The holidays are a time to travel, and for those who have ostomies, this can be a bit of a worrisome experience. How do you travel with an ostomy? Well, you’re about to find out, as we’ll go over exactly how you can travel with an ostomy, and how to do so without too many problems.
Figure out the Supplies.
The first step is to figure out the pouches, barriers, and a accessories that you will need every single day, and then multiply that by any days you’ll be away from the house. The number should be the bare minimum, and you will also want to either double to carry a few backups just in case with this too. If you have nay unexpected problems, you definitely want to be pretty ready for this.
Follow the 3-1-1 rule
This is a rule that’s in the TSA guidelines, and it’s a limit on the aerosols, creams, gels, and paste, and you should make sure that you have everything that’s less than that, with one bag allowed. You should make sure that all of your ostomy supplies follow this rule so you don’t have to worry about potential problems at TSA.
Carry Ostomy Scissors in Carry-On
If you use ostomy scissors, you want to make sure that they’re in the carry-on and aren’t any longer than 4 inches. You may want to find moldable wafers and barriers in order to help make this easier, so that you don’t need to cut and trim it. You want to make sure that you make this easy for you.
Pack Documents About the Condition
You want to let people know about the condition that you have. There are communication cards and you also can use assigned doctors notes to help ensure that you get the right ostomy supplies from this. It could be beneficial to communicate the needs that you have to flight attendants along with TSA agents and have these documents on hand when you’re flying for easy travel. You also should try to contact TSAS beforehand and try to make sure you won’t get bothered at checkpoints.
Double Check and Pack
You want to make sure that you do double check everything before you pack it, and you know how many supplies that you might need. You definitely should accompany all of the accessories that are used currently. These can include scissors, pouches, barriers and wafers, paste, seals, cleaners and deodorizers, any belts or wraps, and pouch clamps.
You should try to make sure that you keep these near you as well. On car rides, don’t keep them in the trunk since this can make them too hot or cold, and that can be a problem. You can actually have these ordered to the place that you’re staying at if you’re going for an extended time period, and you can talk to someone to make sure that you get the most that you can out of this, and also make sure to have them on hand. Also don’t put these in checked bags, since they could get delayed or lost, and that’s a big issue.
Avoid Anything that irritates
If you know some foods and some drinks can upset the stomach or cause excessive gas and stomal output, you should avoid these when you’re away from your home. You should also empty out the pouch before you leave. With all of this said, always make sure that you have wipes, sanitizers, and deodorants and make sure to uphold proper hygiene during and after the trip as well.
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