Going outdoors with an Ostomy

For ostomates, a priori, going out to socialize or doing any kind of outing outside their comfort zone can be somewhat distressing. It is common to think about the possibility of having a leak, the absence of adapted bathrooms to take care of the stoma if necessary or any other inconvenience that may occur with the ostomy pouch.

Don’t worry. To leave with peace of mind, go prepared with a bag or toiletry kit. It is recommended to bring everything you need to be able to do a complete device change, such as in case of a leak, as well as to empty the pouch and clean the stoma.

Take with you all the necessary material for your safety and peace of mind, or at least what you need to deal with an emergency situation until you can return to a suitable or trusted place to carry out the change or cleaning tasks. Many ostomates find it reassuring to have a change of clothes in case of a “generous” leak, to have clean clothes like the SIIL Ostomy line ostomy panties.

It is normal that at the beginning, in the adaptation period, you will feel clumsy when facing this type of situations, but with time you will gain confidence in yourself, you will have skills and your own tricks to handle them.

What to carry in the toilet bag, kit or toiletry bag?

1. Several spare bags.
2. Plates previously cut to the necessary size.
3. Opaque garbage bags, so that the discarded material is not visible.
4. Moist towelettes, so that the cleaning action is as fast as possible.
5. Small mirror for those who need it.
6. Paste, rings, all the material you need for the change of the complete device. In case you use paste, you can use the trick of carrying a plastic syringe filled with it, so that the application of the paste is done in a faster and cleaner way.

In the case of women you can easily carry everything in a large bag and in the case of men there are small bags, or for larger kit use a backpack.

But with the necessary confidence you can go reducing luggage.

In SIIL we have small toiletry bags to prepare your basic material for any outing, as well as large toiletry bags, suitable for those who need to carry more material and thus feel more secure.