Last week I told you guys I was flying to Chicago to take  part in an advisory panel for Digestive Disease Week. It was also my first time getting on an airplane since I was 11 years old when my family and I went to the Bahamas. So, not only was flying unfamiliar to me but flying with an ostomy made it extra “fun” to try and navigate in my mind.

Unlike most trips of any kind, I wait until the last minute to get ready. I am packing while waiting for my nails to dry, trying to straighten my hair all while I try on outfits I may possibly think about wearing while I am away.  All with the mindset that the only thing that really matters is I have my ostomy supplies and medications because the rest can be figured out.

This time, however, I packed earlier and even made a list (which I usually do anyway) and went through it a number of times both after packing and right before leaving for the airport. When I am rushed, I feel tense and when I feel stressed I tend to forget essential items and given that I was actually a plane ride away, I didn’t want to be without something I either desperately needed or even wanted to have with me while I was there.

The most important ostomy related items I made sure to have with me were:

1) Extra bags

2) Extra underwear

3) A pair of underwear that is a little bit more high waisted

4) A lot of tight tank tops which keep my ostomy close to my stomach/makes it appear flatter

5) Extra mini towels

Everything worked out well and the event was a huge success. {Will fill you in more in future posts}

On my way home, I was stopped by security since the Xray showed I had something on my stomach. When I told the woman I had an ostomy, she looked to her senior officer after frisking me and asked her if she needed to see the inside (don’t know exactly what that meant.) I was told to touch my stomach and then they tested my hands for explosive residue. (They didn’t find any btw)

It wasn’t a big deal at all. I have heard horror stories surrounding ostomates traveling so I was lucky that the people I encountered seemed to at least know what I was referring to. Maybe bcause it was digestive disease week in their city,  they needed to be a little more educated on digestive disorders/situations they might come across while people are traveling.