Does anyone reading this have a stoma and still cycle? Or does anyone know someone with a stoma who cycles?
I am currently having treatment for rectal cancer which will almost certainly conclude with the removal of my back passage and the provision of a stoma and colostomy bag. My greatest concern is that this
treatment will prevent me from cycling.
I would be very grateful for any information or reassurance.
Riding with a colostomy bag
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Sorry have no personal experience but this looks useful http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk/ ... ide-2.aspx
'Kernow bys Vyken'
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
One of my brothers does - seems to be no problem with Lycra shorts and riding a road-bike ....
Rob
Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
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eileithyia
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Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Best wishes for your treatment.
It is a considerable amount of time since I last worked on wards with stoma patients.
I believe even back then there was discussion as to best positioning of stomas and avoiding such things as waistbands.
I am assuming you will be able to have opportunities to discuss such things with your stoma team regarding this and ensuring that it be placed where it will not be uncomfy in lycra and when positioned on the bike.
It is a considerable amount of time since I last worked on wards with stoma patients.
I believe even back then there was discussion as to best positioning of stomas and avoiding such things as waistbands.
I am assuming you will be able to have opportunities to discuss such things with your stoma team regarding this and ensuring that it be placed where it will not be uncomfy in lycra and when positioned on the bike.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
If you are looking for reassurance then hopefully I can provide it. I got my stoma on the 6th of September this year and although I am not back on the bike yet my recovery is going well and I don't envisage any problems.
The real key to it is the positioning and you should discuss it early and fully with your Stoma nurse. Mine is quite high, above the trouser line (unless I do my best Simon Cowell impression) and that just means I am less likely to get any irritation on longer rides but it does mean it can be more visible. Like I say positioning is key and whilst the Stoma Nurse will be great at giving advise he or she might not cycle and will rely on you telling them your riding position etc. I had to have my Stoma for different reasons than yours but now I have mine I can safely say even after only a month it is the best decision I made.
Good luck
The real key to it is the positioning and you should discuss it early and fully with your Stoma nurse. Mine is quite high, above the trouser line (unless I do my best Simon Cowell impression) and that just means I am less likely to get any irritation on longer rides but it does mean it can be more visible. Like I say positioning is key and whilst the Stoma Nurse will be great at giving advise he or she might not cycle and will rely on you telling them your riding position etc. I had to have my Stoma for different reasons than yours but now I have mine I can safely say even after only a month it is the best decision I made.
Good luck
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
muntjac unfortunately I cannot offer you any words of advice but I can wish you good luck with your treatment
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Hello muntjac
Yes I have a local CTC mate with a stoma, lives a normal life, he has had this for 6 or 7 years and at 78 he still cycles several times per week. As far as I know he just carries spares with him. He wears lycra shorts and tops, you do not know that he has one.
Best of luck, hope you can get back on the bike again soon.
Regards Andy
Yes I have a local CTC mate with a stoma, lives a normal life, he has had this for 6 or 7 years and at 78 he still cycles several times per week. As far as I know he just carries spares with him. He wears lycra shorts and tops, you do not know that he has one.
Best of luck, hope you can get back on the bike again soon.
Regards Andy
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
My late father didn't ride, but he spent the last 16 years of a long life hiking around the Peak with a colostomy bag. It certainly didn't interfere with his activities.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Many thanks to all who replied. It is certainly very reassuring.
It is really the position of the stoma which is giving me the greatest concern. No matter how I try I can't bring myself to believe that it isn't going to pinch and rub whilst pedaling. I'll just have to wait and see. The irreversibility of the surgery is rather frightening.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Muntjac
It is really the position of the stoma which is giving me the greatest concern. No matter how I try I can't bring myself to believe that it isn't going to pinch and rub whilst pedaling. I'll just have to wait and see. The irreversibility of the surgery is rather frightening.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Muntjac
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Hi
sorry to hear of your news. I had an ileostomy (same principle, right-hand side) in 2006 during my treatment for bowel cancer. There is no getting away from it - life with a bag is a drag. It will take you into a world that you never knew existed. However, you do get used to it. I couldn't even bear to look at my stoma while in hospital, but the stoma nurse would not let me home until I could clean and change it myself. So I had to force myself to deal with it. As the weeks passed it became easier and I got into a routine.
My biggest problem was with the bag leaking - an ileostomy means the bag will fill quite quickly. This may not be a problem with a colostomy - talk to your stoma nurse about diet. At first I had simple adhesive bags but because of the leaking, changed to one with a belt. Again talk to your stoma nurse about this.
To get back to your original question - yes you can ride with a bag - lots of people do. There are even different designs of bags for sports/activities - check the internet for various bag designs. If the skin around the bag becomes sore (from the adhesive) use E45 cream. And if you have a hairy stomach you will need to shave the area around the stoma so the bag can stick. This does nothing to improve aerodynamics though.
A friend of mine in the same situation as you is a runner and he has trained himself, mainly through diet, to keep himself 'regular' such that he can leave his bag off for up to 12 hours if he has an event.
When I got back on the bike I had to give up lycra (no bad thing I guess) and found that baggier, mtb type shorts worked well. As I say, you will get used to it.
