Brilliant video. I'm two years in but when I was having the surgery this was probably one of my biggest worries - especially how I would wear smart clothes for work. Also a better solution for seat belts is a clip that fixes the length of the lap belt - like for pregnancy... Very discreet if you are not 'out of the closet'... Keep up the excellent work!

Thanks Bob! I'm going to look into those clips. I've read about people using their own DYI solutions, but several seem to pose a safety risk if the belt were to lock in an accident.

Hope you're doing well!

Really great video, thanks. I'd never thought about wearing a stoma guard to protect my stoma from the trouser belt.
I was surprised that you wear the wraps / waistband so loose, I wear mine a lot tighter, partly to help protect against hernias, and also mine (from Comfizz) has a band at the bottom so it helps support the bag if it gets full.
Would you mind if I posted a link to this page on the Colostomy Assoc UK FB Group page. There are often men within that group asking about clothing options

Thanks Sue! I would be honored if you shared this information!

I like wraps to be comfortable, but not too tight, as I find I get more pancaking with tighter accessories on. This may not be an issue for others, but it's my preference. I find the tighter stuff to work best when I'm active or engaging in sexual activity.

Have a wonderful day!

thank you for this, my husband is now 7 days post op, there are a lot of good tips here. step one will be to get a stoma guard!

I wish you guys all the best! I hope his recovery is going well.

So glad to know about the stoma guard. This should help with problems around the waist. My husband is one month post op and has resorted to wearing overalls. The guard looks like it will provide more options. Also didn't know about pouch covers. Thanks so much.

The guards can help quite a bit with trousers, since it means that your husband doesn't have to change much with how/what he puts on. Take care!

Hi,

I've been shopping with / for my husband and together we have a few tips for gents in the UK
Trousers - Marks & Spencers have trousers with a higher cut waist as standard, and many styles have an "active waist", which is slightly elasticated, allowing room for pouches / bags to expand.
Underwear - you can have three pairs of the high waisted pants with pockets (like those available from Supportex) on prescription, after that they are £12-14 each. With the time taken to arrange prescriptions, I'd buy a set at the same time as putting in a prescription request, this also applies to support bands (For those with a Urostomy, avoid tight wraps or bands as this increases degrading of seals, particularly hydrocolloid).
As well as spare trousers, always have spare clean socks, if you have an accident with a liquid output it will invariably drip on your feet! With this in mind, look for shoes that can be washed if needed, such as sneakers.
For casual wear my husband likes sports trousers like jogging bottoms, or hiking trousers from companies like Regatta or Trespass., as they have elastic in the waist. Straight cut trousers are best if you require a leg bag at all.
I'd really love to hear from anyone else in the UK if you have tips to share :-)

These are some great tips, Amanda! Thank you for sharing!!

I will be updating this article in the near future, and would like to add some of this info to that update.

Thanks for your video. This is very useful information. I'm a big fan of the "Hold Up" suspenders you mentioned from the Hold Up Suspender Company as they have clips that don't slip and they also have "next to the skin" models for summertime. The guard I use is "StomaPlex" which works well. As my stoma is at my belt line, I'd like to have high waist pants but they're hard to find. Are you aware of sources?

Hey Richard,

Glad to see you found a few solutions! I don't normally purchase high waist pants, but if you have trouble getting them at a regular department store, you may have better luck at a place that sells garments and offers tailoring.

I personally look for pants (both dressy and jeans) that either have a stretchy waist band or expands at the waist. These work really well with stoma guards.

Take care,

Eric

I came across your posting after doing an internet search about ostomies and swim suits. I just booked marked it for further reference, but I watched the entire video and read the text a few minutes ago. It's tremendously helpful. In my case, I am scheduled for an ileostomy in two weeks; I've been participating in an ostomy support group here in Albuquerque for the past few months so I am psychologically ready for the operation. The support group has been great and I've met several men who have shared their experiences about what to wear and how to dress, but your site is the most comprehensive and I"m glad that you included pictures of yourself since it makes it "real and personal." I have yet to discover where my ostomy will be placed, but I have a long torso and my pants tend to slide down to my hips even when I do wear a belt, so I anticipate some problems with pants and underwear. I've always been a low rise brief man, so I don't find boxers and high waisted underwear particularly "sexy," but I suspect that will change. I particularly like your comments about sex and intimacy since both of those are my greatest fear at the moment. I know that I will just deal with it when the time comes, but still... it's daunting while I still have my colon inside me. Basically, thanks for posting your site. I know that I will refer to it frequently.

Good luck, David!

When your stoma site is being marked, be sure to let your stoma nurse know of your concerns with clothing. They will mark the stoma in a place that's most convenient and best for long-term success.

Thanks SO much for your video! Comprehensive without pushing specific products. I'm 8 weeks into an ileo and haven't yet settled on what product to get for swimming, which is important since I'm melting in the 100+ AZ temps (ugh). What is your swimming product/brand preference?
Thx,
zman

Hey Zach,

Thanks for writing :)

I'm not a swimmer, but I've asked a friend (who does a lot of swimming!) what he does and he said he wears a "girl's suit" with his regular swim suit over it - it makes no sense to me, but I've asked him for photos :)

I will most likely post it on the Community Forums ( https://www.veganostomy.ca/community/) and will likely update this post with the added info.

Keep an eye out for that.

Hey Zach,

I've posted the photos he sent: https://www.veganostomy.ca/community/ostomy-tips-tricks/swimming-with-an-ostomy/

Could you please tell me where the stoma guards are available (I'm in Australia)?

Hi Anna,

Most stoma guard manufacturers will ship internationally, so I would suggest contacting one that you like and see what they can do.

I've reviewed several here : https://www.veganostomy.ca/product-reviews/#Stoma_Guards