An offer too good to refuse ...

A good friend of mine has just offered us the use of her Airbnb home for 5 nights. It's a beautiful house with all the amenities, plus it's in a nearby tourist town that I've yet to explore.

My dear husband and I haven't had a vacation long since before my surgery, so we're due for a little getaway.

This will be my first time away from home, so I'm a little nervous about the whole ostomy packing thing. I'm also a bit worried about leaks (not that I've had that many, but there's always the possibility).

There will be a ton of seafood restaurants in the area (my favorite), so we'd like to eat out occasionally. For the majority of the time, we can make our own food at the house.

There are also many scenic hiking trails and beaches in the area that I'd like to take advantage of, so we'll be away from amenities like bathrooms for periods of time.

I guess I have a few trepidations simply because these will be the first nights away from the security of home base... I know I have to overcome this and learn to travel (especially with this free offer), but I'm still feeling slightly uncertain.

The first time you traveled away from home overnight, how did you prepare for it? Any tips you can share would be greatly appreciated!

Well..........I brought way too many ostomy supplies, but I had to in order to have some peace of mind. Over time, you overcome the fear of needing supplies while away and bring less and less. Sounds like you're not traveling very far, so bring as much as you want. There's no wrong answer, so just bring what makes you comfortable and learn as you go. I'd be a bit careful about eating out, as you can very easily overdo it. I know when I'm home I can better control what I eat and when, but when out and about, I need a lot more willpower to not do stupid things in terms of what and how much I eat. If it makes you more comfortable, you might want to call some of the medical supply places in the area where you're going and see if they stock the supplies you normally need..........just in case. Also, remember Amazon can usually get you stuff the next day......at least here in the States. Don't worry about it too much and just try to enjoy yourself.

;O)

Thanks so much, Bob! You are spot on with the restaurant thing. My diet at home is very simple, and I know I have to be wary of overdoing the restaurant outings - especially not to gorge on lobster (it's the lobster capital of Atlantic Canada)! LOL

Yes, we're only an hour's drive from home, so if worse comes to worst, I do have that reassurance. Plus, this will be a good opportunity to test the waters (and my willpower) by not splurging too much.

Your advice and suggestions are very comforting - especially the part about enjoying myself (and the company of my husband) away from home. We really need this vacation! LOL

Hi Marjatta

It's reassuring that you're not too far from home. It takes a lot of strength to do your first journey. Mine was to Alton Towers in England from my home. A two-hour journey. I made my husband stop at public toilets (bathrooms) on the way up to make sure my bag was emptied. Even the seatbelt was a bit of an issue as I was still healing.

Alton Towers is a theme park, and of course, my young daughters wanted me to go on everything with them! I did go on most, putting my hand over the stoma area when the bar came down.

I survived my first outing away and got more confident. Take more supplies than you need.

Enjoy your first vacation and let us know how it goes.

Best wishes, Megs

Take a mattress pad of some sort to protect the bed just in case of a blowout in the night. How things worked at home should be the same as when you are out. Have a good time.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Hi Marjatta, it's a plus that only you and your husband will be at this Airbnb. Any issues that could possibly come up would easily be handled by you as you would do in your own home, without disturbing anyone else. Bring a mattress protector for the bed. I bring disposable ones when I travel so I can dispose of them and not have to worry about doing laundry - the issue has never come up 🙏🏼 - and more supplies than you expect to need just in case. Try to relax and have a wonderful time!

OMG, Megs, you brave girl, you went on those crazy rides?! Hats off to you! LOL

You're right about the confidence thing. All I need is this trip to give me that much-needed experience of traveling. Next year, we want to make a 2-hour drive to a different province (Prince Edward Island, Canada), so this will be a great practice run.

Thanks for the well wishes! I'll let you guys know how it went!

M

xo

Excellent advice about the mattress protection, xnine! I hadn't thought about that. Thank you!

Hello eefyjig! Yes, being in a home environment will definitely be a good place to start. And yes to the mattress protection! Xnine mentioned the same thing.

I am so grateful for all of you wonderful folks on this forum. Don't know what I'd do without you!

