Traveling in Ukraine with an Ostomy: Challenges and Tips

Well,
I can hardly wait to update all of you who have been so helpful to me, both with travel tips and with irrigation, and to tell you of my experiences!
Ukraine has much to offer, but for us with ostomies, clean large bathrooms and toilet paper were reputed not to be one of the highlights! After four days in Kiev because I am with a tour group, I have really been afraid of getting a lot of output, so have virtually stayed away from all veggies and fruit. The food is so different it has been hard to figure out what to eat, and more importantly, how long will it take to go through me!
I misjudged it today, did not irrigate this morning as I ate little yesterday, and just had scrambled eggs for breakfast. But then came lunch and whatever I had up there came out two hours later, and of course, it was while we were sitting on the bus, and yes - it squished through the flange even with the adapt seal on there, I'm sure because I was sitting all squashed myself! Fortunately, we were just at the hotel and I got upstairs quick to clean up the mess. GGRRRRRR! I just hate when Piglet betrays me that way! It's only happened a couple of times in my ostomy life and had to be here!

Anyway, I am not going to be lazy tomorrow, irrigation even if I have to get up an hour earlier to get it done!

So I did try hanging the irrigation bag with the sticky hook the first day, on the tiled wall as suggested by someone on here. Hey, I filled the bag, hung it, walked away just to grab something to read - and - YES - you guessed it! The bag and all the water crashed to the floor and flooded the bathroom. Yes, that was fun! So luckily the shower doors are near the toilet, so I refilled the bag and hung it there next! That went well, the whole day was good but I did have some output that evening.

I was concerned if I could irrigate with tap water since the tour group leader has told us not to drink tap water, but for those wondering, that seems to be fine, I have not had any problems from doing the irrigation.

Toilets - at public places they are the squat stalls. I have not had to do anything but pee in them so far, I am hoping it stays that way! Toilet paper is nonexistent in those bathrooms, so take tissues or wet wipes. In restaurants so far we have found proper toilets, but very small and cramped...you know we need more room than the rest of the world!

Food, well breakfast is great, we are at a Radisson through Friday so that is a huge buffet with all the choices Americans expect. I eat the yummy yummy eggs and bacon, maybe a mushroom or two, and am good. The tour has taken us to Ukrainian restaurants for our lunches and usually we get salads which I skip as lettuce and greenery really do go right through me, then borscht, a soup with beets, today's has given me gas all night, so I am skipping it if it is offered tomorrow. Usually some meat course and a dumpling cheese-filled type dessert with sour cream and jam kind of like blintzes...that is good. Lunch is late, so I just have a Corona for dinner!

Would appreciate any tips on how to keep output to a minimum, I am really just trying to look for protein, tomorrow I may just take some hard-boiled eggs from the buffet for my lunch.

As for everything else about Ukraine - it is wonderful! Best churches ever, fabulous art, beautiful icons, golden domes everywhere and wonderful weather, though hot this city has a constant breeze! After Friday we are going into the countryside and Carpathian mountains so I am sure my ostomy world may get more difficult...but it's worth it!

Hope this does not sound like complaining...I am just venting and sharing with you 'cos I know you will understand how I feel. It's like I love traveling but it's always in the back of my mind...what if the colostomy leaks...

Stay happy
TerryD

Hey, me again, now it's Monday of the following week and things could not be better.



Since the Radison in Kiev I have been in four different hotels and they all had a place near the toilet to hang the irrigation bag, either hooks or those bars for heated towel racks.



Piglet has really been behaving!  I get up one hour earlier than normal and it has been worth it, he stays clean all day and night, or has so far.  I have still had no problems from irrigating with the warm tap water, though am only drinking bottled water.



No salads, and no Borscht.  The Borscht is yummy but the beets and herbs (ususally dill) make the stuff run right thru me so things have been better without.



Hope i'm encouraging you to learn to irrigate and to travel...I am so happy that I am not letting what cancer (and what it has done) ruin/rule my life!



Cheers!