Is there a best place to get ostomy gear?

So I am guessing you are reading this because you are new to the ostomy game.  Or even more interesting would be that you just had a really bad experience with a customer service agent of some company that sells ostomy gear.  Let’s face it, it is bound to happen at some point or another and we all get frustrated with one company or someone at a company we have been with for a very long time.  Take a minute to be angry and express your frustrations.  Yep, there are bad apples and sometimes the people and companies we deal with are having a bad day too.  They may be in the complete wrong or they may be in the middle and you may be too.  Just take a minute to breath and evaluate your situation.  There are lots of great places to get your ostomy supplies from.  I said it, there is no one perfect place to get it from. So I want to go over a few options and let you know that it’s ok to move on, or maybe just give them another shot.

First and foremost is you can get your ostomy supplies from a pharmacy.  This is  a great place to shop and I highly recommend supporting local companies. Imagine yourself if they were gone and you were in an emergency situation and needed something now! It would sure be sad if they left because no one shopped there and you lost your emergency place to get gear from. 

Plus I have found that pharmacists like to get the best gear they can for the best price that people like.  They only sell what sells and it seems to me that most places like to sell the best product they can.  Plus they get to talk to lots of people about their products and can be very knowledgeable. So keep them in mind as a good option.

There are also lots of online retailers that sell gear!  Many of the companies that produce the products themselves have awesome websites and pretty good customer service as well.  So don’t be afraid to shop those companies and also give them a call.  The service staff are usually rather helpful, but we have all had a bad apple and don’t judge all the books by their cover or one bad apple.  It;s a lesson I learned myself, nobody’s perfect! So enjoy your shopping and choose wisely and be kind.

Fishing with a Stoma

One of my favorite pastimes is fishing.  I learned to fish from a very young age.  My poor father had the torture of teaching me to cast and hook a worm.  Many times I remember actually hooking him on my cast and sometimes drawing a good amount of blood.  That is all well and good and I am glad he taught me at such a young age.  I have been fishing for many years and even though some years I only get out once or twice I still love it and respect the skill and peacefulness it brings.  So when I found out a stoma was going to be a part of my near future I worried a bit about being able to go fishing with my family and friends.  The fears that come to mind at the beginning are really just hogwash and truly overblown, but I want to let anyone know that it is ok to have a stoma and go fishing.  The joys of getting outside simply don’t have to go away and shouldn’t if that is something that you love.

Now I do think it is important to make sure you have the correct ostomy supplies on you when you are out casting from the shore or on a boat.  If you are going to be on a boat for a long time or even a canoe make sure to bring spares. 

Also it really is important to bring the spare items you may need in a waterproof bag or case. I suggest doubling up on the water proofing because you never know when you will go in the water.  It may even just start raining on you.  Worst case you get a great fish and it hops into the boat.  Then it starts slapping around and soaks your extra supplies in fishy water.  It will indeed be a bit nasty at that point and he may even smack it into the water.  Let’s be real any fish story can happen and sometimes the fish actually win no matter what story we tell.

This also gets me to my next point.  Make sure you are bringing the right sanitary items for your ostomy supplies.  Messes happen and seals do have issues sometimes.  So what does that mean for you on a boat or on the shore surrounded by nature?  It means that fishing can bring lots of bacteria and germs along with it.  If you catch a fish and get him off the hook your hands are now going to be covered in lots of unsanitary things. So take the right cleaning gear to keep your stoma and you safe! Now go out and enjoy fishing!

Medicare and Ostomy’s

Is it possible to get all of your ostomy supplies for free? Well in lots of cases if you are capable of getting on Medicare lots of cost saving benefits come with it.  Being eligible for medicare is a bit of a different story, but many people are already on it and should take advantage of all the extra benefits it has. So what does medicare really cover.  In most cases for the millions of individuals that are on it it can cover around 80% of the cost for supplies.  That can be a great savings especially since this is a part of life that doesn’t really go away. If you have a stoma you are going to be eliminating your waste through it and will need ostomy supplies on a daily basis.

So what types of supplies or quantities can you get from medicare. It does come down to having insurance and medicare pay for a 30 or 90 day supply and they will help up to certain quantities of items. For drainable ostomy pouches and even urostomy pouches they allow up to 20 of each per month to be on the plan.  Anything extra will be on your own financially speaking.  There are also lots of other medicare supplemental plans that can cover up to 100 percent of all your ostomy needs.

  That is a complicated topic and you want to get advice from a licensed professional.  But an unlicensed person can tell you to run the numbers yourself.  If you are paying 20% for all your supplies now. Add up that number and know what the actual cost is for you.  Then compare getting a supplemental plan. Some plans are great and can save you legitimate money. But many salesmens are simply out to make money for themselves and you will want to make sure you are not simply wasting your own money.  Don’t overpay for insurance that costs more than simply paying that portion out of pocket.

Now as most people on medicare know you will need to have a prescription for the items on your ostomy list.  This does mean you will need to get notes from your doctor on progress and or lack thereof.  So just keep that in mind and also keep in mind the costs differences for all these things.  Being wise with your money can also help provide you better healthcare by choosing the best option for you.