First blog... might well be my last. I have decided to ride the coat tails (wish it was cocktails!) of my 16-year-old daughter's bucket list. I will be heading in two weeks to Nicaragua for a week of surf lessons. Me, my daughter, my bag, and our luggage. At 52... and living in Chicago... surfing would be the last on my long list. But... this is about her. As usual. I am not overly concerned about the TSA. I now know to expect the unexpected. That there is no set policy. That you are at the mercy and whim of whomever is on duty that day. That being a whole ranting blog on its own, I will get to my dilemma. No baños on the beach. No bathrooms anywhere near la playa. As ridiculous as I will look in board shorts at my age... I'm all in. But I want to know if we have any ideas as to how to handle this situation. Bushes... trees... okay... but will my bag stay on for 3 hours of salt water and waves? I'm filling some plastic bags with wipes. Sports tape... and a ski mask. Any thoughts?
Hanging ten...
Kate and Sally. (Sally is my sidekick... so to speak!)
Never too old to wear boardies, Kate! I have only been to the beach to swim a few times since the operation, wore a one-piece, and didn't have any issues. I honestly think the sun and salt water make the base adhere better. As for the no bathroom facilities, no bueno! I'd just take what I always have with me in my handbag, as you say, wipes and plastic bags. We call them nappy sacks down here, but diaper bags are probably what they're called up over there. They are great for disposal and emptying. Good luck with the surfing; the most I can do is bodysurf and boogie board. I've never had the upper body strength to haul myself out of the water onto a board, lol! Hang ten and enjoy, felices fiestas!
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Well, I hit the two year mark. I went back and read my posts from when I first found this site. I was very fortunate in that I stumbled upon it only 4 weeks post op. I have said many times that this community really saved me. The first 2 weeks after my surgery I shut down completely. It wasn't until about the 3rd week that my son came in to my room, flicked on the light and told me I was going to have to get back to living because I was scaring him. I had fallen into such a depression. He ticked me off, but it also made me stop and think- what was I going to do? Feel sorry for myself and sulk, or be grateful I was alive.
I've re-read my journals from that time and it was after my son kicked my butt, so to speak, I took an honest inventory and had to dig deeper than I've ever had to. I mean, I had survived a pretty nasty divorce, after a pretty crappy marriage and that was tough. But this was different. I felt like I was now a handicapped person who would be limited in their life and be looked at as a freak. My mental state was precarious, at best.
But then I found this site. I just lurked a bit before posting. I read so many of the other stories and I started to see just how full my life can be, I was not handicapped, and certainly not a freak! The stories of survival, the sense of humor, the support and compassion was inspiring. It was then I made myself get out of the dark, and get my sh*t together.
Not all rainbows and sunshine at first, hardly! But with grace from myself - to myself, and the kindness and willingness of the folks here to be supportive, non judgemental and openly share intimate details about their life circumstances, l not only survived but thrived.
I think of all the years I had suffered with such extreme pain, barely functioning, and the many hospital stays and how that is all behind me now. (All fingers, toes, and legs crossed that I never have to go near a hospital for myself ever again. I think I'd rather have a fork stuck in my eye. I loathe every about them.)
So, to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me, to say thank you is not enough. I'm forever grateful to know you all. My Angels, each one of you.
And as the Grateful Dead famously said,
"what a long strange trip it's been!"
Im so happy I'm tripping with you all.
Congratulations to you and your daughters. Just by going, you inspire lots of people to move forward with their lives. Earlier this year, I was in Hawaii for work. I went on a snorkeling adventure that took 6 hours. The boat bathroom stopped working on the way back. All I could do was sit still and hope my prior preparations that I learned from my ET Nurse to reduce the risk. It worked well for skydiving and snorkeling. Keep living and giving...Fred from Chicago
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Kudos to you for your adventurous spirit. Have a fabulous time with your daughter, and just go prepared for the unexpected. I'm sixty-six and have had my ostomy for more than 50 years, and learned not to overthink and overworry. As a kid (18), I went on hikes (no bathrooms) and used the woods (to pee, empty) as everyone else did. Sometimes, I never even took supplies with me! These days, I do take extra supplies, especially an extra wafer/bag, and always tape. I've never surfed, but have been on extended water sports sessions (snorkeling) and for that, I just remember to eat light the night before. The wafer has never fallen off due to cold water...swimming, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, pools, etc. Hot water can cause the wafer to soften and perhaps leak...later in the day, so I'm not a big fan of hot tubs, unless I know I can change shortly after, if needed. I would suggest that you tape, to further adhere the wafer to your body. Sometimes, wearing a pair of stretch panties under your bathing suit/shorts makes you feel more secure. I only had a real problem once...swimming in the Dead Sea/Israel, where the salt content is 5x that of the regular ocean. I was fine until I went into the dressing room to change, and found that the water pressure had caused the pouch to pop off from the wafer...and it was a real mess. I was in the shower room of the spa, with no privacy, but managed to get clean, and was able to change in a stall. I was anxious and upset at the time...but it all worked out well. I've never let my ostomy get in the way of my doing what I wanted to do. These days, my biggest issue is that my pouch fills up with a lot of gas. I often have to find a private spot, to let the gas out. I think of it as other people think of passing gas...the F--t word. Put the worries aside, pack your bag with extra supplies, and enjoy the time. Marsha
My Ostomy Journey: Bruce | Hollister
