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Calling out to all swimmers I need your help!

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Ostomies
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crohnielass
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 1118
Posted 6/23/2013 11:45 AM (GMT -7)
 Well, today  I have booked a holiday abroad for August ( a present to myself after having surgery earlier this year lol! )  my only concern is swimming with a pouch  have heard good things  about the stelth belts  and looked on the net but, they are so expensive! and would have to get it from America as I can't find anywhere in UK that sells them.  Is there an alternative belt that is just as good but not loadsa  money you can recommend? If you swim what do you use or do to make sure the pouch stays on when you swim? I know that because it will be hot out there I will be dipping in & out of the pool most of the day. thanks for your help :0)   
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Pluot
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2012
Posts : 2500
Posted 6/23/2013 11:52 AM (GMT -7)
First of all: awesome

Second of all: Sure Seals (do a board search, discussed MANY times)

Third of all: My WOCN suggested drawing a nice hot bath and relaxing for 20-30 minutes to get an idea of how your appliance deals with being submerged. See if it affects your wear time. Confirm to yourself that you can submerge your appliance without it leaking. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

In terms of covering the pouch, I wear a high waisted bikini like this: www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=26680397&cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-PLA-_-26680660&device=c&network=g&matchtype= They're actually quite "in" this year so we're lucky :-) I know ASOS and TopShop have them too, I think those are more accessible in the UK...
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crohnielass
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 1118
Posted 6/23/2013 12:01 PM (GMT -7)
Thank you! How do I do a broad search on here? also would the chlorine in the pool have any affect on the base plate do you know? I will take a look at the swimwear link thanks, I could do with a few new ones now xx
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summerstorm
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2006
Posts : 6575
Posted 6/23/2013 2:53 PM (GMT -7)
I wear a tankini, and I wear a pair of underwear under them. Not cotton ones, the stretchy ones.
As for chlorine the only time I ever had a problem was in a friends hot tub where there was so much chlorine it literally ate the top layer of skin off! Other than that in a regular situation I have had no problem.
But sure seals are a must!
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NiceCupOfTea
Elite Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 11084
Posted 6/23/2013 3:15 PM (GMT -7)
There's a search box on the top right - it's got a search button next to it.

(I'm still not really sure what Sure Seals are myself or if you can get them in the UK. Think I'll have a look for them as well.)

Anyway, not quite the same thing, but I have had showers with the bag on and, yeah, it's always been okay.
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Sherrine
Forum Moderator
Joined : Apr 2005
Posts : 18414
Posted 6/23/2013 3:27 PM (GMT -7)
I have a swimming pool and use it 9 months out of the year for 15 years and have never had an accident.  I wear a light control panty under my bathing suit that holds the pouch in place.  I actually wear these all of the time.  They are called Undershapers and I get them at Walmart.  I have a parastomal hernia so these give support for the hernia but do not block the stoma from working.  I have gone snorkling, been in pools and hot tubs on cruises, too, plus my daily showers (I don't have the Undershaper on when I take a shower).  And, they are very comfortable, too!

 

You could buy one, put it on and sit in your bathtub with a good book and you can see if the water affects your pouching system.  I'm sure you will be fine but this would give you peace of mind.

 

Sherrine

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Brian84
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2005
Posts : 460
Posted 6/24/2013 5:30 AM (GMT -7)
I know someone who makes something very similar to the what you are looking for and has been making them for me for less than half the cost. Ive used one for swimming/wakeboarding and it has kept the bag mostly dry. I can see if she will ship to the UK. If you want to discuss this over email, the address should be in my profile.
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Another UC wife
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2007
Posts : 2111
Posted 6/24/2013 5:44 AM (GMT -7)
excellent advice....definitely spend some time in the tub to ease your mind

if you want to picture frame the wafer with tape..I know there is waterproof tape but we have found that the 3M Micropore 1" tape which is thin and like a paper tape is VERY skin friendly and does not come off when wet...hubby does that just for peace of mind....we did try the sure seals but we find them a bugger to get on and off but they are very good...we honestly find the 3m Micropore tape to be just as good

it is about $4/$5 a roll but I got a box of 12 on ebay that will last forever...lol....and the cost per roll worked out to be very inexpensive

