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flying with an ostomy..questions??

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Posted 1/18/2012 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,

My family is going to Disney at the end of April, this will be our first time flying since my daughters surgery (she has an ileosotmy). Does anyone know if we will need certain documentation regarding her pouch, for security reasons. Also do you know if they require us to take it off so they can check inside of it. I just want to be as prepared as possible so she isn't scared to death when we get there. She's only 5, and doesn't like strangers poking and prodding at her stoma. So I want to make sure I explain everything to her before we actually get there.
I've left a message with the airport where we are flying out of, I am also going to try calling the actual airline as well sometime today.


Thanks in advance,
Posted 1/18/2012 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
If you are in the UK you can get a free travel info card that is printed in various languages saying that you have a ostomy bag and that any body search has to be done in private and if they want to check the bag then it has to be done by a doctor. Also if security want to check or do body scan thing you can tell them and they will be a gentle and careful as necessary and if alarms do go off for metal etc and they need to do a body sweep let them know about the bag and they should take extra care so as not to embarrass or upset your daughter.
Posted 1/18/2012 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
I recently traveled and I was pretty scared hearing all kinds of stories from people. What you want to start with his print out this card http://www.ostomy.org/ostomy_info/pubs/Travel_Card_2011b.pdf

Write in that your daughter has an ostomy. It does not exempt you from screening, but you won't have to have to broadcast it to the world. Only show it to them if they question you after screening.
I would also arrive a little earlier than you normally would just in case they pull you guys aside. I doubt any of this will happen, but just preparing you.
I ended up going through the full body scanners where they see EVERYTHING through your clothes. They acutally didn't say a word. They probably knew what it was.
They will NOT and CAN NOT make her remove the bag. That is opening themselves up for a big lawsuit. They cannot touch it either. Like stripey said, they can only have her brush her hand against the outside of the bag and they scan it for explosive chemicals.
With a child being that young I am very confident you won't have any problems.
Posted 1/18/2012 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
That's so great that your family is doing something fun! I hope you have a great time.

Here is info from the United Ostomy Assoc http://www.ostomy.org/ostomy_info/travel_tips.shtml

They have a card you can print out, but in my experience, the TSA people were not familiar w/the card.

I traveled on vacation over the summer with my partner and her teenage daughter. In the airports we were in, it seemed that they were sending everyone w/children through the metal detectors, not the scanners. I had to go through the scanners, but they got the metal detectors (the pouch doesn't show up at all in the metal detector).

I have always told people before going through the scanners, and then I've had various sorts of pat downs -- easiest was I touched the bag and then they tested my fingers for explosives .... worst was a little room where they pat me down.... but they were professional then. I don't think they are allowed to touch the bag at all, and certainly you wouldn't have to take it off of her.

Several folks on here have mentioned going through scanners w/out telling people and they didn't notice at all....

I think it's great that you're calling in advance. You might want to try the TSA, who handles the security. They have a number for people w/disabilities and medical conditions.... see http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedicalneeds/index.shtm

Let us know what you find out
Posted 1/18/2012 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
Get a note from her doc then print out brian's card detailed above. TSA certainly would not take off her bag, poop would go every where. Just explain to the TSA what it is and that it collects waste. Worse case scenario they may just have her lift her shirt and see that it is an ostomy bag. Tell them not to touch her stoma. TSA has become more aware of these in recent years. Best wishes, Rosemary
Posted 1/18/2012 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I actually spoke to a woman from JFK (where we are flying out of) she said all I would need was a doctors note stating what her medical condition was. She also said that nobody would ask her to take off the pouch to see what's inside and that security deals with these issues a lot so it shouldn't be a problem as long as we have our doc. note handy.
I will print out the form as well.
We are also going with the Make a Wish foundation and I was told that I would have a contact from American Airlines that works with MAW that will meet us as soon as we arrive at the airport.

thanks again for all your help.
I was really surprised at how helpful the woman from JFK was, I wasn't expecting that at all.
Posted 1/19/2012 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
If you can go through a plain metal detector, it won't pick it up. When I fly out of charlotte I use the plain metal detectors, and haven't had a problem yet. We just went to disney this summer, my son loved it! When we left orlando they have a lane esp for first time flyers or people with children of handicaps. However, that line only has a body scanner. We didn't know that, and went through it, my dad has post polio and we had my son. It was way faster, but I had to do the body scan. It caught the bag, but all I did was wait on a lady named donna who came over and took me to the side, she had my run my hand across the bag, she did not want me to lift my shirt, just stick my hand under, then touch a paper. I had printed out the little card, they didn't know what it was, but they just read it and figured it out.
Be sure you takr her supplies and a change of clothes on the plane! You don't want those supplies to go missing! I precut some wafers then packed my scissors, so I didn't have to worry about them.
Have fun!
Posted 1/19/2012 11:31 AM (GMT 0)
How did you pack the scissors? That's one of the main things that get confiscated.
I'm really glad this thread came up because the information is so important.
Posted 1/19/2012 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
You can check the bag w/scissors, but pre cut the wafers that you keep w/you.

One other thing I found was that people know the word "colostomy bag," but they don't know the words "ileostomy" or "ostomy bag." The first person I dealt w/was really confused until she said, "Oh, you mean a colostomy bag." So, I just call it that now, even though it's not technically accurate for me.... (although someone w/a colostomy could use the same bag....)
Posted 1/19/2012 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
Well I'm glad she knew one word for it. I didn't learn the other words and the differences until I did a lot of frenzied reading just before my first op. I wouldn't expect the world to know about different kinds of stoma. I could imagine a really hilarious scene with me trying to enlighten an airline security agent: "no, it's not a colostomy bag, it's an illeostomy bag, because the stoma is made out of the small intestine, not the large intestine, which has been removed.... mine is a loop stoma, not an end stoma anymore, because......" and so forth and so on. I too like to be accurate when I talk about things, but often it doesn't really matter.
Posted 1/19/2012 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
I agree..... I had never thought through the difference between colectomy, colostomy, and ileostomy before I had decided on surgery. So, if the goal is communication, use the words the other person is likely to know....

I face the same issue w/describing my disease.... I just tell people I have Crohn's -- not that I have indeterminate colitis and here is the evidence for Crohn's and here's the evidence for UC, and here's why it probably tilts toward Crohn;s, oh and by the way the definitions of these diseases are not clear cut and may change, blah, blah..... if someone is really interested, I'll elaborate, but that isn't usually the case (in the regular world....)
Posted 1/19/2012 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
No, it's not usually the case in the real world, but regardless, we really do want to talk about these intricate experiences and all the differentiations. It is happening to our bodies.
Posted 1/19/2012 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, B'Dereh, we do want to talk, which is why we post here!
Posted 1/21/2012 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
good glad the lady from JFK was good to you. We SHOULD get good treatment but it is always a surprise when we actually do! Hope she has a great time in Disney. Rosemary
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