Emergency Preparedness Guide for Ostomates

You may already be familiar with the concept of emergency preparedness. And if you live in an area which is prone to any particular type of emergency, you may already have done something for you and your family to deal with that emergency condition. The immediate aftermath of an emergency can created a situation which might include disruption in electricity, water, and shipping. It means that you might have to live without certain things you depend upon in your daily life. That is the reason that you need to have an emergency preparedness solution comprising of flashlight, water storage, and power generation solutions. But what if you have a medical condition; such as an ostomy? This condition is a whole new reason why you need to be prepared for any emergency situation.

The emergency preparedness requirements for ostomates are all about gathering all of the important supplies that can provide a backup for a minimum number of days until the emergency situation is over. You cannot really go out during an emergency situation to get your supplies. You cannot wait for your shipments to arrive because shipping services do not enter into the areas that are hit by weather and several other types of emergencies. That is why you need to have everything you require to take care of your ostomy during an emergency situation.

So the question here is; how much is the minimum amount of supplies that you need to have in your ostomy emergency kit? Well, it is certainly a good idea to have at least 3 weeks’ worth of supplies in that kit. And you need to maintain this kit especially when you need these items to be shipped to you. You need to have a preemptive approach if you are living in east or west coast because it normally takes 7 business days for your items to be shipped to you. So 3 weeks is certainly not a lot of time.

Emergency ostomy supplies

• Since you will be in the need of quicker solutions, you need to have cut-to-fit ostomy bags to meet your needs for 3 weeks.
• A stoma opening hole cutter or scissors
• Waterproof plastic bin to hold all of your supplies comfortably
• Water for cleaning
• Skin cleanser; make sure that it doesn’t include added oils or fragrance
• Ostomy pouch liners
• Ostomy disposal bags
• Adhesive remover solutions
• Skin prep wipes
• Exam gloves

Remember, your preparedness is not all about maintaining the supplies. Rather, you will need to be ready to handle the emergency. You should have written documentation of your medical condition. You can refer to this information to treat yourself because any emergency preparedness involves preparation for the scenario in which the networks are down and you do not have access to medical specialists.

Odor Reducing Solutions for Your Ostomy

It is pretty normal to be concerned about the odor when you have an ostomy to take care of; not because an ostomy odor is a real problem, but due to the fact that it has to deal with the excretion of your bodily wastes without you knowing about it. The pouching system is there to collect the wastes. And there is no reason for an odor emitting from you when that pouching system is properly attached to your body.

Remember, your ostomy is not something to be ashamed of. It is actually a life-saving procedure which is meant to help you to be healthy and active again. As far as the odor is concerned, there are very rare chances for the other people to feel a smell coming out of the area where you have kept the pouch unless you are handling the pouching system in the wrong way which might cause the leakage of stomal output and moisture. But if you are still concerned about the smell even after taking care of everything in the right manner, there are odor reducing methods that can surely help you avoid getting overly self-conscious.

There are certain odor eliminator products that you can use.

Different ways to control ostomy pouch odor

M9 Odor Eliminator Drops

You can add a few, 10 – 12, drops of m9 drops into the fresh pouch before putting it on. Using this odor eliminator is actually a preemptive action that you do in order reduce the odor before even it is generated. You can use these drops with both colostomy and ileostomy. You can use these drops whether you are wearing a one-piece ostomy bag or a two-piece ostomy pouch.

M9 Odor Eliminator Spray

This odor eliminator spray works really well anytime when you need to refresh the environment of your room. So, it is a product which you can use not only to reduce the ostomy odor but also whenever you need to deodorize the environment around you. The best thing about this product is that it doesn’t come with any scent that can mask the smell. It actually kills the odor.