Bag vs Pouch

I guess the politically correct term for ostomates to use when referring to their appliance is Pouch not Bag. I was corrected by another fellow ostomate via a reply to a post I made on an ostomy website.

I had no idea using the term bag was offensive; so, I apologize if the term bag raises the hair on your neck.

I do not find the word bag to be offensive, disrespectful or degrading; after all, isn't it a synonym of pouch? Well, I looked it up and here's what I found:

  Is it just me or do these two words seem interchangeable? Maybe I could use the term pocket? Or receptacle?

Hmmm, I think I may have been a bit offended by being corrected...
It's pretty hard to offend me; I am one of the most easy going people you will ever meet.

Now, I'm wondering why this affected me so much? I guess I'm a little sensitive on this matter. I feel like if a person is wearing an ostomy, said person has the right to use whatever terminology when referring to the appliance.

There are so many worse names I could call my "pouch" that would truly be very offensive. Sometimes, I like to use a little shocking terminology to increase the comfort level for others who are a little unsure of how to handle my new accoutrement. I find humor is the best way to do away with any reservations people might have about it.

Let's face it--if you have an ostomy, you know they can be quite humbling in certain situations. For instance, my stoma never fails to "erupt" during very quiet moments like prayers or meetings. There is not a whole lot I can do about it either. A friend's sister has a colostomy and when hers makes noise, they call it "percolating." It's a fact of life. Once you have your colon removed, you no longer have control of when you pass gas or fluids into the bag/pouch/pocket/receptacle/tote. I don't care who you are; we ALL pass gas so stop acting like it doesn't happen to you. When you have an ileostomy, such as mine, there is a continuous outflow into the pouch and sometimes, a whole lot of noise depending on what I've ingested. It's like having a microphone broadcasting all the gurgles the stomach makes. Not much you can but grin and bare it. I always feel that laughter is the best medicine anyway!

I have even been know to refer to the bag/pouch as a balloon. When it's full of air, it feels a like a balloon taped to my abdomen! Talk about uncomfortable physically, never mind publicly!!

OK, I guess my little rant should come to a close so I can get my To Do list started.