Holidays are so important to us; they give us something to look forward. So, enjoying your holiday with a stoma requires a little planning and some precautions, just in case.
What you should know is, your stoma pouch/bag is used around the world in both hot and cold, humid and dry countries, they will still stick. However, your skin may change a little and temporarily when on holiday, particularly in hot humid conditions, you may sweat more to begin with so you should expect that the adhesive might not last as long as they do back here in the UK.
In cooler dryer conditions, it may take a little longer to get the bag to stick and you may need to warm it first and just wait a few more minutes to ensure it has stuck firmly before carrying on.
So whichever stoma you have, particularly if you are going to a hot and or humid destination, please ensure you take a few more pouches than you would normally–for example if you are going for 2 weeks, maybe take enough for 3. If you do not use them, no problem.
If you have a Colostomy and are using bags you cannot drain or irrigate, you should bring some drainable pouches with you! Sometimes on holiday, anyone can suffer a bout of diarrhoea, if you have a stoma, this can quickly deplete your stoma supplies, and could make your skin sore too. Having a few (3-6) drainable bags with you will mean if you do get diarrhoea, it will be much easier for you to manage.
Also, for this reason, and if you have an Ileostomy, it is wise to pack some powdered electrolyte salts such as Dioralyte. This will help you with dehydration either through bouts of sickness, or because with an Ileostomy, your body is not as good at absorbing water so staying well hydrated is key particularly in warmer climates.
If you have a urostomy and are travelling long distances such as a coach ride or touring in a car, you can always connect to a night drainage bag, which will mean you won’t need to stop to empty nearly as much–you could hide it in a carry bag for discretion.
Remember some things you cannot take in your hand luggage, like scissors if the blade is over 6cm, so pre-cut a couple of bags for your hand luggage in case of emergencies and put the scissors in your suitcase in the hold!
If you are going away for a longer holiday, perhaps visiting a friend or relative, it might be easier to post stoma supplies out to them rather than travelling with them all. You can still do this if you are going somewhere where you are based in a hotel or other organized accommodation, worth looking in to. Talking to your delivery service may help you organise this more easily than sending these yourself.
You should also travel with a “Travel Certificate” which will explain in several languages that you have a stoma and may need to use the toilet in an emergency, or it will explain the reason you are travelling with your stoma supplies. Ask your Delivery Service for one of these or your Stoma Team.
In most cases you will not experience any problems on holiday, no more than anyone else who goes away will, but by planning a little and anticipating things, you will ensure you worry less about your stoma and more about enjoying your holiday.