Frequently Asked Questions
I wear my pouch hanging straight down and I see that I will have to wear it sideways with your belt. How can it fill properly and how in the world would I empty it while sitting on the toilet? The pocket area of the belt is very soft and stretchy and will allow the pouch to fill horizontally just as it fills while you are sleeping at night. You do want to make sure to empty when you start to feel the weight of the output in the pouch which is usually when it gets about one-third full; most people go to empty when their output reaches that volume anyway. You will find that when the pouch fills to that point it actually appears more natural on your tummy than when a filling pouch is hanging straight down. It is true that you don't want output to remain in contact with your stoma but as long as your appliance is fitting properly and there is not too much pressure against it (from an overfilled pouch) it should be no different than while sleeping. While wearing your belt you will empty your pouch the same way that you do it now. Simply peel back the top corner of the pocket of the belt which is secured by velcro then you will let your pouch hang down and empty as usual. It will hang down just about as far as it does when attached vertically. After replacing your clip you will just tuck your pouch back into the pocket and press the flap closed. It is very simple and takes no more time.
I have a stomal hernia and I wear another belt to provide support. It is uncomfortable to wear and I'm wondering if The Better Life Ostomy Belt will work? The Better Life Ostomy Belt is designed as a garment to conceal your pouch and hold it in position, safely enclosing the pouch and clip within a pocket easily accessed for emptying. It does not apply pressure around the stoma sufficient to support a stomal hernia.
Is the belt waterproof? Can I wear it swimming? The cotton/lycra stretch fabric of the Better Life Ostomy Belt will not keep your pouch dry or your wafer from getting wet but it can certainly be used for swimming. As a man it is invaluable for holding the pouch securely in position and hiding it should your swim trunks be riding a little low when you get out of the water. The discrete appearance of the belt will allow a greater degree of body image and self-confidence and enable you to take part in activities that many ostomy wearers shy away from. The material of the belt is thicker than swim suit fabric and you will probably want to take it off after swimming and wring it out or throw it in the dryer to dry as it won't dry as quickly as your swim suit.
It seems that the belt would be a nice pouch cover for intimate times? It really couldn't be more perfect. In appearance you look like you simply have a band around your tummy. The material is extremely soft to the touch and your pouch is held concealed and flat against your body. A big advantage also is that your pouch remains functional while you are wearing the belt and you can choose to wear it all night.
My wafer just won't stay on. Do I need a belt to stop this leakage problem? Unfortunately, wearing a belt will not solve the majority of leakage problems. Problems can be caused by many reasons such as poor fitting appliances, uneven and damaged skin around the stoma, operator error while applying the wafer or snapping on the pouch, and many other reasons. There are remedies available to cure most leakage problems and you should seek out the care of your enterostomal therapy nurse or other medical professional to solve the problem before wearing a belt for its own benefits. A resource that is often overlooked is the excellent help provided by the major ostomy suppliers such as Convatec, Hollister, etc. which often provide a toll-free number to a staff E.T. Nurse for help with their products at no charge.
I don't like giving my credit card on the internet. Is there another way of ordering? Our Ostomy Solutions online store: shop.ostomysolutions.com is a SSL certified 128bit encrypted server to assure safe online transactions. We safeguard your information and do not release any customer information for any purpose to any other party. If however you prefer to purchase by mail you may certainly do so by mailing your order to the address listed under contact information with a money order for the amount of purchase including shipping. You will find the prices in our online store. We will also accept personal checks (U.S. Banks only) and we will ship your order as soon as your check clears our bank.
What if I receive the belt and I'm not happy with it? We ask that you try the belt on over your underclothing when you receive it and determine that it is the correct size before you use it. We are confident that you will be extremely pleased with the design and obvious quality of construction of the belt, but if for any reason you are not thrilled you may return it to us as long as it is in new, unworn condition for a full refund. Also, all belts are warranteed against defects in workmanship for period of ninety days.
I'm confused by the sizes. How do I measure myself? You will notice that the belt sizes are in four inch steps. Because of the high amount of two way stretch of the fabric there is quite a bit of leeway in size selection. There are some customers that may have a 40" tummy but a 30" waist so it makes it a little difficult to say with certainty which size belt would be best to order. The best method is to take a measurement around the stoma area and then visualize a band from about three inches above to below that. You need the belt to be a few inches smaller than that area you're looking at. Confused? Sorry! Sometimes we have to make a guess and almost always the correct size will be the smaller of the two sizes that you are considering. One of the sizes will fit you correctly and if you would like to call for my opinion as to which size please do so. If you should try the belt on and it doesn't fit just call or e-mail me and I will rush the correct size out to you and you can return the other at your convenience. Most returns for incorrect size are because the belt ordered is too large. Most people seem to have a stoma located slightly below the belt line in which case you should get a good fit by referring to the size chart when ordering your belt and going by your pant size.