Travel

I will be traveling to Scotland soon and have not been on an airplane since my surgery. Does anyone have a good set of guidelines for travel with an ileostomy? And how many supplies are recommended? I'll be traveling for 2-3 weeks.

I would recommend taking at least twice the supplies you would normally use in that time period. Triple, if you have the room. Always good to have extra in case you get stuck or have several bad days. :-)

Other than that, travel is pretty much the same. Except for the cramped quarters in airplane toilets. I try to keep my eating to the bare necessity when I fly. And I make sure my bag is empty before getting on the plane. There's nothing I hate more than emptying my bag in an airplane toilet.

It also helps to tell the TSA agent you have an ostomy before entering one of those body scanners. If you are simply going through a magnetometer, then there is no need to spill the beans, so to speak. :-)

I also ask for a pillow, if none are present, to use to protect my bag from the seat belt.

Daniel

A travel card might be handy. You can get them off the internet. A seat close to the WC. Do not strain yourself with too heavy a bag; you do not want a hernia.

Yeah. You need to be careful when hanging a 50 lb pack of shit off your belly! 🤣

Daniel

Hi Joedoch,

I always pack double the supplies I think I'm going to need in my carry-on bag; they don't take up much space (never needed to use the extras - they're just for peace of mind).

You may have to go through the body scanners, often get a pat down and some questions, but it's all very discreet. Have been overseas many times and security differs in each country but never had any issues (Edinburgh airport - no worries at all. Heathrow is a tad chaotic but also no problems).

I try to get an aisle seat. I eat and drink as normal (I have an ileo), and empty about every 4-5 hours (normal for me) - if I skip meals, the bag tends to fill with gas, which is more of a nuisance than regular output; the less I have to go to those tiny toilets, the better. Also, because overseas flights from Oz are often up to 20-30 hours, it would be insane to fast for that amount of time. Whenever that trolley rolls through and whatever they hand to me, I'm eating it!

USA to UK is 6-8 hours? You got this mate, sit back, relax, and enjoy your time in Scotia; it's absolutely gorgeous!

Bon voyage,

Jo 😎

 

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Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Don't forget the odor eliminator M9 in the bag before takeoff in case you have to use the toilet on the plane. You don't want to force an emergency landing with everyone thinking the plumbing went broke. 🤭🫢

Nah, not needed, after a long haul flight the whole plane smells like farts anyway - not from us but from the bowel intact as they just let 'em rip (at least ours are contained)! 😅🤭

All these professional travelers forgot the most important thing... don't get on the wrong plane. Flying with an ostomy is no big deal; enjoy the ride.

Thanks so much!