I use gardening kneeling pads in my home bathrooms.

@kmtucka  Hello Mary.  Thank you so much & yes, sharing our first hand experience is helpful to anyone here. I remember well the 1st years without VO  by my side. Finding Erics site & the array of helpful & friendly, "real" people here has made a tremendous difference for me. 

I have had to learn & practice editing, lol, I don't always succeed. Sometimes a lengthy reply or description is  important help for others I can't show through a video like our ever knowledgeable & gifted, ever so kind, hardworking Eric is able to do. Thank you so much Eric!! 

Its so nice to hear from you again Mary. Don't be a stranger. What you've experienced is a helpful tool here  also. 

I'm always curious what sort of a bag others use to carry their supplies in &  if the ladies need as big a purse as I feel like I carry! Lol! I used to cram my pouch supplies in one small cosmetic type bag in my sm/med.  purse but it was too frustrating for a public washroom change. I think I'll ask in a new forum, its been a while since I've started one! Lol. 

@dlkfiretruck Hey Linda! Good to hear from you again & find that Eric is keeping this community updated! I’ve shared about his channel several times in our Ileostomy FB group tho I see he’s no longer on that platform. I took a year off it myself but have found some worthwhile benefits to connecting in a couple of groups & keeping my friends list small. 

anyhoo - stay in touch! 
Karah (Marie)

Would someone who is 6'2" have more of a problem emptying their pouch?

Thanks.
Sue

Hi @sue! Maybe? 

I got a little stool for my 'favourite' bathroom, so I can sit in front of the toilet to empty. I wish I could take it everywhere with me. I generally sit backwards on the throne otherwise, to minimize splashing.

I think Eric's suggestion to put some TP in the bowl is essential, especially for taller folks. 

Good day, Sue.

What position would this person be using? If standing, then they'll want to place several layers of toilet paper on the water and front of the toilet (like what I show in the photo at the beginning of the article).

Alternatively, trying a different position like sitting or kneeling may also reduce the chance of splashes and helps to better control where the output lands.

Being older (72yo) and having mobility issues, I usually use the bathroom sink to empty my pouch. I am careful to keep the sink and surrounding area well cleaned and keep the drain deodorized. I haven't used a public toilet yet but these videos and tips have definitely made me feel a bit more confident when the occasion does arise. Does anyone else use the sink?

Hi Mary,

I haven't, as I worry about my thickness of output possibly clogging the sink drain, but if it works for you, then it works!

Interestingly enough, I hear that Japan has accessible washrooms with an ostomy toilet set up like a sink. So the idea is certainly a good one.

I wonder if modern bathroom sinks could be retrofitted to be more accessible for ostomates who empty their bag in it.

Hi Mary, I did a bit of googling and came across a product called “Easy drainer” it’s a long sleeve 100cm long and is like a long pipping bag. They are fully biodegradable and flushable. They allow the user to stand and use the toilet to empty. Simple and interesting looking product. Just type in the name and have a look 👀 

Posted by: @john68

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“Easy drainer”

I believe this is the product: https://gpmd.us/about-easydrainer/

Looks very interesting. I can see it being a huge benefit for certain people who can't get down low, or who have trouble standing over the toilet to empty in a traditional sense.

Nice find!

Thank you for referring to the EasyDrainer sleeve.
Read more about the product here https://easydrainer.com/
You can find the product on Amazon for delivery in Europe.
Regards the GPMD team

I find using a small chair in front of the toilet lets me be comfortable while emptying my ostomy bag and cleaning up. In public restrooms it’s a challenge since the seats aren’t large enough to empty while sitting plus I’m a big girl. Standing or squatting is the only way to empty in public. Question for you. I have an oval stoma and accidentally found a stoma measuring guide online. Ostomy nurse never mentioned anything about oval guides and confused me terribly about measuring with circle guides. Are there plastic oval guides since paper only works one time? Thank you for all of your articles & videos.

Thanks for sharing, Trisha!

Regarding the stoma guides. We had another person ask fairly recently, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm not aware of any plastic templates (round or oval) being sold. But, you may be able to contact various ostomy supply manufacturers (like Hollister, Coloplast, Convatec, etc.) to see if they could send you one. 

I've received plastic templates in the past, and I believe they give them to stoma nurses.

Also, depending on the appliance you have, you may be able to use the plastic liner on the back of your wafer as a re-usable template. The backings on Hollister products were fairly rigid and worked well for this!

That way, you won't have to measure every time, you can just trace the pre-cut template onto a new appliance.

Good luck!