Vacationing mile high with a stoma

There certainly is one thing that I love doing and that is going on vacation.  This year we are going to head out for a long distance and go flying.  Normally I wouldn’t think too much about going on vacation, but being new to the world of ostomies I figured I would learn all I needed to know about traveling by air.  The things I learned were rather interesting.  So I figured I would write a nice article about traveling by air this year.  It certainly is a scary thing sometimes flying thousands of feet above the ground and the last thing you need to worry about is ostomy care or be prepared for the worst.

First thing to know is that if you are traveling past September you will need to get your new drivers license to fly in the United States.  This is called a verified ID and you will have to get a new drivers license even if you just renewed it.  It does take some extra time and you will need to get lots of personal information to prove you are who you say you are.  This is best to go to your local BMV website or drop by and get the list of identification you will need.  So for vacation we made sure we had the right drivers license that are varified in order to be safe and fly with no issues.

Now when it comes to flying and having a stoma, there are a few things to keep in mind. First the most important thing is to take extra gear with you.  If you have all your stuff on the luggage packed under the plain you may be in trouble if it doesn’t arrive with you!

This has happened to the best of us to make sure to bring some extra Ostomy care gear in your carry on for at least a day maybe a few days.  I like to make sure I wont be worried about running out if my luggage doesn’t show up. 

front view on colostomy pouch attached to woman patient hidden in pants close-up, medial theme – image

Another thing to keep in mind is to watch what you drink.  The altitude can do some crazy things and can cause the gas in our bag to expand.  So this is a very important thing to know so you are not afraid or scared and don’t freak out.  It is important to not drink carbonated beverages.  That will increase the gas in your bag and can cause a bunch of issues that are just not cool. So enjoy your vacation and I hope this tip or two helped!

Playing on Lake Michigan with a Stoma

One of my favorite family events is heading to Lake Michigan once a year.  This is a wonderful time for relaxation in my mind because we make very few plans and enjoy the peacefulness of the water and weather.  I always find that swimming in non salt water is a wonderful thing and certainly makes swimming in a large body of water very easy. This is a fantastic time and just because I have a stoma doesn’t mean I get to enjoy it any less than anyone else.  Even though I get a few questions or looks every year on the lake doesn’t mean I enjoy it any differently.  In fact I probably love being on the water and jet skiing more than anyone else! So don’t let the thought of water ever deter you from enjoying a water vacation.

One thing I do is to keep my ostomy care in the back of my mind.  I basically forget it because I pre plan and get everything ready ahead of time.  If you are prepared you don’t have to worry. I always take my ostomy care gear pre packed in a waterproof bag which is then covered by another waterproof layer inside.  That keeps all my things safe and I don’t have to worry about my gear at all.  Then I can focus on the fun things, like playing on floatation devices in the water and jumping waves on the jetski.

So what are some of my favorite things to do?  My family likes to bring a huge blow up floaty to the lake.  It fits up to 10 people in a floatable boat.  This is a bunch of fun because you are always jumping on and off and get to enjoy all the nieces and nephews playing in the water.  It really is a blast and seeing them have so much fun brings out the kid in me. From that point on I love playing football or frisbee in the water as well. Then we usually end up doing lots of trick catches and passes off the boat float and it sure is a lot of fun.

Then comes the adventure side of the lake.  When the weather turns a big stormy there is nothing more fun than getting on the jetski and riding the crazy waves.  I am a bit of a thrill seeker and a little bit of danger sure makes things a lot more fun for me. So I just want to say, to get out and enjoy the water even with a stoma.  The sky’s the limit!