Is it safe to leave my stoma uncovered

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Franners

Franners

Joined
Nov 14, 2012
Messages
27
Can anyone help me. I've heard on here that some people have showered with their stoma uncovered.
I love having a soak in the bath with a good book but by the time i have finished the adhesive of my bag has started to melt and i have to immediately change it.
does anyone know if it is safe to bath or shower without having your bag attached.
I assume you would have to make sure there was no output from the stoma first though.

thanks
 
Yeah, you can leave it uncovered. It actually doesn't even matter if you are having output or not. I would not want to sit in a bath if it was outputting but I do shower bagless twice a week.

If I have output while I'm in there I just make sure the shower gets cleaned after.

Its very nice to shower bagless... easier to make sure the stoma and peristomal area gets cleaned too.
 
thanks katiesue,
think i'll have to work myself up to going bagless although i've have my stoma for a year i've never had my bag off for any longer than about 5 minutes.
think its because i always seem to have output from it.
 
Franners, I shower with no bag all the time. It's actually very good for your skin, the warm water. I dont have a bath normally. But if you time it when your stoma is being quiet anyway? Or maybe have some immodium beforehand?

It is wonderful to have the bag off for my showers, and I think you should give it a try!
 
I'll give it a go thanks misty. Just a bit concerned about the shower gel or shampoo getting on it and being irritated or worse still I knock it at it starts to bleed. bit of a wimp when it comes to things like that lol.
 
Ack no, I knock Stan he deserves it! And I put shower gel around Stan. I just dont use moisturizing soap or something with oil in it. It really helps the health of the skin under your appliance to give it a good wash. Rinse well. I actually blast Stan with the pressure bit, he LOVES it! Gets every bit of 'crud' off him and we go away happy for the day. :ycool:
 
ha ha that sounds good to me,it might help me if i give mine a name as its going to be made permanent in the new year.
 
Hi Franners, I call mine 'Bob' its good to name it lol. I feel really bad, I've had my stoma for 15 years and have never showered or bathed bare. Is that bad? the skin is fine around it so I guess not?

I just wanted to reply to ask what appliance you use for it to melt after a bath? I;m in the UK and I use Dansac Nova 2 and I bathe regularly and never have any problems at all with the flange, in fact I only change it every 3 days (I use a 2 piece) and I can have a bath every day with no issues.
 
Hi there Skibaboo, thanks for the comment, i think i'll give mine a name once i have the surgery as I can't seem to think of an appropriate name for it, I was trying not to get attached to it as i was hoping it would only be temporary :(

I currently use a 1 piece system by coloplast, it only starts to melt around the edge of my flange but don't get that in the shower as I think I may have the bath water to hot, I end up looking like a lobster by the time i'm finished.
I'd imagine that i would go to a 2 piece bag when it's made to a permanent stoma but i'll be sure to discuss my options with the stoma nurses nearer the time.
 
Hi Franners. :bigwave:

I almost always shower with my bag off. I find that my stoma has a quiet time mid-morning and, because I am retired, I am usually able to shower then. Keep an eye out to see whether yours has a less active period - and I don't worry if there is a bit of activity in the shower. I feel differently about a bath, I must admit, and keep my bag on.

Like the others, I feel that the shower water the water running over the stoma is very healing.
 
I bathe with Oscar hanging out all the time....I'm pretty regular so I know when he's going to be active so can judge when to have a bath. Also, in regards to bleeding, our stomas are pretty resilient...my stepdaughter kicked mine square on about a year ago and he was fine (it did hurt like a bugger, and he did bleed but it was fine). Don't worry about the spray from the shower doing damage.
 
Hi Susan,
I haven't been working now for nearly 2 years because of my crohns. Although I was originally made redundant from my job and then became very ill whilst I was looking for a new one.
I'll bare in mind looking for a quiet time so I can shower without a lot of output. I think having a shower bag less would help as I am finding the peristomal skin underneath is starting to itch more frequently. I use calamine lotion to help with that but it seems to dry out the skin
 
I've had mine for over 20 years, and I have always preferred to change my pouch after I shower bare. It's perfectly safe. Your skin will love the time to breath. Yes, your stoma will act up at times, but it's no big deal. The only real drawback is that you have to clean the shower a bit more often. Don't be scared, you'll be fine. :)
 
I have read to beware of taking a long soak with no bag if you are unsure of the water quality, as in if you don't feel safe drinking it, don't take long soaks in it without a bag. If you have clean safe water where you live, long soaks and showers without a bag sounds heavenly.

