Swimming

Mishaps Not. Come On In. The Water’s Fine!

Warm weather’s here and there’s nothing like a nice dip in some cool water.

Okay, I already know what you’re thinking, especially if you’re a new ostomate. How am I going to swim with my ostomy? It’s maybe even right up with your earliest fears about showering when you may also have asked, how am I going to shower with my bag? Well, I’m sure shower anxiety went away. So, will your anxiety about swimming. I can guarantee.

I’m walking proof that the shower, and yes, a good swim are doable. For one thing, I had my surgery in June 2019, and by August, I was in my parents’ pool. For another, I am so confident about this that earlier this year I bought a house with a pool, and I can’t wait till summer relaxation time in and around said pool.

Will the bag pop off?

I’ve heard a lot of ostomates say, “I’ll get in the pool and for sure, my bag will pop off.

“What if I put on a new bag in the morning and go swimming in the afternoon?

This is not going to last in water it's going to come off this isn't going to work. No bag will.”

I get it, but there are several things you can do to combat this challenge. First, time can be your best friend. For example, I wouldn’t want to apply a new bag and then go into the pool 15 minutes later. I always want to give the ostomy a couple hours to set…you know, at least 2 to 3 hours to make sure it’s really sealed.

Second, finding the right product is important. Personally, I use a Hollister bag. I can shower in that bag, too and go into the pool with it. I've literally done a prolonged swim two days in a row – and still wore the same bag for three or four days. It does a nice job of adhering to me. That said, Hollister is not the only product. Everybody’s different. The key is finding the product that works for you. Before you even contemplate swimming, try different appliances to make sure you find one that does a nice job sticking to your skin and holding firm.

Every now and then, the edges of my appliance do start to come up a little, and I’ve learned to use an adhesive. This latex-based glue, made for purposes such as securing an ostomy, adheres to a fabric that sits under the inner ring so that it feels very comfortable against my body. Alternately, if you’re averse to the glue or are allergic to latex, you can use extra strips put out by Colorplast to secure the bag. This will make the connection stronger and keep the bag intact.

Will the bag float away?

You also might worry about the bag floating up to the water’s surface, even though it is attached to you. Even worse, you may have a vision of it floating away. I gotta say, it’s a concern – at least the part of it floating up to the surface of the water because the bag inevitably does fill up with some air. Still, there’s an easy fix. I like to use a belt or wrap to hold the appliance in place. Just as with your bathing suit, it gets wet and then dries off.

A little less convenient and certainly more cumbersome, but also viable, is using a hairdryer to dry the wrap. In my early days of wearing an ostomy, I actually used this to dry my bag when I got out of the shower.

A step in and a rise up

You know, if there’s gas in the bag when you step into the pool, the bag is going to rise.

Plus, as you go under water the bag is going to try and pull up on you and you're going to feel it. You might panic thinking it’s loose when it likely isn’t but the thought of that happening could be a little off-putting.

Interestingly, Ostoh, the medical device I’ll soon be bringing to market, is a help with this. You just press the button at the top of the device, and a little air comes out and relieves the pressure. It can also keep the bag with as minimal air in it as possible.

On your stomach

One added benefit I get from swimming is that it gives me the ability to stretch and exercise a bit. When I started swimming that first August, I realized that I hadn’t laid on my stomach in such a long time and that swimming allowed me to do that. In fact, I could stretch way forward on my stomach without adding pressure. It was a welcome position that I hadn’t been in in a long time, and I continue to enjoy that stretching out to this day. I can move in ways that otherwise “on land” would put pressure on the stoma and the bag. As early as that first August, my ability to use my body in “new ways” that hadn’t been readily available to me after the surgery felt really good.

Bottom line, anxiety about swimming is only natural, particularly if you’re new to wearing your ostomy. But swimming is healthy and good for you. As with all the adjustments that need to be made as an ostomate, don’t let fear or the need to make a little extra effort to get in the way of the fun of a dip in the pool on a very hot summer day.

Life has an unusual way of pushing us to where we need to go. To me, that’s what Ostoh is all about. 

 If you’re interested in learning more about Ostoh and how it might increase your comfort, email us at hello@ostoh.com or use our contact form. Our goal is to make your ostomy life easier and make you feel what it means to be yourself.