M

xo

G-Day Marjatta, One hour from home, just load up the car with all you need and more to feel good, if not drive home. But I totally agree with xnine, get a good washable bed protector, see photo. Regards, IGGIE

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Thanks, IGGIE! That looks like a good one you have. I'll have one sent from Amazon within the next two days! LOL

Kevin here. I have a urostomy in January 2024. Our first big trip is coming in October to Boston from Kansas City, the drive through New Hampshire and Vermont, for 10 days. I'm a "little" concerned. But we are going to jump right in and experience airport security (ugh). Flying and all the rest. I am looking at a nice backpack to carry supplies and a change of clothes, maybe a 35-liter. Just now researching. I want to use it as my go-to mobile supply store, whether at home, in the car, or traveling afar, or hiking. Go enjoy yourself; prepare where you can, think through the worst case, and the rest will seem better, less daunting hopefully. Do not worry about what other people think; live your life. If they cannot understand or at least be indifferent, that is their problem, not yours. Life is what it is. Many, many, many people have conditions of some sort and much worse than ours. Good luck! Oh, by the way, where is this lobster capital?

Hello,

Sounds like a great trip. I love PEI and the Canadian Maritimes. I've enjoyed many lobster feasts there.

Three weeks post-op, I went on a 10-day driving trip to Central California, 7 hours from home. I bought a plastic tote from Home Depot, filled it with bags, wafers, and supplies. I took all of it out of the boxes it came in; it was easier to pack. The trip went well. I was careful not to eat too much. I have a colostomy, so leaks are not a problem.

Three months later, I went on a 7-day cruise. It went well too.

Have fun.

Take a Chux pad or two and pack as many supplies as make you comfortable. You can worry about toning down the amount on your second trip when you are a seasoned vet. And don't forget to enjoy. :-)

Daniel

Hey Kevin,

Thanks for the great advice! I like the idea of a mobile supply backpack so you can carry it with you when hiking, etc. And it would be great in the car or whenever traveling. It will probably become so routine that I won't even think about it.

You're right that there are many others with physical conditions they have to cope with too, so I do appreciate the fact that I'm mobile and independent.

Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada, is known as "The Lobster Capital of the World" because it's right on the Atlantic Ocean, and the harvesting and processing is done right there - freshly caught and on the table the same day. It also has a huge Lobster Festival every summer. Here's a link to the tourism website. I've also attached a photo of the Big Lobster that greets you when entering the town.

https://www.experienceshediac.ca/?lang=en

P.S. We're also not too far from Maine, so that will be a different holiday - it's a beautiful state.

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Hi BB,

That is so cool that you know Atlantic Canada!

Yes, your tips are excellent - especially the not eating too much part. But that's what the take-home bags are for! LOL

You've really been a traveler; I hope to get back into it too. And I was thinking the same thing - to remove excess packaging from my supplies.

Going on a cruise would be the ultimate dream - just need to convince dear husband. That's what retirement is all about - it's OUR time to reap the rewards of our many years of hard labor. :)

M

xo

Hi Daniel,

Yes, after this trip, I'll feel way more confident! Thanks for reminding me to enjoy - we're so excited to get away from our home and the constant upkeep for a little while. Sometimes my husband and I will plan to have a nice relaxing chitchat by the fire pit, and the next thing you know, we're talking about chores and responsibilities again. A change of scene will do us good!

M

xo

Cruises are fun. And you meet lots of nice people. I've been on 37. I have more friends around the world than in the States from cruising. I'm not a fan of the huge ships, 5-6 thousand passengers. I like midsize, 2800 passenger ships, like Celebrity Reflection.

When we were in PEI, we attended a lobster feast. We put on the bibs and got all the tools. Great fun. My wife was using a cracker tool on a claw... it slipped out and shot across the room. She jumped up and ran to retrieve the wayward claw. Everyone was chuckling. 😉

I wanted to add this: for 25 years... our house was perfectly kept up. We dusted, vacuumed, etc.

Now... we just let it go. Our house is tidy... just not super tidy. We're too busy having fun.

You said lobster 🦞 yum! Just don't overdo the butter, or you'll be sorry later that night and the next day! I learned that lesson the hard way, but it sure was good while I was eating it!

Relax and enjoy your time away! And have fun!

