Emergency supplies

I had a spare kit in the car, in every jacket, in my wife's purse, and in a backpack. I needed a change and picked the one from the car. I was in the process of putting on the new bag and found that it was welded shut and useless. My wife came to my rescue with more supplies. The lesson is do not keep a spare in the car as a hot summer will melt and weld your bag shut, making it useless. Also, rotate your supplies to make sure your inventory is fresh. Luckily, I was not alone and stranded in a public washroom.

I have to remind myself to switch out my emergency supplies every couple years. I have had to use some > 2-3 year old supplies and their condition was less than ideal but was able to make them work in the short term until I could get to my new supplies.

I have a kit I've put together that has everything I would need in the event of a failure, including TWO, pre-cut bag changes. If I'm going to be gone from the house for more than a couple of hours, or won't be able to get home quickly, I take along with me. I'm very conscious of rotating my emergency supplies, I do it monthly, as soon as my prescription is delivered. Doing it this way keeps me in a routine, and I don't waste any supplies by letting them expire.

Hello xnine.
Thanks for a great post, reminding us that these things do go out of date and the process is much faster if they are stored in places like hot cars. Normally, I would associate 'use-by' dates with things like food and other perishables, but I found that the 'stickability' of the wafers definitely deteriorates with time. Nowadays I try to use up my old stuff first but the emergency supply bag often gets overlooked so this is a timely reminder to change the stuff in there regularly.
Best wishes
Bill

Hey x, good info. I only keep change in the trunk and change for appliances in my purse! Thanks again!

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

There's plenty of great advice for all ostomates in these posts, and we are all well reminded that an ounce of precaution is well worth more than a pound of clean-up. There are a few things I would add: (1) when flying, keep half your supplies and meds as carry-on; (2) put on a new change before any big event like the theater, golf, or close encounters of any kind; (3) when traveling, never pass up a toilet without making a contribution, large or small. I have had years of uneventful ostomy management, and I am afraid I can get complacent. Eternal vigilance of our appliance and its needs is one sure way to sing "How Dry I Am." Good luck and thanks for your suggestions.
PB

Great post and wonderful suggestions! Like everyone, I have a system in place for my monthly ostomy supplies. I put in place Last in, First Out inventory management, accounting tools. My MBA paid off after all....LOL. I rotate all of my products, checking expiration dates, highlighting them and rearranging them in my storage closet. I don't want to waste any product as it is very costly and sometimes difficult to receive. This process has been working for me. Thanks everyone!! LH

What is the secret key ingredient to gain some energy? I feel so lifeless. Surgery was almost 3 years ago. Ostomy 2015, 2016, and 2017 surgeries to take out the cancer tumors that metastasized to both lungs. I don't like this feeling. I don't have energy to do anything. I force myself to go out and socialize. I guess I feel that I just don't fit in anymore.

Hello turchan. It is a very pertinent question you ask. However, asking it on a topic entitled 'emergency supplies' is likely to miss many people who are not particularly interested in that subject matter. I feel that you would get many more relevant replies if you started a new forum topic with 'lifelessness', 'fatigue' or something similar as the title. If you are reluctant to start your own forum topic, this subject has been raised before and you can find the past posts in the 'contents'- 'Premium contents' section.
I hope you find this helpful
Best wishes
Bill