Life doesn’t end when you get an ostomy. Those are the first words I remember when I was told this was going to happen. Those words were never truer and I wanted to pass that along to everyone. There are a lot of misconceptions about what happens when you have a stoma and many people have them and live a wonderful and absolutely normal life. In most cases life doesn’t really change and the things that you do don’t really change. That is what you should know and be excited that you are alive and that life will go on pretty much the same as it did before. Now that the serious stuff is out of the way let’s talk about being active with a stoma. I am not the most in shape person but I do love to be outdoors and play sports.
When I am being active outdoors there are some great gear items that help me be able to do this without having to think about my stoma. I learned a lot of them by talking with the people at ostomy Supplies. A great company if you didn’t know. I called up ostomy Supplies after finding them on the internet and had some great conversations and learned a ton from them. I have found that the vast majority of companies in the ostomy care business are amazing and really good at helping people learn and giving great gear advice.
So for me I ended up loving bags that have belt loops and also elastic belts. This helps me keep things tighter when I am being crazy. I love to play basketball, go hiking on a weekly basis and lots of other outdoor activities with my family. This helps me out when I know I am going to be super active.
Now I didn’t start off after the ostomy by going 100% into being super active. I started slow and worked my way up to grow my muscles back and be safe. I have had many injuries and starting slow is always the best way to not injury yourself more. So this is one thing that I really suggest you doing too. You are now more apt to having hernias and abdominal issues, so follow your healthcare providers advice and stay as safe as you can. But also have fun, don’t limit your life because you have a stoma. Be safe, have fun, and get outside!