I've not tried either without a bag only because I am freaky about the output. Sideshow Bob is notorious for spouting off without warning, even after being completely silent for hours.
 
I love having a hot shower with the bag off on rig changing day.
It feels lovely and my skin gets to enjoy the fresh air.
I only have a bath with bag on. Even that's pretty nice.
 
Hi Franners
I always undress miss piggy before my shower and let her have a good old wash. She is only 3 months old (and is permanent) but behaves in the shower most of the time. I always takes a clean chux cloth in with me to wash her, and hold over her while drying off, then I dry her off with another chux, apply my potions and then whack on a bag. The trick is having everything set up so that as soon as she is dry my bag and seal etc is ready to just place in position.
I use a one piece drainable and change everyday. If I feel I can get another day out of my 'gear' I cover the bag over with a shower cap and tape at the top and I don't have to worry about drying the bag off.
Janette
 
im curious about this as i think im heading in the direction of a permanent bag soon,i was talking to the ibd nurse about the different situations and i asked her if there was like a cap or something that would be usable and she thought there was,anybody heard or used one of these??
 
Are you heading for a colostomy or an ileostomy? You can get a cap to use if you have a colostomy, but not for an ileostomy.
 
Hi Susan,to be honest i'm not sure,its my large bowel or colon thats causing the problem,i had 40cm of it removed a few year ago but things have never really got better,been on all meds and never really got into remission without steriods,think the nurse said they would operate,remove the leftover bowel and make a stoma,they think the disease is down near the back passage so the way it looks is theres not enough bowel for resection so just take it out and do stoma,will find out more in coming weeks,I HOPE,they aint fastest at getting results to me,i generally have to pester them like a mad man :)
 
I must admit that I too have never, in all my 13yr of having a stoma, showered bagless. I still don't quite like the idea of my stoma working whilst I'm in a shower. I don't think I would ever give it a try personally :)
 
hainman said:
im curious about this as i think im heading in the direction of a permanent bag soon,i was talking to the ibd nurse about the different situations and i asked her if there was like a cap or something that would be usable and she thought there was,anybody heard or used one of these??
Click to expand...

There are such things as stoma caps (they look like a big bandaid that just goes over the stoma) and they're only for colostomies. i haven't tried one, but if I ever get around to trying out irrigation (again, only for colostomies) I will, as I wouldn't have to worry about output at all. Mind you, I think if the cap fits tight enough nothing would come out anyway...my stool is very hard and if get any vacuum going on in my bag nothing will come out till I take it off....then look out! It's bouncing poop time in my bathroom...lol
 
Of course you can bathe or shower bagless,in fact I have found that when I shower with the bag on it always falls off,you also feel so much cleaner.
 
I loved showering without my bag off when i had my stoma. It felt so free & was easier to clean. Did have a few volcano moments but nothing bleach couldnt fix!
 
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It's funny, I always showered with my bag on with no issues and the only time I took a showere sans bag was the night before my reversal and I have to say, I wish I would have been doing that all along. What a nice feeling! Don't worry about the little guy leaking, it goes down the drain. I had my hour first thing in the AM before it got active.
 
Hi Nyx.

Im sure the IBD nurse has said i'll get a colostomy back,but is that also the kind of surgery as appose to illiostemy,
Susan2 has mentioned in previous post asking what surgery i was due,could you give me a wee pointer as to what the difference with the 2 is please,I kinda think i know but not 100%...

Thanks
Craig
 
Hi hainman, A colostomy means your large intestine empties into a bag. An ileostomy means your small intestine empties into a bag. When people with IBD talk about their stoma, they are referring to the ileostomy- a stoma is the end of the intestine that protrudes out of the abdominal wall. In case you're wondering, it looks like the end of a hot dog, with a hole in the middle.
 
