Living with a stoma usually means getting on with life, doing the things you enjoy and, most of the time, not having to think too much about your bag.
However, it also means being prepared for the occasional moment when things do not quite go to plan.
A stoma bag might begin to leak because it has been on a little too long. You might accidentally knock it during sport or another activity and cause the adhesive to lift away from your skin. Sometimes a bag simply does not stick as well as expected.
That is where a stoma emergency kit can be incredibly useful.
The purpose of an emergency kit is not to make you worry about everything that could go wrong. Quite the opposite. Having a small kit ready means that if you do have a problem while you are away from home, you already have what you need to deal with it.
What Is a Stoma Emergency Kit?
A stoma emergency kit does not need to contain lots of specialist equipment.
It could simply be a small rucksack kept in the boot of your car, a bag stored in your locker at work, or a small kit that travels with you in your everyday bag.
Its purpose is to help you deal with an unexpected leak or bag change until you have enough time and control to get home and sort everything out properly.
You do not need to recreate your entire collection of stoma supplies.
Think of the emergency kit as a safety net.
What Should You Put in a Stoma Emergency Kit?
If we assume that the main purpose of the kit is to help you deal with an unexpected leak, the contents can actually be quite simple.
1. A Spare Change of Clothes
I would start with:
- Spare underwear
- A spare pair of trousers
- A spare T-shirt if you have enough room
If a leak has caused staining on your clothes, having something clean and dry to change into can make a difficult situation much easier to manage.
I would also include a large empty carrier bag or similar waterproof bag.
Any soiled clothing can then be sealed away until you get home.
2. Enough Supplies for a Basic Stoma Bag Change
You will obviously need enough stoma supplies to carry out an emergency bag change.
However, this does not necessarily need to be everything you normally use at home.
An emergency bag change might take place in a public toilet cubicle with very little room. It is unlikely to be the calmest or most relaxed bag change you have ever performed.
For that reason, I would keep the emergency kit focused on the essentials.
For me, that would include:
- Wipes for cleaning the area
- A pre-cut stoma bag ready to apply
- A waste bag for the used pouch and dirty wipes
Having the bag already cut to the correct size is particularly useful. The less preparation you need to do in a cramped public toilet, the better.
Depending on your own stoma routine, you may want to include other products that you consider essential.
The important thing is to keep the kit practical.
Your Emergency Change Does Not Need to Be Perfect
It is worth remembering what the emergency kit is designed to achieve.
You are not necessarily trying to reproduce the full bag-changing routine you would normally carry out at home.
You may simply need the replacement bag to get you comfortably through the next few hours.
Once you are home, you can shower if necessary, take your time and carry out a more thorough bag change.
You can then use any barrier powders, additional seals, sprays or other products that normally form part of your routine.
Your emergency kit only needs to help you deal with the immediate problem.
If You Need to Use Your Emergency Kit
If something does happen while you are out, the first thing I would say is: try not to panic.
Manage the situation as best you can and use the supplies you have prepared.
Leaks and unexpected bag changes can happen even to people who have been living with a stoma for many years.
They are frustrating and inconvenient, but try not to allow one incident to cast a shadow over your entire day.
Deal with the problem, get yourself clean and comfortable again and, if you can, carry on with your day.
Travelling With Stoma Supplies
Travel is one situation where I would take the emergency kit idea slightly further.
If you are travelling by plane, I would keep essential stoma supplies with you in your hand luggage rather than putting everything in your checked suitcase.
For a longer trip, I would also scale the kit up.
Instead of carrying supplies for one emergency bag change, take enough spare bags and other essential products to properly cover you while you are away.
That way, if checked luggage is delayed or lost, you are not suddenly left without the stoma products you depend on.
How I Learned the Importance of an Emergency Kit
In my very early days of living with a stoma, I learned the importance of carrying emergency supplies the hard way.
I had done a quick bag change after having a shower and then went to visit a friend who lived only a few minutes away.
Unfortunately, the bag had not stuck properly after my shower.
While I was at my friend’s house, the bag came away completely.
And I did not have an emergency kit with me.
I ended up having to ask my friend to go back to my house, collect my stoma supplies and bring them back to me so I could get myself sorted.
At the time, I found the whole situation pretty embarrassing.
I got over it, but I also learned a very useful lesson.
From then on, I made sure I had an emergency kit close to hand.
You Might Never Need It — And That Is Fine
Hopefully, you will rarely need to use your emergency kit.
You may even be fortunate enough never to need it at all.
That does not make carrying one pointless.
The value of the kit is knowing that it is there if something unexpected happens.
Some people make up several small kits and keep them in different places — perhaps one at work, one in the car and another in the bag they regularly carry.
That way, whatever the day throws at them, they know they have enough supplies available to manage the situation.
For me, that is the real point of a stoma emergency kit.
It is not about expecting something to go wrong.
It is about being prepared enough that, if something does happen, you can deal with it and get on with your day.
Living With a Stoma or Preparing for a J-Pouch?
Whether you are living permanently with a stoma or have an ileostomy as part of your journey towards a J-pouch, being prepared for everyday situations can make life much easier.
Pouch Heals contains more lived-experience information covering stoma life, J-pouch surgery, recovery and long-term life with a J-pouch.
You can watch the video version of this video below and you can find more videos on the Pouch Heals YouTube channel covering the complete J-pouch journey.