Good luck and take care
ians
sorry to hear of your news. I had an ileostomy (same principle, right-hand side) in 2006 during my treatment for bowel cancer. There is no getting away from it - life with a bag is a drag. It will take you into a world that you never knew existed. However, you do get used to it. I couldn't even bear to look at my stoma while in hospital, but the stoma nurse would not let me home until I could clean and change it myself. So I had to force myself to deal with it. As the weeks passed it became easier and I got into a routine.
My biggest problem was with the bag leaking - an ileostomy means the bag will fill quite quickly. This may not be a problem with a colostomy - talk to your stoma nurse about diet. At first I had simple adhesive bags but because of the leaking, changed to one with a belt. Again talk to your stoma nurse about this.
To get back to your original question - yes you can ride with a bag - lots of people do. There are even different designs of bags for sports/activities - check the internet for various bag designs. If the skin around the bag becomes sore (from the adhesive) use E45 cream. And if you have a hairy stomach you will need to shave the area around the stoma so the bag can stick. This does nothing to improve aerodynamics though.
A friend of mine in the same situation as you is a runner and he has trained himself, mainly through diet, to keep himself 'regular' such that he can leave his bag off for up to 12 hours if he has an event.
When I got back on the bike I had to give up lycra (no bad thing I guess) and found that baggier, mtb type shorts worked well. As I say, you will get used to it.
Good luck and take care
ians
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Hi,
I volunteer for the charity http://ostomylifestyle.org/, having had an ileostomy several years ago, and it certainly didn't change my riding habits. Most people that have stoma surgery (approx 22,000 people per year) get on just fine, but if you do have any problems I'd recommend calling the helpline at the website above.
Several of the other volunteers (with stomas) at Ostomy Lifestyle are keen cyclists, some of them at a VERY competitive level. Last year we also organised a coast-to-coast ride to raise funds and awareness, and next year we will be running a bigger one day event so more people can get involved.
The most important thing is that your body recovers from the surgery and the other treatments, so take your time, but the stoma won't stop you cycling, or anything else.
BTW if it helps: the main difference between a colostomy and an ileostomy, is that the output from a colostomy will be thicker and less frequent. Leaks can happen, but are unlikely and usually due to the bag not being fixed properly; again call the helpline or as ians mentioned you stoma nurse will be able to advise as well.
Hope all goes well,
I volunteer for the charity http://ostomylifestyle.org/, having had an ileostomy several years ago, and it certainly didn't change my riding habits. Most people that have stoma surgery (approx 22,000 people per year) get on just fine, but if you do have any problems I'd recommend calling the helpline at the website above.
Several of the other volunteers (with stomas) at Ostomy Lifestyle are keen cyclists, some of them at a VERY competitive level. Last year we also organised a coast-to-coast ride to raise funds and awareness, and next year we will be running a bigger one day event so more people can get involved.
The most important thing is that your body recovers from the surgery and the other treatments, so take your time, but the stoma won't stop you cycling, or anything else.
BTW if it helps: the main difference between a colostomy and an ileostomy, is that the output from a colostomy will be thicker and less frequent. Leaks can happen, but are unlikely and usually due to the bag not being fixed properly; again call the helpline or as ians mentioned you stoma nurse will be able to advise as well.
Hope all goes well,
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Probably a long way off for me, but I know that it's highly likely at some point in the future (I've crohn's, steroid controlled at the moment, but I've got a good number of decades left)
I also know a couple of people with stoma (and possibly others who have a stoma I'm unaware of, although my diet tends to lead to bowel related conversations...) whose lives are (externally) not seriously affected.
I think the advise above is good, and it's certainly reassuring to hear from others who have, or who have friends/colleagues with, stomata.
I also know a couple of people with stoma (and possibly others who have a stoma I'm unaware of, although my diet tends to lead to bowel related conversations...) whose lives are (externally) not seriously affected.
I think the advise above is good, and it's certainly reassuring to hear from others who have, or who have friends/colleagues with, stomata.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Three more replies since I last looked. My thanks to you all. Ians, you sound to have been in much the same emotional state as I am at present, but all the replies have been very reassuring and I am not quite so frightened as I was. I'm having radiotherapy at the moment and feeling very sore, and I shall be glad when this is all over.
Thanks to all, and thanks for the link to ostomy lifestyle which looks very useful.
Muntjac
Thanks to all, and thanks for the link to ostomy lifestyle which looks very useful.
Muntjac
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Take a look at the BCIR website (Barnett Continent Ileal Reservoir). I too had a colostomy bag but had the BCIR surgery 25 years ago, and now I no longer have a protruding stoma and don't need to wear a bag. The BCIR website explains all. Unfortunately I believe this surgery is only available in USA, but well worth any cost. I cycle a lot, same as anyone without a colostomy. Good luck.
Re: Cycling with a stoma (colostomy)
Even if that was available in the UK it would not be relevant to the OP's situation - rectal cancer; colostomy.
BCIR is pretty unique and procedures of that ilk are mainly for people who may be prone to other problems, especially as it is a much more serious operation and catheterising is not for everyone.
BCIR is pretty unique and procedures of that ilk are mainly for people who may be prone to other problems, especially as it is a much more serious operation and catheterising is not for everyone.