Hitting retirement is a special time in everybody’s life. You no longer have to worry about work, and you can start enjoying life to the fullest. In order to do so, you need to find ways to have fun despite any medical problems you might have, and that includes an ostomy.
Many people think that having an ostomy bag means the fun is over—this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are still plenty of ways for ostomy users to enjoy a night out with their friends. If this will be your first time, we have some tips that’ll help you make the most of your night.
Find the Right Outfit
While looking good is the main goal for your first night out with friends, finding something that disguises your ostomy bag is key. Most of the time, baggier clothes or something that has a couple of layers will do the trick. The main thing you’ll want to avoid is tight-fitting outfits. Fortunately, no matter what kind of night your friends have planned, you’ll have plenty of clothing options that’ll work.
Locate Bathrooms Right Away
Once you reach your destination, it won’t be a bad idea to figure out where all the bathrooms are before you get distracted by the night’s activities. Fortunately, most places have them well-labeled, so it shouldn’t be an issue for you. Still, it never hurts to be prepared so that you can make a bee-line for the bathroom in the case of an emergency.
Pack Extra Supplies
Speaking of which, make sure you pack some extra supplies that you might need throughout the night. This will likely be your first time away from home for an extended period of time since the surgery, so you might not have needed to think about this before. Fortunately, the list of items you should have in an ostomy emergency kit isn’t too long, so you should be able to throw them together before heading out.
Avoid Certain Foods or Drinks
If you want to have a fun night out for the first time with an ostomy bag, be sure to be careful with what you eat and drink. By now, you might have a good idea of which foods don’t sit well with you post-operation.
However, you’ll want to make sure you don’t have to deal with any gas while out in public. Gas can quickly build up in your ostomy bag, and you won’t want to make your way to the bathroom every time you need to release it. Not consuming the foods and drinks that make you gassy is the best way to avoid this problem.