Hi Marjatta, You've gotten lots of good advice here, so I hardly need to weigh in, but I find the timing too perfect. We just got back from six nights away, the first real trip I've taken as an ostomate. I'm on the extreme west coast of Canada, where seafood is also the specialty and my husband's and my favorite. We traveled from our home on the coast, by car ferry to Vancouver Island, and drove as far north as possible, visiting a couple of small seaside towns, one on another small island that required a separate ferry. We stayed in three hotels for two nights each, so we weren't in one place for long and did a lot of driving. I had major trepidations too, but it was a breeze really. We ate LOTS of seafood, and although I didn't pig out as much as my husband, I certainly ate more than usual, being really careful about chewing at all times! We also went on a few forest and shoreline walks, but I was careful not to embark on them without knowing how long they were and where the washrooms were. There was one long spell of driving when we weren't too sure how far we were from the next gas station, and my pouch was filling up, but we did find one before it was an issue. I did take extra supplies with me, but didn't need to use them and I had no mishaps. Other than a couple of rather nasty public washrooms, I would say there was nothing to complain about. I am SO glad we went and we had a wonderful time. We saw some of the most stunning scenery I've ever experienced. At one restaurant, we had a seafood pasta that we both had to agree was just a little bit better than the one we had on the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia a few years ago. You shouldn't have any problem staying in one place and having a 'home base.' Go enjoy yourself and let yourself indulge a bit! Let us know how it went when you get back. Have fun!

Terry

If you have some liquid deodorant for your bag, use that because fish does make your output smell. While hiking, take some wet wipes and a baggy or two. If you feel the need to empty, I'd just go a bit off the path and potty like I would if I were "normal in the wild." Use the wet wipes to clean off your bag, then put them in a baggy until you find a trash can. There should be a bathroom not too far from the beaches. My first outing by myself was to a dog show in a big field with only porta potties. It was fine. I had so much fun I didn't even think about it!

Deja vu! I was afraid to travel for 2 years. Loaded my car and drove from Iowa City (Caitlin rocks) to Glacier NP and up to Jasper. Made a portable device to empty my stoma in the car. It worked. There are many decent places to empty on the way. Pack double ostomy gear. Takes little room. By now, you should have an emergency stoma travel bag for local rides. If not? Info on Hollister's website. If you eat seafood, use a bag deodorizer. Different diet and surroundings will change your output. Usually looser? I live to hike and am glad to get this strong again. Have a great time and put the focus back on you! My photo is at Logan Pass/Highline Trail, 6,600 ft. AWESOME!! Brrr, it was August?

I'm 6 months in and just did my first local getaway. We drove and were just an hour from home, so it would be an easy test. I packed in case I had to do a bag change every day, which I didn't, but it gave me peace of mind. I did my first hot tub and first massage with an ostomy! Both were great. I brought extended tabs to make sure I wouldn't have any issues in the water. And I learned some tips here for massages. All went well!

Now I'm off to a friend's getaway for the week and I feel more prepared. And in a few weeks, I do my first flight. I am nervous about that, but having done a local getaway makes it less scary.

Have a great time!

I totally get it! After you return, it would be helpful to hear how you made out on your trip. I'm in a similar situation, wanting to take my first trip since surgery for a permanent ostomy. Only I'm not emotionally or psychologically ready…

Hi Terry,

You hit the nail on the head when you said that you were careful not to embark on trails and shoreline walks without knowing how long they were and where the washrooms were. I would be poring over Google Maps like crazy before I dared put my foot outside. In fact, those aerial satellite views are amazing - you can see every tree, picnic bench, building, etc. I must say it was well worth the extra pre-planning!

The more the house became our home base, the more comfortable I felt. I no longer felt awkward sleeping away from home. Thanks to the great advice here from xnine, eefyjig, IGGIE, and others, I also packed an amazing mattress protector just in case. Well, "just in case" never came; I sailed through with flying colors (no leaks)!

I'm getting braver with each baby step - next year, PEI (Prince Edward Island) Canada!

M

xo

The first time's the hardest. Sounds like you've got your confidence back! 😊

Excellent! I'm so glad it went well.

Terry

That is wonderful and so nice of them. Three months after my surgery (June 2024), I braved it and went to visit my son about 120 miles away. We stopped twice on the way to rest and eat. We were there for three nights. I had so many supplies and felt good. Since then, I've traveled as far as 320 miles each way to watch my grandson wrestle in a regional wrestling championship. Days of sitting in a gym, and I did it. Fewer supplies, as I learned what I needed. Always carrying a supply in my suitcase and — my fancy purse — (small supply) in my handbag. I even had to put a pouch in my pocket, as the stadium at states did not allow handbags. All in all, as I face my reversal in a few weeks, I've adapted to my new normal. Enjoy your vacation and embrace good living ahead. God bless.