On the GO. (See what I did there?)

I have always loved to travel. Some of my greatest memories from childhood involve sitting in the back seat of our car with my sisters on one road trip or another. (Or the front seat once it became known that I would get car sick if I sat in the back too long!)

Traveling with an ostomy has been a completely new experience.
*These are simply examples from my recent trip. I haven't flown yet, so this won't include air travel observations.*

Bring extra supplies! I ended up bringing way more than I needed but it gave me peace of mind to know that I had enough for 4-5 changes per day. (Hey, you never know!)

Empty frequently. When driving, we stopped more than we normally would have to make sure I could empty my bag. Sitting in the car with a full bag is a very uncomfortable feeling, and would probably cause leaks!

Be aware of what you're eating. You're on vacation! Your diet may be totally different than what your body is used to. Be ready for a change in output as a result of diet changes. This could affect wear time and how you are feeling overall.

Be aware of what you're drinking. On my cruise I drank more alcoholic beverages than I normally would. This changes output and also makes me sleep a little deeper. I had to be aware that I may have to get up to empty in the middle of the night.

Beware the non-flushing toilets! My sister got to hear for two weeks straight, me bitching and complaining that every toilet in every room we stayed in could not seem to flush properly. I was seriously waiting for toilet bowls to fill back up so I could flush again three or four times sometimes! The problem, for you folks without ileostomies, is that my output is not solid but not liquid but some magic consistency in between. (Sorry about that image!) Because of this, it often will pool at the bottom of the bowl and needs a good forceful wave of water to get it to move. Not many hotel toilets have this wave. More of a gentle trickle, if you're lucky. Just enough to cause RAGE! Haha! Fear not, fellow ostomates! I have discovered a solution. Simply put down a layer of tp or a tissue before emptying and Presto! Problem solved. Two flushes at most.

I will post again about air travel next month. Colorado, ready or not, here I come!