Adventures in Travel: Tips for Traveling with IBD

There are times in between all the hospital stays where you get to live your life, and maybe even travel a bit. I’ve put together a few tips based on my own experiences on what you should know about traveling if you have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

• Make sure you have more than enough medications and that you have your prescription information with you. I fill my prescriptions at Walgreens and I can easily have a prescription filled at any location. Things could be tricky if you are traveling internationally.
• Travel insurance is a great option. I’ve had to cancel a few trips (one this year) and it came in hand. A wise investment if you have a chronic illness.

Air Travel Tips

• Ostomates: Make sure you have more than enough supplies, you never know. You are allowed to take scissors in your carry-on if you are flying domestically. There might be more restrictions when traveling internationally. If you can’t bring your scissors with you, or choose to stow them in your checked baggage, you can always pre-cut your skin wafers.
• The United Ostomy Association of America offers a travel card that helps communicate with TSA about your ostomy. This is great for people who don’t want to shout out, “Hey, I have a colostomy!” The UOAA has tips for travel and what you should expect when it comes to security screenings at the airport.
• Here is an extensive list of tips from the TSA regarding what to expect with an ostomy and security screenings. It’s honestly not a big deal, they pat you down and send you on your way. It’s best to give them a heads up of your situation before you go through the screening and they’ll guide you through. I’ve only had pleasant experiences with the TSA when it comes to screenings and my colostomy.
• Be prepared to stand in long lines going through security checkpoints. Go to the bathroom before getting into line. Give yourself time to go to the bathroom before boarding. With everyone trying to get in their seat it’s not easy to quickly access the bathroom.
• If you are going through a flare up and will have difficulty standing in line, you can always request assistance. Most airlines will easily accommodate you, no questions asked, and have someone escort you on a wheelchair to your gate.                                             
• Be prepared for not being able to go to the bathroom until you are in flight, be careful of what you eat that day. I’ve had some close calls while the plane was sitting on the runway. They will not let you get up. One time we were seriously delayed and I had to explain to the flight attendants my situation and they were very understanding and made sure I was able to access the bathroom.
• I always get an aisle seat, I hate having to jump over someone to go to the bathroom. Southwest doesn’t assign seats, I have gotten early boarding to accommodate to accommodate my disability. I needed the ticket agent to guarantee I got an aisle seat and this was the only way to do it.
• I have been on flights where they restrict access to the business/first class cabin bathrooms with a mesh curtain. I remember needing the bathroom and there was a line for us poor folk in the back of the plane. I couldn’t wait, because you know, Crohn’s, so I just walked through the mesh curtains and went straight to the front. The women sitting next to me was impressed and she and a few others followed my lead. I have Crohn’s, you think a mesh curtain is going to stop me from using the bathroom??

Road Trips

• Long car rides can be tricky, watch out for stretches of roads with no stops. Anyone in Florida who has driven over Alligator Alley knows this. There is always a warning sign “No Bathroom For 50 miles.” This trip used to give me so much anxiety. They’ve added a few bathrooms along the way, but there’s still a pretty big stretch of “clench and hold it.”                                                                            
• Map out your drive and plan for plenty of stops. Gas stations might not always be pleasant, but neither is crapping your pants in the car.
• Be very cautious about what you eat, a road trip is not the time to be adventurous. Stick with what you know is safe.

Cruise Tips

• There are bathrooms all over a cruise ship and you can relax.
• I’ve been on a few cruises and never found the food to be too exotic. You should always have some snacks with you just in case you find the food doesn’t sit well with you.
• Don’t worry if you get sick. I had a kidney stone on a cruise back on New Years Day 2015. I went to the infirmary and the doctor was super helpful. Thankfully my stone passed that day and I was able to enjoy the rest of my vacation.
• If you have an ostomy it’s great to wander the ship without having to bring a purse around with extra supplies. If anything happens you can always run back to your cabin for a bag change.

• Typically, the bathrooms are small, almost like airplane bathrooms.
• If you get off the ship at all, make sure you bring your emergency bag (ostomy supplies, wet naps, snacks, water). Treat it like any other new city.
• When picking your shore excursions listen to the advice of the cruise staff. That’s just good advice for anyone.

General Tips

• You should bring snacks that you know are safe in case you have any issues with food.
• When walking around new cities and you aren’t sure where bathrooms are, I recommend just walking into a restaurant. Don’t ask, just walk in like you belong and go towards the back and you’ll find the bathroom or someone to guide you in the right direction. Anyone who tells me this is rude, clearly doesn’t have IBD.
• Hotel lobbies are always a great place to find bathrooms, the nicer the hotel, the nicer the bathroom.
• Always pack wet wipes
• Plastic bags are great to stick in your suitcase for dirty clothes. Bonus if your hotel has a laundry room just in case you run out of clean clothes. I’ve bought new clothes on trips because I got sick. I had a whole Universal Studios velour hoodie and sweatpants because of one really bad weekend. I couldn’t get the pants without the matching hoodie, let’s be serious here.
• If you are with a few people and you don’t feel great, don’t worry about hanging back at the hotel. A few hours rest might save the rest of your trip.
• Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Try not to let your anxiety get the best of you. Enjoy your trip as much as you can. Take plenty of pictures and post online so you can brag, I mean share, with your friends and family.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer. Shoot me an email, contact info at top of the page. You can also check out this post from Health Line for more tips about traveling with IBD.

Don’t let Crohn’s stop you from seeing the world!