9 days to go: Swimming with an ileostomy

I've just got back from a weekend's camping in the Lake District with my boyfriend, which has been absolutely beautiful! One of the things I love best is the outdoors, so it was fantastic to escape for a couple of days. My stomach bug on Friday had cleared up by the evening - it was very mild, so I was fortunate there.

Tomorrow is my pre-op assessment, and I'm excited for the next stage in my journey. I thought I'd talk about a topic that a lot of people wonder about with ostomies - and that's swimming!

10 days to go: Swimming with a stoma

When facing stoma surgery and all the worries that come with it, wondering whether or not you'll be able to go swimming afterwards might seem like a silly or trivial topic to cover. However, you can see why people are curious about this: how is it possible to wear something as tight as a swimming costume and still hide your bag? What happens if the bag comes off in the water? And does the prolonged soaking cause the bag to come unstuck?

In fact, swimming was one of the very first 'sports' I got back to after my operation. You will need to bear in mind that you should not swim if you still have open wounds because of the infection risk, but once you're all healed up, you're ready to go. I started a gentle aqua aerobics class with my mum about 2 months post-op, which was confidence boosting, a bit of exercise and a lot of fun. We became regulars, until the instructor quit and the class got cancelled - we were gutted! In each of these sessions, we were in the pool for hours at a time, and I never once had any problems.

I've since been in the sea on several occasions, and even to Center Parcs and spend hours in the huge swimming paradise - all with 0 problems!

Ostomy bags are designed to be waterproof and do not peel away when wet. However, you may find that when in prolonged contact with water, the edge of the flange may begin to fray or peel slightly. It is unlikely to peel back enough to cause a leak, but for a first-time stoma-swimmer it's likely to cause self-consciousness or anxiety. To avoid this, Coloplast's amazing Brava Extender Tape provides extra security and is completely waterproof. You stick the tape over the edge of your bag's existing flange. The stuff is extremely sticky and hard to remove, and stays on even after hours in the pool. I actually wear these strips all the time, because they just make me feel so secure.

For men and women, www.ostomysecrets.co.uk do a brilliant swim-band for extra security, which flattens your bag to your stomach and holds it in place. You just put your trunks or costume on over the top.

(Apologies here for the men reading my blog - unfortunately, I don't have much advice to give in the way of swimwear!)

For the ladies - you might not like the fact that you can no longer wear your itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny, but the truth is, swimming costumes do not have to equal frumpy. Patterns or dark colours work best to hide your bag, and there's a real variety of pretty and funky costumes out there that are actually very flattering. High-waisted bikinis are also in at the moment, so don't feel guilty about splashing out on them. I personally have one trusty high-waisted pair of black bottoms, then I wear a variety of coloured bikini tops (black goes with anything!).

Chilling on the beach!

As shown brilliantly on Crohn's and Colitis UK (and elsewhere), some ostomates choose to stick to regular bikinis or trunks that show off their bag when on the beach or on holiday by the pool. There's no right or wrong about this - it's all about what makes you feel comfortable. If sunbathing with your bag on show is okay with you, then go rock that summer sun! However, if you'd rather hide your bag, relax in the knowledge that there's a lot of options out there for you in terms of swimwear. 

Personally, although I've shared photos of my bag online, I prefer to cover up by the pool or on the beach simply because I don't want to have to answer any questions. I think it's really admirable when people are body confident and show their bags, but although I'm confident about my own body and my stoma, when I'm on holiday I just want to chill out and not have to think about my bag or my condition, or have people ask me about it.

Bit of a blurry shot - but my nice swimming cozzie! :)

There's no right or wrong option - it's just what makes YOU feel most comfortable. If that means having your bag on show, then don't let anyone's judgment sway your opinion. It's your body, your holiday and if they have a problem, they can always choose to look the other way.