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Traveling with your ostomy (you can't leave home without it!)
Do you like to cruise, go on road trips, go to exotic destinations, or get away for the weekend?
The first time I had to fly was ten days after my ostomy surgery at Mayo Rochester - and in addition to traveling so soon, a tornado had touched down near the Minneapolis Airport and had disrupted flights - a lot. I made it home and have done a lot more traveling in the almost 40 years since. In fact, we have just packed up the car and are leaving tomorrow for two weeks!
A great starting point for travelers with an ostomy is this article in the Mayo Blog - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/traveling-with/
Now that you have an ostomy how has travel changed? Or has it? What tips do you have for others about packing, flying or driving, eating out, and dealing with appliance changes? Is there something specific you need to take, or do, for your type of ostomy? What do you wish you had known before the first time you traveled?
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I have a j Pouch and it has caused changes in traveling. I have zofan, pepcid, pepto-bismol, and imodium to moderate diarrhea but I have always been anxious and I read someone's post on Mayo that I apply to myself every day. My gut has been through all my emotional stuff and I need to have a little respect for it as it deals with the removal of the entire bowel on an emergency basis. I think that a bidet is essential when I am traveling. I have traveled without it and the outcome wasn't what I wanted.
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2 Reactions@aileenredding Do you mean you have some sort of traveling bidet or that you have to ensure that bidets are in place where you go?
Does anyone have any suggestions for making the seat belt more comfortable? My husband and I have just had our first car trip since his urostomy surgery and he did great, but I think the darn seat belt contributed to a leakage problem! I have an emergency kit in the car but had forgotten to include the adhesive remover and powder--now that kit is better supplied. Thanks so much for this forum, we've learned a lot and it's made our adjustment easier!
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3 ReactionsTo piki: I bought a traveling bidet but have not used it. We were planning to go to LA and I called many hotels and only one had bidets that they would install for my stay. I just looked for its name and came up empty. Many hotels say they have rooms with bidets but call and make sure.
@bagman I started using a list after I went to visit my sister and forgot the powder! Luckily I was able to find a pharmacy that sold it.
I have heard of people using pregnancy seat belt adjusters to move the seat belt lower towards the hips. Do you think that would help?
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2 Reactions@aileenredding are you finding a bidet helps avoid the skin irritation (we used to call it "taco butt, because sometimes you just have to laugh at life's absurdity).
I agree a real bidet would be best, but have you tried things like Tucks pads or the cottonelle wipes for travel? Or even baby wipes?
@susanf8 Great idea -- I'll check that out, thanks.
I received a small pillow type that velcros onto your seatbelt made for ostomy patients Amazon sells them on line
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2 ReactionsYes, they are helpful. I guess it is just was works for you.
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