I hear a lot of people worry about what types of clothes they can wear with an ostomy pouch. Some people are under the impression that they will no longer be able to fit into their entire wardrobe once they get an ostomy and have to wear a pouch on their stoma. Today, I wanted to write this article to talk about how you can still be fashionable and look like a normal human being even if you have a stoma. The thing about wearing an ostomy pouch is that it is not a death sentence; you can actually appear normal to most people even if you have to wear an ostomy pouch. Most people with ostomies often get concerned about finding the right types of clothes to wear that appear fashionable yet still do a good job at hiding their disgusting looking ostomy pouches. Well, I am here today to talk about different ways in which you can dress fashionably and wear an ostomy pouch at the same exact time. Life does not have to be completely grim once you have crossed over into the world of stomas; in fact, some people with ostomies do completely normal things like everybody else everyday. I bet that there are a lot more people around you in your life that wear ostomy pouches than you actually think.
The first thing to know about dressing with an ostomy pouch is that you do not actually have to throw away all your old clothes. I have seen it too many times where people who just get ostomies get all worried about how none of their clothes are going to fit anymore, so they just decide to throw everything away or give it to a thrift store or something. This is actually one of the biggest mistakes you can make because you don’t actually need to throw away any of your clothes. I am going to give you a few tips and tricks about dressing fashionably while wearing an ostomy pouch, so there is no need to feel bad about yourself anymore.
If you are like I used to be, then you are probably pretty insecure about wearing your ostomy pouch out in public. I used to be very afraid that people would notice I was wearing an ostomy pouch and think badly of me or ostracize me. Though nowadays I simply do not care what other people think about my ostomy pouch, I can understand that anyone who has recently gotten an ostomy most likely does not share that sentiment with me. So the number one rule for when it comes to wearing an ostomy pouch is that you should always keep that thing close to your body if you do not want anybody to see it or notice it. There are definitely products available for just that purpose; like I have mentioned before in previous articles, there are a variety of ostomy belts and wraps available for people who want to keep their pouch closer to your body.
By wearing those belts or wraps, it becomes a lot easier to hide your ostomy pouch underneath your clothes. You can also wear spandex or tight underwear underneath your clothes to hide your ostomy pouch, since it will keep the pouch tighter to your body.
Stoma Care Corner 