Do you ever find yourself assuming that a stoma will prevent you doing certain things? I certainly have! Fortunately, it usually turns out to be my anxiety talking.

When I finally realised that I shouldn’t be continually thinking about my stoma as a barrier, I realised all of the things it allowed me to do, that my inflammatory bowel disease wouldn’t have.

My experience at theme parks

The first time I went to a theme park with my ileostomy, I’d been living in that, my stoma allows me to do so much more, mindset for a while. So much so, I didn’t even consider my ostomy at all when we were making plans to go. I was just excited about finally being well enough to go!

My stoma only entered my head a couple of times during our time there. We got wet on the log floom, and I needed to ensure my bag was dry. I didn’t want to be walking round with a damp crotch for hours! Luckily, it was just a bit wet on the front, so it wasn’t touching my skin.

We’d gone during the school holidays, which meant the queues were short, so we’d been on lots of rides. I returned home absolutely shattered, but I’d enjoyed myself and had a lot of fun.

The second time was a whole different experience. It was a massive mistake going when the kids were off school. The queues were monstrous, with some waits being around two hours! We spent the day trekking from one end of the park to the other, just to queue for one ride, then finding all of the other rides near us were now closed due to queue capacity.

Then came the food saga. I wanted to choose food that wouldn’t leave me feeling tired, bloated, or fill up my bag too fast. I didn’t fancy queuing for 90 minutes with a bulging bag, waiting for a ride that requires me to have a metal bar pushing into my abdomen. We wandered from one food place to another, all of them looking disappointing. We finally settled on a restaurant, and I’m sure that was the longest queue of the day! Or maybe it just felt that way because I was exhausted, aching, and hangry…

These days, constantly being on the lookout for toilets is ingrained in me, which is fortunate because I had to make a fair few trips!

We returned home shattered and thoroughly unsatisfied. The only silver lining was getting to spend time with some of our favourite people.

Top tips for ostomates planning a theme park trip:

• Many of the bars on the rides have to be pulled down over your body. Some did line up with my stoma. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can get stoma guards/shields that will prevent any damage from accidental knocks. Some of these are available on prescription.

• Stick with people who understand that you might need to tweak the day’s plan – like mealtimes and toilet breaks.

• Pack your emergency kit and any meds you might need. And if you tend to get a sore back from standing too long, maybe throw in some muscle rub!

• Dehydration is no joke, even in cooler temperatures, especially for us ostomates. So, keep hydrated with drinks, salty snacks, or rehydration sachets/tablets.

• Dress comfy in trainers and layers, and don’t forget that waterproof jacket, even if it’s scorching. Especially if you’re keen on the water rides!

• If you can swing it, aim for a day when the kids are in school.

• Always be on the lookout for loos. Grab a map if you can – the second park we visited had a nifty app with a map included.

• If you’re like me and need to graze throughout the day, don’t forget to pack those snacks!

• Most importantly, have a blast!