Travelling with a stoma: being prepared | by Anna
With the clocks springing forward and the warmer months drawing closer you may find yourself starting to think about your first holiday with a stoma. The first time travelling with a stoma can leaving you feeling a little bit anxious but with good preparation, and trust in yourself, you can honestly see the world. I’ve travelled to lots of places with my stoma so I have put together some of my favourite tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way:
Public transport
I like to go in full holiday mode when I travel so most of the time I like to stick to public transport, this of course comes with its own worries. Will I get a seat? What if I need to change my bag when I’m travelling?
Many companies will offer a disability discount such as a disabled persons railcard or a national entitlement card, this not only makes travel on public transport financially more accessible, but also helps if you feel yourself getting flustered. Staff members will recognise the card and offer any extra assistance they can. Also for trains, consider reserving a seat for your journey to ensure you don’t have to stand for long periods of time.
Air travel
Airports can be stressful for any person, never mind throwing a stoma into the mix. Having extra liquids in your bag and the body scanner picking up your stoma almost every time you pass, it can be enough to throw off your whole trip.
To reduce my own anxiety flying with a stoma, I tend to prepare early. I often phone the company to check if they offer special assistance that suits me and medical hand baggage allowance (this means you can carry an extra 10kg hand luggage for your stoma supplies to ensure they don’t get lost on the way to your destination). To pass through security more smoothly, I often display a sunflower lanyard which alerts staff that I have a disability and require extra time to get through security. I usually use this as an opportunity to inform them of my stoma before it shows on the screen and this saves the stress of rushed questioning.
Planning ahead
I like to be sure that when I am travelling that there’s adequate toilet facilities for me, both for the journey, and the destination.
Food can sometimes be tricky when travelling so I would recommend taking snacks you like and are suitable but you could also look to see if the airline offers a suitable diet for yourself.
I like to have a small carry bag with me at all times with spare bags and accessories; a change of food and climate gives me a higher chance of bag leak so it’s never worth leaving without spare.
Packing essentials
I can’t go anywhere without my trusty supplies. I take my eakin seals to help me feel more confident and help my bag last longer, my ostomy pouches which keeps my skin healthy with vitamin E and I love the colour options to match my holiday outfit. I always pack my supplies into my washbag, it’s the perfect size to carry on the plane.
If you are travelling within the UK, I would recommend to have a radar key handy to access disabled toilets when you need to. You can order a key from your supplier.
So go and enjoy the sunshine, with preparation and a good book to read, there’s no need to worry about a long journey!
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