Going on my first ostomy jog of the year

Being in a new situation is a difficult thing for me.  I am an introverted person and I really don’t like trying new things especially in front of new people.  When it comes to being outdoors and with a new ostomy set up I am really anxious about what could go wrong.  I am generally anxious all the time and adding the idea of having my bag start leaking all over and bringing that smell with me on a jog sounds like a terrible nightmare.  It was honestly my worst fear when I heard I would have an ostomy and be living with a stoma.  I was soon proven that my fears were unfounded, but it still took a long time for that to happen.

Jogging has been a part of my life since junior high.  I began jogging as a way to stay in shape and get into sports.  It has now been my go to exercise for decades and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Having an ostomy worried me and I was afraid I would have to let my main way of exercising go.  But there are lots of ways to stay in shape and jogging is actually a normal activity for people with a stoma.  The most important thing is to take it slow and have the right gear. 

I was really worried about leaks and spills so I called up my favorite brand ostomy supplies to talk out what I would  need to get back into jogging again. They gave me the general talk to your healthcare provider speech and that is what I will do and then they gave me great advice on what to use and how to implement it. 

The best part of ostomy supplies was that they gave me samples to try before I went and bought a bunch of different things.  This allowed me to try these items out without a financial loss and I was able to take their advice and start really slow around my house.  And since I was so worried about looks, they suggested I get a nice reflective vest and belt and maybe try things out in the dark if I wanted to.  Or early morning. I really appreciated their caring about how I felt about my looks and worries..  It was that extra bit of caring that got me back on track.  Granted it was a slow going start, but I finally am back to exercising regularly and happily.