(when we go to Aruba for 2 weeks we are in the ocean and pool for extended periods...what he prefers to use is a 3" hernia (doesn't have a hernia) support belt by NuHope under the bathing suit. It isn't really necessary but it just gives him confidence and peace of mind. The type he has is a mesh type...comfort cool it might be referred to as?)
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blueglass
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2010
Posts : 3332
Posted 6/24/2013 8:43 AM (GMT -7)
I go swimming 4 x per week, with no problems. I wear a pair of running shorts that has underwear built in and that holds the pouch well, and then a bathing suit top with it. Definitely use sure seals.

It does depend on the brand of pouch though.... I'm using a convex wafer that's on the large side. When I experimented with smaller wafers (which I decided against for other reasons), I found that the underwear built into the shorts wasn't enough to hold them still, and they twisted a bit .... no leaks or anything, but if I used a smaller wafer, I'd probably want to do something like the others have described with something tighter to hold it in.

Enjoy!
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crohnielass
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 1118
Posted 6/24/2013 11:49 AM (GMT -7)
Thank you all for your replies and advise. The sure seals sound great wouldn't mind having these to wear for everyday use aswell I get paranoid about leaks.If anyone in the Uk uses them what suppliers do you get them from? ( being lazy now but it will save me going through all the companies on the net)
Wearing a panty underneath sound like a good idea also, going for a long bath I will try that I love the tub. Now I will have an excuse to give the hubby for being in there so long!

Brian84 will e-mail you

Thanks NCOT, for letting me know how to broad search my computer skill are rubbish!


Everyone else thanks so much for your great ideas will give them a go xx
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Sherrine
Forum Moderator
Joined : Apr 2005
Posts : 18414
Posted 6/24/2013 12:20 PM (GMT -7)
If you are talking about the Undershapers, Vaserette makes them. Maybe this will help. I also checked and you can get them from Amazon and they send things all over the world. Google Vaserette Undershapers England and Amazon pops up. You can see what they look like and a better description, too.

Sherrine
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crohnielass
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 1118
Posted 6/24/2013 12:28 PM (GMT -7)
Sherrine, will have a look now thank you x
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ddd45
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 572
Posted 6/24/2013 6:51 PM (GMT -7)
Just came back from a week beach vaca. I wear tankini swimsuits with boy shorts on the bottom. No extra underwear, gadgets, wraps, belts, or any of that stuff. I don't like all the extra stuff. The boy shorts and tankini are tight enough to hold everything in. Lands end, athleta, eddie bauer in the US have tons to choose from. And they are stylish!!!

I either use sure seals or picture frame the wafer with me-fix tape. Sometimes the sure seals bother my skin. So last week I me-fixed tape before going to the beach and took it off after my shower.

I have swam A LOT - in pools and oceans with ileostomies over the past 4-5 years and knock on wood have never ever had any problems with anything falling off or leaking. In fact, my biggest concern when I got my first ileostomy, wasn't would anything fall off or leak, but how could I look trendy and fashionable in a swimsuit! And for me.. the answer is tankinis and boyshorts. Though plouts highwaisted ones are cool too, but I am too short waisted and the waistline of the bottoms would probably hit the bottom of the bikini top!
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summerstorm
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2006
Posts : 6575
Posted 6/24/2013 8:09 PM (GMT -7)
Here's why i wear the underwear. When we went to Cozumel we did a dolphin encounter and I changed into my bathing suit in the dressing room there and forgot to take off my underwear, I was in a hurry. Well part of the encounter was actually riding on the dolphin. If you have never rode a dolphin you probably don't know that when they stop it's not a smooth stop it's an abrupt stop that throws you off, and when that happened my top came up and my bottoms came down! If i hadn't had those underwear on I would have been totally exposed to everyone!
after that I just decided I would wear underwear all the time, and it turned out it really helped with the bag too! It seems like the bag doesn't get as wet either.
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