The winter brings out the best in me. That is because every year I look forward to a specific season. This season brings me immense joy and allows me to get back in touch with nature and feel refreshed. There is nothing like being out in the wild hunting. It brings back manly caveman emotions and it changes how you view life. I think I enjoy this season the most because I take off a week from work and spend that time with great friends and family or alone in the woods. It brings lots of memories and allows me to spiritually reconnect and reflect on the year. This is hunting season and more specifically deer season. I say all these things because I want you to know how important it was for me to be able to continue to do this successfully with an ostomy. I was incredibly worried that my favorite part of the year would be destroyed by my own body. It hurts to think of it that way and it was psychologically troubling and worrying for me. Guess what I didn’t need to worry about it at all and neither do you. So how am I able to do this with an ostomy. I won't say it is easy, but it is not rocket science either.
The years have taught me many things. I have made mistakes and lost many deer and animals that I could have hunted successfully had I done things right. But that is life and learning and failing is all a part of it. One thing to know is that when hunting scent is everything. It is the area in deer hunting that humans are the most deficient in. We have a much lower sense of smell than most animals and especially deer. So hunters for centuries have attempted to mask their smell. This worried me because I was literally carrying my human feces around in a bag that was most likely more open to being smelled than it would be without. This terrified me as a hunter. So I took to researching what to do. I found the idea that getting the best ostomy supplies and gear that gave me the best adhesion and seals would be a start. So I found a company that offered free samples which were really cool and I got to work. I tried lots of products until I found one that would allow me to move in the woods silently and with the perfect seal.
The more you know the better prepared you can be. Understanding all about scent is important. So, after trying lots of products I went into the hunting world of scent blocking. There are lots of clothing items out there that are made of charcoal or lined with it and sometimes silver that helps eliminate the scent. I was able to find clothing that worked well with my ConvaTec Ostomy Supplies bag and belt. So in a way, I was able to mask what I was worried the most about. I was also able to still move quietly and not have any interference with my gear. Smiles and joy were still possible and I have been rather successful at harvesting deer and that is a wonderful thing.
