I suffered from severe Crohn’s Colitis for ten years.
I finally had surgery to remove my colon/large intestine in October of 2008. Now I have a stoma and must wear an Ostomy appliance 24/7. Right after surgery, I began having problems with leaking bags, dissolving adhesive, skin pulling, stoma noises, difficulty sleeping, restricted movement, bags accidentally coming off, and visible bulkiness of the bags under my clothing.
At night the bag would wake me from my sleep every time I rolled over in bed. During the day I was frustrated by all the limitations I was experiencing. I could not take my shirt off at the beach without feeling like everybody was looking at me and wanting to know what that bag was on my side. I had a definite problem with my confidence level. I did not want to have to explain my Ostomy bag. Most of all, I wanted to go to the beach and feel free to take my shirt off. I needed to find a solution. I decided to design and make a belt I could wear twenty-four hours a day.
I loved sports, all sports: Swimming, Diving, Surfing, Basketball, Waterskiing, Soccer, Football, Running, Wakeboarding and Sky diving.
I needed to have a belt that would hold up to my lifestyle no matter what I did. I needed a belt that would stay securely in place so I could enjoy life. Back when I was a young single man, I needed a belt that would give me more self- confidence when going out with friends. I loved to dance and go to Salsa clubs. When I wore other belts, I would sweat, the adhesive would dissolve, the bags would leak, and I would end up with major skin irritations. None of the other belts I tried worked for my lifestyle. What a nightmare! I needed a lightweight belt so my skin could breathe. I needed a belt that would give me total freedom of movement.
The Ostomy bag by itself caused embarrassing telltale bulges that showed through my clothes at my waistline. I needed a belt that would hold the Ostomy bag snugly but was flexible enough to stretch when the bag was full. The weight of a full bag caused constant pulling which would often cause the adhesive flange to pull away from my skin. In the months after my surgery, I was constantly afraid the bag would leak, and it did. I found myself walking around holding or guarding my side all the time to avoid potential leaking. I isolated myself. I wanted comfort, security, peace of mind, freedom of movement and privacy. I needed a new solution.
I decided to develop a comfortable belt that would provide full support for my Ostomy bag day and night.
I wanted a support belt that would stay securely in place with my active lifestyle. I needed to be sure the Ostomy bag was not going to fall off or get pulled off no matter what I wanted to do. I tried many other types of belts and devices. I needed to find a better way to live. For one reason or another, no product I tried lived up to my expectations. After months of frustration, discomfort, and many embarrassing situations, I began to develop a belt suitable for my active lifestyle.
After months of trying and testing many different prototypes, I invented The Stealth Belt. Now I do everything and go everywhere. I wear a Stealth Belt twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, even while I sleep. Stealth Belt has made my life much easier and made living with an Ostomy less stressful. Stealth Belt Ostomy Support Belt is different from other Ostomy support belts I have tried because its stylish design is truly ‘stealthy’. Now no one knows I wear an appliance unless I choose to tell them.
I realized many other people were living with the same type of frustrations and annoying problems I had experienced. I decided to make Stealth Belt available to help others who had experienced similar surgeries. Stealth Belt has given me a better quality of life, more freedom, more privacy, full mobility, and most of all, confidence. Stealth Belt is the option that works with anyone’s lifestyle.
I made Stealth Belt for my active lifestyle. Stealth Belt will work for you as well as it has for me. Stealth Belt will change your life. Richard Hamill Owner, Designer, & Wearer since 2009
Reclaiming My Life