Enjoying Good Weather With a Stoma

There really is nothing that I love more than being outside and spending that time with my family.  Rather it is spring or fall those time periods seem to fit my preferences for the weather to a tee.  And let's face it pumpkin spice and cucumber water is such a win.  But with this part of the year comes a lot of different foods and drinks and if you have a stoma, it may mean a whirlwind of changes.  Sometimes the extra food you eat can have some rather annoying side effects.  Now that I have a stoma I am a little more conscious of my diet and especially during possible holiday times. 

The first few times I over-eat on the holidays ended up being pretty bad.  First I was frustrated because I was told to not eat most of the foods I really enjoy.  So that is what I did, I literally stuck with my strict diet.  My diet was not very fun and to be honest it made me stand out at my holiday parties and so on.  It was a bit frustrating.  I was flat out ignorant and I learned quickly that is a bad thing. 

I also did not do well on my next holiday season and went to the complete opposite spectrum.   It was certainly a big issue because I went all out.  I just enjoyed all the foods I felt I had been stripped of.  Now I do not suggest this at all. I had so many digestion issues and let's face it I felt super fat.  No way was this a win in any shape and form.  And believe me, it felt like I was shooting out my dinner and snacks like a rock.  But there is always a good and a bad to me and lessons to learn. 

There is always wisdom in learning and it is good to have a nice balanced approach to your ostomy care.  When it comes to the holidays, enjoy it in moderation.  That is what I think is the most important part.  Moderation is good for most things in life.  My ostomy does not hold me back, but the more I learn the more I am able to enjoy life.  I now know what had more fiber in it and it took years to learn.  So feel free to make mistakes.  It is not the end of the world, just bad sounds and feelings.  

Learn from others and be smart enough to not fall where they fell.  What I am talking about is doing self-research.  I think that going online and learning your social media outlets is a great start.  There are entire websites dedicated to diets and food knowledge for all types of ostomies.  It is really incredible how much knowledge we have.  IT is insane the knowledge that is available.  I suggest starting on the web.  Find a few good forums websites and learn what you can and then move on. 

It is always worth it to dive deep into the social media world. I know for a fact it helped me.  Youtube and Instagram are amazing for finding people who are willing to share their life with you.  Remember though that most of those people want to be paid.  Be wise and not super trusting but enjoy the knowledge. 

How to deal with your stoma during the heat of the day

It may be a little chilly right now but soon the whole hemisphere will heat up a bit and we will start thinking about beaches and long hikes.  It doesn't take long before it all happens either.  In my neck of the woods, the weather just jumped about 20 degrees and it is toasty outside.  Now it is time for me to break out of the closet and get things sorted for a different kind of look and feel for me.  What this means is lots of new changes have occurred and should probably happen if you have a stoma.  Now you are going to probably freak out and go on a social media rampage to think about keeping up with the new season's fashion.  It really just means that I am going to be wearing slightly tighter clothes and also that I may be sweating a bit more than normal.  So there are a few  good things you can do to make sure that your stoma is fitting in with your fashion style and allowing you to live your best life. So get your shop on.

Now gear is what drives a lot of the ability for me to be fashionable.  I mus trust my gear and also have the best fitting gear in teh world for my body.  That is the key. Your body is going to be special and your stoma shape may change how you shop or where you get your things from.  The first thing I like to make sure of is that my ostomy care is coming first.  There is nothing worse than actually being in trouble for not planning ahead and taking care of an area that I know I should. So for me, I like to make sure I have the right equipment on when I know I am going to be outside a little more or it's going to be a litt

le hotter.  This means for me that I will likely put a bag on that has belt loops.  This allows me to then get an ostomy belt and protective cover to go around the bag and hold it tighter to my body.  I do a lot of hardcore things so protection matters to me.  It may sound a bit strange but to me, there is nothing better than knowing my body is looking sleek during the summer.  Being able to strap my bag down helps it from moving around and allows me to wear slightly tighter fitting clothing.  Not that is not the most important part but making sure my ostomy care gear is also water moisture wicking is a big deal. I don't like those sweat stains or sticking on my bag and body.

I really don’t like my skin sweating and feeling gross all the time.  So It really matters to me to get some really good moisture-wicking gear. This has always mattered to me though way before I had an ostomy.  Being able to be comfortable in warmer weather is important and you don’t want to rub to occur in areas causing extra friction, especially if you have a stoma.  So rock the summer body and find the right gear that fits your body.  If you don’t have good moisture wicking gear and are getting rashes, you need to contact your healthcare provider to figure out a better solution or simply a safe solution. 

Going a long time without changing your ostomy bag

Thinking back to fun times of the past makes me think of family vacations.  Back in the day, we would go on long road trips all the time.  Do you remember ever doing one?  Boy, I sure do. My family used to drive from the top of the country down to Florida every single year.  We have lots of relatives down there and in the great and hot state of Alabama.  Road trips are really interesting when you are going with your family.  The vehicle you travel in can really impact how that trip is enjoyed.  I have gone with a family of five in the smallest ford car ever made. Or so it seemed. I have also ridden down in luxury with a nice minivan.  Sometimes there are dogs and sometimes there are cats that come along.  Now there is an ostomy bag that comes along and I have to worry about my ostomy care along with a family. So there are a few tips I have learned over the years about going on those long-distance vacations with the family and how to survive with your stoma.  

There is no doubt in my mind that It is important to plan ahead for your ostomy care needs.  This is nothing new to you but make sure you have all you need is key. If you are from a major city, you don't realize the options you have that most of the country does not. Planning a road trip is simply more than picking a route to go on.  Well let's face it now we simply pull out our phones and put the address into an app and set off.  No more pulling out an actual map and writing down a real plan.  Or if you are old enough to remember mapquest when you would print out step by step directions.  Oh lord helps you if you missed a turn, now you are lost forever! But what I really mean is pan out some extra stop along the way.  Or if you see a rest stop, me more affirmative about taking it instead of waiting for the next one.  There can be some big consequences of not being prepared.

Being wise with your trip starts with your gear.  This means having all the things you need in case things go wrong. Now part of planning out a successful road trip is making sure you have the supplies you need.  I know what I need for every week as for getting the correct amount of ostomy gear I need.  So make sure you bring a few extras.  When packing a road trip things just go wrong.  I find when things get thrown around in a car or may get in an accident that things get destroyed.  So take some extras and pack the amount needed in your main pack which usually goes in the back.  Now also pack some that are easily and readily available.  Just in case something goes wrong or you need some extra supplies. Keep some on hand!  There is nothing worse than not being prepared on a road trip where tempers can flare and emotions run high! Being prepared helps to keep stress levels down and fun levels up!  So don't be afraid to go on a long journey but think about what you need.