cause any problems. Mind you, I went really really slow! I'm now at the 14 week mark and have been taking my dog for longer walks, and even though he really pulls at the leash, there hasn't been any problems.

But boredom I get. I was still in the hospital at the 7 week mark and I was scratching-at-my-eyes bored. They released me just before the 8 week mark and I felt I just wanted to do 11 million different things at once. I wasn't well enough for physical activities and ended up learning to knit, have a freezer filled with soups and stews, and have canned some tomatoes. These things kept me close to home and didn't strain at my abdominal area. At the 9 week mark, though, I started going to the pool/gym once a week.

Because of my MS, I have a rehab specialist that I work with who has modified my workout to consider my surgical fallout. I'm wondering if your gym has a fitness/physiotherapist/sports medicine type person who might be able to recommend a workout routine for you that takes into consideration your health status?

Just my two cents...

 

[Gav]

I play tennis, football, squash and some golf when I have time. I find the best thing to use for the first three is a hernia belt, to help protect me from any action that may cause a parastomal hernia. This was recommended to me by my stoma nurse, and so far seems to be working well.

Weightlifters use similar belts to avoid hernias and since our stomach muscles are weakened quite severaly by the open surgery, especially around the stoma site, I think it's a really good idea. I also use it when shifting heavy stuff about the house!

But as you say Rob, at 6 weeks post surgery, it's too soon to be getting into that kind of thing. All the best chap.

Gav

 

[robbo87]

Thanks for the info peeps, maybe i am trying to do to much too soon, but after 4 months in hosp i am just dying to get back out there haha. But yeah, i think waiting a bit longer seems a good option!... the last thing i want to do is end up back in there! Im hoping to start driving in the next week or so, so im hoping that will go ok and atleast give me a reason to get out the house!

 

[robbo87]

Spoke to my doctor yesterday and he said it would be fine for me to do some light exercise like cycling or crosstraining and stuff, And he said Golf would be perfect for me now, just nothing heavy.straining and certainly no heavy lifting. The only obstacle now is to be confident enough to do these things with the bag on. i don't own any sort of hernia/support belt or so think I'm gonna look into getting something like that first.