Ostomy gear is a really important part of those who have a stoma. Knowing what works well is very important in different times and knowing how to deal with crazy situations is always a good thing as well. But when it comes to the Rut I don't let my stoma get in my way. This is my favorite time of the year and I have always found a way to make sure my stoma does not get in the way of the rut season. I have been told many times that people who have stoma's shouldn't go out and be active or enjoy the great outdoors. I know that these comments came from ignorant people who had no knowledge of what they were talking about or who had simply given up on life. That is a sad thing to see and many people who are convinced that life won't get better usually are simply completely to blame. As for me I have never had a problem with my stoma and it has just been a part of my life and I have made it work for me.
Being active is part of who I am as a person and I have done lots of research to make sure that I would be able to enjoy my life even with an ostomy bag that joins me on all occasions. The truth is that most people can live an active and full life with a stoma and those who don't choose not to. I first learned of people who had run the Iron Man competition with a stoma and then I found not one, but two guys who had done it recently with a stoma and normal ostomy gear. Just think about it. These guys did it in 11 and 12 hours and each ran a marathon. That is a crazy amount of running. But these guys didn't just run 24 miles, but instead, he also swam two miles in the ocean before doing that. In the Ocean. So he went with is ostomy set up and transitioned from swimming to running back to back. After all of this, they also biked 100 or so miles and that is just wild. That showed me that I had no excuses for not enjoying the limited active lifestyle that I have.
Being active is part of who I am as a person and I have done lots of research to make sure that I would be able to enjoy my life even with an ostomy bag that joins me on all occasions. The truth is that most people can live an active and full life with a stoma and those who don't choose not to. I first learned of people who had run the Iron Man competition with a stoma and then I found not one, but two guys who had done it recently with a stoma and normal ostomy gear. Just think about it. These guys did it in 11 and 12 hours and each ran a marathon. That is a crazy amount of running. But these guys didn't just run 24 miles, but instead, he also swam two miles in the ocean before doing that. In the Ocean. So he went with is ostomy set up and transitioned from swimming to running back to back. After all of this, they also biked 100 or so miles and that is just wild. That showed me that I had no excuses for not enjoying the limited active lifestyle that I have.
For goodness sake, my physical needs for hunting are much less. Granted sometimes I hike for several miles and end up doing some climbing as well. I have to be able to climb into a tree stand and also lift heavy animals. Some states require you to drag your animals out while others allow you to carry only the meat. This means that in some cases I may have to drag a 200-pound deer for a long way. So strength and endurance are needed in my active times. But with the right gear, I am able to keep my stoma safe and since I work out knowing this I prepare for the amount of weight that is needed to be pulled or carried. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do but I train for it and don't let my stoma get in the way. It comes along my journey with me and that is the way I think that most people should attempt to live.