The holiday season is here, a time for splendor and cheer, and not to the exclusion of ostomy patients. We’d like to show you a few ways to prepare for the holidays with a few strategies and ideas. This should be helpful for new ostomy patients as well as those who already know how to manage the condition.

Gather All Necessary Supplies for Travel Purposes

Who doesn’t do at least a little traveling for the holidays? Maybe you’re making a round trip from Sarasota, Florida to the northeast, and need to prepare a travel bag of supplies. While you won’t need every item for a brief trip, it’s important to have enough back-up options for pouches, wafers, and maybe something to mask unexpected odors. Think about everything you’ll need, especially if you have to be in close confines with others on an airplane.

Be Deliberate About What You Eat

'Tis the season to be jolly and enjoy a feast or two. Then again, as an ostomy patient, you must be more deliberate about what you eat. If you’re a new ostomy patient, and need to avoid most solid foods for a while, you may wish to modify your usual Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner plans. Even if you're a veteran ostomy patient, it’s important to remember to chew everything thoroughly and not eat too fast. You can view this as a positive opportunity, however. It could be your chance to introduce an ostomy-friendly dish (i.e., homemade applesauce, macaroni, or oatmeal) to your friends and family.

Listen to Your Body

Remember that the holiday season, with all the travel, shopping, and gathering, can take its toll on anybody. That’s why it’s important to listen to your body and never forget rest and relaxation. Yes, having a good sleep routine can have a significant impact on digestion, which has obvious implications on managing a stoma.

Don’t Neglect Exercise Either

Unfortunately, many of us equate holiday feasting and relaxation with becoming sedentary or de facto hibernating. It’s an easy habit to fall into when it’s cooler outside (for our northern friends), and you can escape to a cozy dwelling. However, ostomy patients should be careful about this because inadequate exercise makes it harder to metabolize food, something that will eventually impact your condition.

Most of these suggestions work well any time of the year, so this is also a nice review of best practices while living with an ostomy. We hope you enjoy all the wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year celebrations with your friends and family.

Fortis Medical Products develops and sells the most reliable ostomy pouches and accessories in the industry. We invite you to look through our product catalog if you’re a new ostomy patient trying to find safe, durable, and effective supplies. You can call us to ask about anything we make at 239-300-0629.