Bill5107 wrote:I'm a bit premature worrying about this as I'm not looking at surgery for at least 12 weeks....
...but it is likely I'll have a permanent bag. Radiologist insists on playing for the chance I won't, but of course that's the difference between hoping and planning.
So my idle question for our biking members is this:
1. How does a bag affect biking? Street vs mountain biking too? What about falls and accidents?
2. More generally how does it affect outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, canoeing, skiing and the like?
I biked for awhile with the bag (ileostomy) and it wasn't bad. The biggest problem I had, since it was August, was staying hydrated and electrolyted. Without the benefit of a colon, a good share of the water and goodies go right into the bag rather than being absorbed through the colon. So you have to watch it. I drink pickle juice for the electrolytes (still do), and it works pretty well.
The only other problem is a wardrobe issue. The bag gets in the way of some garments, most notably shorts and pants. If you have a permanent ostomy, you'll probably get better placement than those of us who had temps. Insist on it. You just have to figure out what to wear and how best to wear it. Not a huge obstacle in the big scheme of things.
I was afraid that the sweating and movement would compromise the seal on my bag installations, but that turned out not to be the case. I needed to change the bag about every 5 days, regardless of my activity. What you eat has a greater impact on bag integrity than anything else, I think.
Falling? It's just like anything else--if you fall directly on the bag I suppose it could break or the seal could blow out. So try not to fall down. A good friend of mine has a permanent ileostomy, and has had it for the past 25 years. He said at first he was afraid to XC ski because he thought he might fall and blow it out. Typically in skiing you fall on your ass, not your stomach. If you think about how you would have to fall to compromise the bag, it's pretty unlikely, especially if you know what to avoid.
As you may have discovered, I advocate exercise under any conditions, so I would certainly encourage you to go forth with confidence--bag or no bag.