Shopping For Ostomy Supplies

After my railcar accident in 2012 that caused me to undergo an ostomy, my life has changed quite a bit. Adjusting to life with a stoma was not an easy nor short process, and it took a lot of effort and patience with myself to get to where I am at today. I am really thankful for my family and friends who have been there for me during this whole ordeal and I am extremely grateful for the people in my life who have supported me. Finding the right ostomy supplies has been a huge part of the journey up to this point. I don’t like to just buy any old ostomy supplies from any old wholesaler or retailer; I want to make sure I am getting quality products from people who actually know what they are doing. This meant that I had to do a lot of research in regards to ostomy supplies and companies who produce these things. Luckily, there are a lot of resources available to help you find the right products. 

I used to look for most of my ostomy supplies in my local pharmacies and such. The town I live in has a Walgreens and a RiteAid, as well as a Walmart that carries a small amount of ostomy supplies. After first undergoing surgery, I went to these places to look for various supplies that the doctor recommended. It was hard at first to know what I was looking for and to choose products that would best suit my needs. The doctor recommended a few wraps, pouches, lubricants, and other supplies that would help me initially adjust to having a stoma and to get me through the recovery process. The only problem is that the supply was very limited at these stores, and I had a hard time finding the supplies that I needed. In addition to this, I was pretty embarrassed to be going in and shopping for ostomy supplies. It seems silly now, but looking back I always thought people would be able to smell my ostomy pouch and if they saw me shopping for said items, and that I would attract unwanted attention my way.

I resorted to shopping online for my ostomy supplies after a few weeks. Not only was it easier to find things for cheap online, there were lots of reviews and helpful articles written about ostomy and stoma supplies. The best thing to do was to read reviews and see what real people who actually bought the product had to say about it. This was extremely helpful in figuring out what kind of supplies would work well for me. It was also nice to do all the shopping from the comfort of my own home, rather than be at a physical store somewhere and worry about what people are thinking about me. With the beginning of COVID and the forced lockdown that the United States ended up going into, it became even more convenient to shop for my ostomy supplies online. Since I was already avoiding brick and mortar stores regularly due to COVID, it made even more sense to continue getting my ostomy supplies online.

I wish you all the best in finding the right ostomy supplies for your needs. It is a bit of a struggle at first, but be patient and know that there are many people like you that are struggling with the same things. We are in this together!