Welcome to The Traveling Ostomate!

I’m Meredith and I’ve been living with an ostomy for over 8 years. After struggling with poor medical treatment of my Crohn’s disease for 11 years, I made the decision to have surgery. I was already quite familiar with what an ostomy was and had a basic understanding of appliances and what daily life might look like with one because for the few years leading up to surgery, I followed numerous ostomates on social media platforms and did extensive research.

Despite feeling prepared for an ostomy, I still struggled with such a big change to my lifestyle and body. Over time, I found that the change, however, was for the better. I no longer deal with chronic pain associated with my Crohn’s and can eat (mostly) what I want. What I hadn’t anticipated was the freedom I now have because of my ostomy. I know that there’s a seriously negative stigma around ostomies - but I hope that through sharing my travels (international trips, day trips, local outings) I can help show other ostomates that an ostomy can actually increase your quality of life. 

When I was younger, I always dreamed of traveling to new cities and countries. But I also knew this wasn’t possible because I couldn’t even be a few minutes away from the bathroom. Then came my ostomy…

As I began to step out of my comfort zone and booked my first solo (kind of) trip, I struggled to find input or advice on traveling with an ostomy. I chose to jump in at the deep end and knew that my first trip would be a serious learning experience. Hopefully my travels can be helpful for other ostomates, whether it be learning from my experiences or simply lessening anxiety about going out into the world with an ostomy.

I’ve been traveling regularly for a couple of years now (as much as my day job allows) and I have no plans to stop. 

Now, I’m not traveling and experiencing life despite my ostomy, but because of my ostomy.