Advice for
‘first-time’
travellers
Travel
If you’re thinking about travelling
abroad by plane this year, and it’s
your first time since the op, here are
a few pointers
Everyone we’ve spoken to about
this has agreed. Travelling by plane
is not the nightmare they might
have expected. While air companies
could do more for larys (couldn’t
everyone), they will make sure
you’re well looked after.
You can let the airline company
know in advance if you wish. Equally
many lary travellers don’t even feel
the need to do that. It’s entirely up
to you.
The only problem that keeps
coming up is the recycled air drying
out the stoma. It’s a bit like being
stuck in a tumble dryer – not the
best kind of environment for your
stoma. So when you’re travelling
by plane, make sure you keep your
stoma nice and moist. These days,
planes do tend to refresh the air
with fragrant water every now
and then, but that’s not enough.
Particularly on a long-haul flight.
24 THE VOICE | Autumn 2011
Jackie Sparkes of Southmead
Hospital, Bristol recommends that
you don’t spray the bib covering,
but the stoma itself. Just a fine spray
underneath every now and then
should do the trick. Spraying the
cover could lead to a bacterial buildup – particularly in the hot and stale
air of the aeroplane.
Do make sure you’ve got your kit
of essentials with you too. Gauze,
tweezers, pen torch – and whatever
accessories you don’t ever leave
home without. Again, letting the
airline know in advance that you’ll
be bringing these items on board
with you can be a good idea. But,
we have to say that no one we’ve
spoken to has complained of having
any equipment confiscated, or
having a hard time at the security
checks.
Oh, except for one time. A member
of the Bristol Chatterbox Group told
us how he was stopped at security.
It wasn’t his tweezers, or even his
belt – it was a packet of chewing
gum in his pocket. The aluminium
foil had set off the metal detector.