Your guide to flying with an ostomy bag

One thing that is easy to forget when you have ostomy surgery is that your stoma bag has been created to save your life. So, when I had my surgery, my goal in life was to live it to the fullest. I’d been given a second chance, and boy was I going to use it. Travel and holidays, for me, are essential to living life to the fullest, and I vividly remember at 18 being very worried about how you would go on an actual plane with a stoma bag. So this guide is for everyone with a stoma (and friends and family of said ostomates) on how to fly easily with an ostomy bag, and have a great time!

I was nervous to fly for the first time – I didn’t know how much stuff to take with me, how the air pressure on the plane would effect me or how easy it would be to empty my stoma bag on a plane. Fast forward 10 years and countless flights, this is my ultimate guide to flying with a stoma

Packing your stoma supplies

I think knowing how many stoma supplies to pack is one of the most stressful things about having a stoma. I fully believe you can never have too many, and work on the basis of packing double the amount you need for a daily bag change . Is it overkill? Probably. But it’s worth the peice of mind.

And yes, this did mean that when I went to Turkey for a month, I took 60 bags with me! I used half of them, and so definitely had more than enough, but that peice of mind is everything. But for usual trips, if it’s a weekend trip, I take 5 days with me, a 7 day trip, I take 14 bags with me, a 14 day trip, I take a months worth with me etc

How to pack your stoma supplies

You never want to risk putting your medication and stoma supplies in your checked luggage – you just never know if your luggage is going to go missing (and you need supplies with you anyways on the plane!)

Make sure to put your adhesive spray into a clear plastic bag for security

If you’re worried you don’t have enough hand luggage space for everything, get in touch with your airline as you can be allocated extra hand luggage for medical supplies. I’ve done this before with Jet2 and TUI and had no problems!

Get a travel certificate from SecuriCare

You can get your travel certificate from Securicare and it saves you having to worry about explaining your ostomy. inside, it explains in multiple languages about your stoma – so if you get stopped at security, or need to explain to anyone, it does it for you!

(I’ve never actually needed to use mine, but the peace of mind it gives me is HUGE!) 

Going through airport security with a stoma

Your stoma bag isn’t going to set off the alarms!

There’s no need to be concerned about the new body scanners which you stand in for a few seconds – I’ve never once been questioned about my stoma going through these. And if you are, you have your trusty travel certificate with you to help!

What to wear with a stoma when going on a plane

Wear something that you feel comfortable in, and that you don’t have to worry about your bag blowing up in! 

For me, it’s usually leggings and an oversized T-shirt because that’s my go to. But anything that you feel comfortable in, especially for longer flights/whilst you’re getting used to flying with a stoma!

Eat & drink as normal as possible

Eat like you normally would and don’t skip out meals.

This way, your bag output should stay similar. I find that if I miss meals, my bag can fill up with air so it’s really important to eat like normal

For drinks, I tend to stay away from fizzy drinks, always make sure I have lots of water with me on the flight and have electrolytes with me as being on a plane can be dehydrating!

Choosing your seat on the plane

If you have quite an active stoma, or are just worried about needing to go to the toilet on the plane, book your seat in advance and get an aisle seat. This isn’t essential, and not something I tend to do anymore, but if it puts your mind at rest, it’s 100% worth doing. If I was on a long haul flight, I’d probably be more inclined to, but for short haul it’s not essential.

The most important thing to remember? To have fun! Enjoy your holiday, relax and be proud of how far you’ve come. If you’re wanting more tips for traveling with a chronic illness, make sure to check out the accessibility section of Postcards From. And if you’re looking for more travel inspo, click here! For daily microadventure and travel inspo, make sure to follow along on instagram.