Hi Hobbes650,Nice explanation,I will never eat a hotdog again(well thats a lie)but will always imagine im eating a stome lol
Right so the disease is in my Colon which is i think is the large bowel???so in turn means im for a colostomy op??which means i can cap it lol
 
hainman said:
Hi Hobbes650,Nice explanation,I will never eat a hotdog again(well thats a lie)but will always imagine im eating a stome lol
Right so the disease is in my Colon which is i think is the large bowel???so in turn means im for a colostomy op??which means i can cap it lol
Click to expand...


Most people with IBD that have surgery on their colon, have the entire organ removed. Removing only the diseased part gives you relief for a while, but the disease seems to come back and you'll just end up needing more surgery anyways- at least from my experience it seems that way but my exprience is limited and I'm not a doctor. If the colon is removed, that does not necessarily mean you have an ileostomy performed. Another type of surgery exists where a reservoir is made from small intestine and reconnected, called a j-pouch. There is tons of info in here about that, as well as ileostomy surgery should you need either one.
 
I've had my sigmoid removed, but the rest is left to give me grief! Hobbes, with UC you can have a Jpouch, with us Crohnies they are unsuccessful as the crohn's spreads to the small intestine.
 
Terriernut said:
I've had my sigmoid removed, but the rest is left to give me grief! Hobbes, with UC you can have a Jpouch, with us Crohnies they are unsuccessful as the crohn's spreads to the small intestine.
Click to expand...

Exactly- I should have pointed that part out. I always wondered about those with only part of their colon removed- hopefully things are better and they stay that way for you. I had a much different experience but no regrets.
 
It's not too bad. Certainly livableish. I'm expecting to be reversed, so the more colon I have left the better! Luckily, I dont have trouble in the rectum area, so should be ok. Those with rectum trouble are generally the ones with permanent stomas. Although mine should've only been for a year...my now fired GI disappeared and haven't been able to get a go ahead yet.
 
Yeh i had part of my colon removed and its just came back with a vengence,Sh***** all the time,having accidents on a weekly basis,think im for the chop and bag,only thing I think is worrying me is the tail pipe thing,what happens to it??i do alot of mountain biking and I assume I'll be of the saddle for some while?The upside of the bag is I can actually have a life again,taking my daughter to the park or swimming or even just walking her to school without the fear of sh***** myself....
 
Well luv...my arsehole is alive and kicking and still there. If yours doesn't have any disease they may just leave it for now. I too was having accidents, and couldnt even manage the grocery store! So Stan was a blessing for me.
 
Sorry to sound stupid but would my tail pipe not leak if i have the thing disconected with a stoma??I will miss farting more than anything although my wife will be re-joycing as im a smelly bugger lol
 
It will occasionally have mucus. Mucus poos. Mine doesnt leak, I can feel it coming and use the loo as a normal person.

Hate to break this to your wife but....you can fart at will. :D If you have a two piece, you can burp your bag anywhere. Clears a room in no time at all! :stinks: I rather enjoy that!
 
Woohoo i would be lost without trumpet bum syndrome lol
I would have thought they would have to stitch it up if its not attached to anything??
 
It depends where your disease is. If you are like me and have bad disease in the rectum and anal area, yes, they will cut that out and close you up. But if your disease is higher up, they will remove that section of your colon, but leave the rectum and anus.

The bit of colon that is left will go on producing mucus in its normal way and, as Terriernut says, this will come out from time to time.
 
Ah i see,well i think my tail pipe is doomed to walk the farter after life....the last i heard thats where the disease was.So doesnt look good.I might not need a saddle on my bike soon haha or a very big sofa style one :)
 
hainman said:
...so in turn means im for a colostomy op??which means i can cap it lol
Click to expand...
Not necessarily, unfortunately. It depends on how liquid your output is and that depends mainly on where your colostomy is along your colon, but also on how efficient the remaining colon is.
 
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Hobbes650 said:
When people with IBD talk about their stoma, they are referring to the ileostomy- a stoma is the end of the intestine that protrudes out of the abdominal wall.
Click to expand...

Just for clarification, a stoma is the end of the ileostomy or the colostomy, not just ileostomy.
 

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