So, you’ve had your ostomy. You’ve recovered from your ostomy. You’ve learned how to get along with your stoma and pouch, and now all you want to do is get back to life. And part of that life included being outdoors and being able to play sports, like tennis. But, seeing as how things have changed and you’re now carrying around an additional accessory you weren’t before, it’s easy to see how you’d wonder if you’ll ever be able to get back to your old normal way of doing things. The short answer to that is no. Old normal is out. But that doesn’t mean that a new normal isn’t around the corner. And this new normal can still include your favorite activities, like tennis, amongst many other things.
The trick is learning how to work with your pouch when doing physical activities, such as sports. One of the best ways you can do this is simple little tricks. One such trick for instance is making sure your pouch stays in place with athletic tape. You just gently wrap it around your abdomen, securing the pouch in place and assuring that it won’t move while you do. If you’re concerned about the cost of such things, as athletic tape can be a wee bit expensive to buy a lot of, no worries, you can always go to distributors, such as Amazon, and buy it in bulk. I actually have done that for more than just my pouch. Back in the day, I had to wear a heart monitor for over a month, and I found a supplier that was technically athletic tape for horses, but it was made from the same material that humans use, and it was less than a fraction of the cost you buy it in stores.
Another way to make yourself more comfortable while making sure your opponent scores nothing more than some love while hitting the ball around the court, is to wear athletic clothing. There are actually websites designed to sell apparel for people like you and me who’ve had ostomies, and are looking for something that can help secure, conceal, and give the most comfort possible. Otherwise, you can just go to places like Under Armor, who have a wide selection of dri-fit clothing that is perfect for sweating and keeping the moisture from building.
Now when it comes to movement, and in tennis there’s a lot of it, as long as your pouch is secure, you really don’t have much to worry about. Maybe don’t dive for that ball that will have you landing on your stomach, but aside from that you should be good to go. Another good tip is to make sure you empty your pouch before hitting up the court. And, if you’re wanting more concealment (because tennis shirts aren’t exactly baggy) you can also go with a smaller pouch for athletic purposes.
All-in-all though, despite that you now have a new normal, that normal can still include your favorite past time activities. It may take a little extra planning and thinking ahead, but as long as you dot your i’s and cross your t’s, you should have no trouble being to partake in almost any sport. But let’s be honest…tennis is pretty much the best, so why do anything else? Ok ok ok, maybe switch it up occasionally. But no matter what you do, you should be able to have fun and maybe even forget your ostomy ever happened in the first place.
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