Life with an ostomy is many things, including unexpected. As you can probably imagine (or understand if you are an ostomate), having an ostomy bag attached to your side can pose some challenges and one of those is leaks. Now, if you are an ostomate, you probably flinched at the word because leaks can be so frustrating! Most of the time, they are completely unexpected and can leave you in a pickle if you aren't prepared. In my time with an ostomy so far, I have experienced leaks at a variety of different times including: at 3:00 AM (or early morning in general), at work, at home, and most recently, on a trip.
About a week and a half ago, we were in route to Baltimore the evening before my surgery when I felt the extremely recognizable burning and itching of a bag leak. I hesitantly looked down and saw exactly what I had hoped not to see: a leak spreading underneath the wafer of my ostomy bag. I immediately felt my stomach surge with nerves and told my mom that we needed to find a rest stop- soon! This was my first bag leak on a trip and I hoped that I was prepared. Thankfully, we were able to find a small gas station off of an exit and I grabbed my emergency ostomy bag and ran inside. The bathroom was small, but clean, so I was incredibly thankful for that. There was also a stall with a changing table that gave me a good platform to set out my supplies. Long story short, I was able to get my bag changed with all of the necessary items and was left so thankful that I had planned ahead and had emergency supplies ready.
I encourage anyone with an ostomy to have an emergency kit ready, especially for long trips! Leaks can be so unpredictable and you do not want to be caught off guard. For this reason, I wanted to share what is in my ostomy emergency kit:
First off, for my emergency bag I am using a hardcover bag that came with an old Sephora Play! order. You do not need something exactly like this, but I do recommend a small backpack or bag with different pockets to organize your supplies. I had tried several other bags previous to this that I did really like, but I found this bag while cleaning out my closet awhile ago and knew it would be perfect for what I needed to use it for. I like to stay organized, especially in emergency situations such as changing my bag in a tiny gas station bathroom off the interstate.
First up in my emergency kit is the most obvious item: ostomy bags! I like to keep at least 3-4 with my at all times just in case. Always bring more than you think you will ever need. I use the Hollister one-piece flat ostomy bags with the clip closure. I have been using these since my first surgery and they have always worked wonderful for me.
Next up are my Hollister Adapt barrier rings. These are an absolute must in regimin because they provide an additional seal around the stoma to prevent leaks. I like to think of these barrier rings as little turtle necks for my stoma that hug it and create a great seal. These do begin to flatten and stretch out after 5-6 days and are more susceptible to leaks, so just keep that in mind when using them.
The next two products are not necessities like the ostomy bags or barrier rings, but they are still very important and not something that I like to go without. These products are adhesive remover and skin prep. The purpose of adhesive remover is to gently remove the adhesive that attaches your ostomy bag to your skin without causing too much irritation to the very fragile peri-stomal skin. As someone with extremely sensitive skin, adhesive removing wipes are a must, as they make the removal of the bag much less harsh on my skin. Skin prep, on the other hand, is used to prepare the skin for the adhesive of the new ostomy bag. It esentially creates a barrier between your skin and the adhesive, which for some ostomates like me, can be extremely irritating after only a few hours. Can I change my bag in an emergency situation without these items? Sure, but I would prefer not to because I really strive to take care of the skin underneath of my ostomy bag.
The next item in my emergency kit is a small package of wipes. These have many different uses in my emergency kit from something to clean the skin around my stoma to wipes for my hands. They are very multi-use and definitely an item to include in your emergency kit for a variety of different reasons. Side note: these are the same wipes that I have in my ostomy kit at home because they are soft and extremely gentle on my sensitive skin.
You are probably wondering right now what place a pack of cookies has in my ostomy emergency kit, right? My battle with Inflammatory Bowel Disease has had a profound effect on my weight the last two years, leaving me underweight most of time as my body adapts to its new digestive system. With that, I have found that I get weak a lot faster than the average person when I get hungry. For this reason, I always keep a small snack in my emergency kit to pick me up when I start to feel weak and hungry. You can choose whatever you would like to put in your emergency kit from crackers to cookies to a granola bar.
The last items in my ostomy emergency kit are DripDrop ORS powder packets. As an ostomate, dehydration is a very prominent concern for me and usually ends up landing me in the hospital a couple of times a year for fluids. I have to drink 2-3x the amount as someone with a colon each day and that definitely does not always happen! DripDrop ORS is a professional-grade formula that has 3x the electrolytes and half the sugar of regular sports drinks, making it a perfect option for someone who struggles with dehydration so regularily, but cannot have the large amount of sugar in sports drinks. DripDrop ORS packets are easy to slip into my ostomy emergency kit and if I find myself out and about and feeling dehydrated, I can reach for them. DripDrop is simply added to a bottle of water and tastes amazing!
Living with an ostomy can be challenging at times, especially when unexpected situations occur, but I try not to live my life in fear of those situations. By having an ostomy emergency kit with me, I know that I am prepared for whatever life has to throw at me.