THC Tips for Managing a Stoma During Trekking Adventures

I recently did a 10-day trek in Nepal and have had my ileostomy for a year. I learned a few things that I wanted to share with the group.

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1. Make sure you have a stoma guard to protect your stoma! I had one but did not attach it to my bag because it's a pain to empty. After a few days of hiking 10+ miles a day, I did my first bag change and my stoma was 4 times its normal size and had a mushroom cap! Little Scoty the Stoma was NOT happy but SO happy I had a stoma guard for the rest of the trek.
2. THC or cannabis was essential to quieting my stoma when I needed to change a bag! Even 5 mg was enough to allow me for a quick change without having a shit show on my hands!! I live in Colorado and was able to purchase THC pills to travel with - they are called Riplets.
3. I also found my moldable rings had melted in the heat and caused me to have more changes than expected. I moved the rings to my backpack next to my water bladder to reduce the heat.
4. When I climbed to higher elevations, the temperature dropped and none of the tea houses had heat! I brought hand warmers (little packs of air-activated portable packs that provide heat to hands/feet - I have used them for COLD ski days). These were great to help the adhesion stick to my skin.

Hope these tips might help when venturing out into nature!!

Stay positive and get out....

Scot

First of all, the fact that you did a ten-day trek in Nepal with an ileostomy is amazing! I am very impressed, and I think you are an inspiration to others. Secondly, I think you dodged a bullet if you went through security and customs with THC in your bags, whether on your person or in checked luggage! Regardless of whether it's legal in your state, I know it's still illegal federally in the U.S. Glad that it helped, though!

Terry

Hopefully, THC is legal in Nepal. It is legal here in Michigan, but I wouldn't risk traveling with it.

I wish it were that easy to quiet a urostomy. (The colostomy usually behaves, knock on wood!) But I do appreciate the right THC species for sleep. It's made nights so much easier.

Thank you for sharing. It must have been a great adventure.

Nepal is so beautiful! Congrats on navigating a 10-day trek with your stoma! Dang! That is next level. And you give me hope. I also use THC to calm my skin and stoma. I am very interested in learning more about these pills. I'm in Arizona and found a nice tincture. It helps with my overall mental health and appetite, as I'm also receiving chemo.

Keep on trekking, friend!

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I ventured into a dispensary for the first time when I was preparing to start chemo. It was very helpful!

We did the same thing when my husband was going through chemo. He said it was the only thing that allowed him to eat. Even with the THC, he lost 30 lbs.

Terry

I've lost about 40 lbs, but I am maintaining weight with cannabis.

You are brave. I wouldn't take THC out of the country in my luggage. I'd be afraid of getting caught with something considered illegal, especially when going to another country.

I use my Stoma Guard for any climbing or any contact sport. My "little buddy" hates pickleballs. Prolapsing is bad. Straining to reach higher makes it pop out. I had issues with it. Eakin rings leak under stress. It's just wax. I went to a PT specialist who helps with women's and men's bladder issues. In 18 months, I was stronger and had very little prolapse. I quit wax rings and use soft moldable wafers. No leaks, all year! I found that eating pretzels the night before and 4 marshmallows, 30-45 minutes before changing in the morning, stops the flow best.

I use cannabis too. Indica helps me sleep, reduces any pain, and improves my appetite, BIGLY! Indica helps me sleep, reduces any pain, and improves my appetite, BIGLY. BE CAREFUL! I have traveled to 39 countries, and their laws are NOT ours. Remember Brittany Griner? "Nepal maintains stringent laws when it comes to cannabis. Possession, consumption, cultivation, or sale of cannabis is considered a criminal offense under the Narcotics Drugs Control Act. Offenders may face imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years, depending on the quantity involved and the severity of the offense." In the Philippines, it was a capital offense. You can get some bhang in areas near Mustang. Ayurvedic medicine is legal there.

Love all of Colorado. I've been to RMNP many times. Glamping parts of the AT in September. SMNP to Shenandoah.

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How does TCH quiet an ileostomy?

I have no experience of THC having any effect on an ileostomy; not sure where you got that idea. I don't use it myself.

Terry

Hi Cirvine 1968 - I don't know exactly why THC quiets my production, but it puts my stoma to sleep and allows an easy bag change!

Hey Rievineia! Thanks for your feedback and helpful tips about pretzels, marshmallows, and laws about cannabis.

The product I used had no THC markings, odor, or any identifying characteristics - it looked very similar to my electrolytes, so I put them in the same packaging and felt comfortable bringing it!
Thanks for posting all your hiking pics; I'm happy to see you getting out!

I still say you dodged a bullet. You might not be able to smell any THC in the product, but I guarantee those CBP sniffer dogs would be able to! Lucky there weren't any around when you went through.

Terry

I've been to Nepal, and their airport/customs in Kathmandu is not like in the U.S. I saw no dogs, some guards, and one giant machine for scanning luggage. As I was leaving, they took some nail clippers from my carry-on. I would say out of all the countries, this would be one to not worry overly much about bringing tinctures of cannabis.