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“Getting a cancer diagnosis is extremely stressful, and that brings a whole load of emotions, and lack of sleep certainly does not help. I think many of us have periods of insomnia. I experienced a long period of not sleeping. I could go off to sleep quite quickly, but after an hour I would find myself wide awake again, and would spend the rest of the night getting frustrated because I couldn't sleep."
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Hi Gill
Bags don’t explode on planes or blow up like crisp bags although I do remember thinking about that when I first had my surgery-I have 2 permanent stomas and fly pretty often with 2 bags: in fact I’m off again on Friday. I never follow the rules about only drinking water on a flight as our holiday ritual usually involves having a couple of vodkas on the plane! It’s part of the fun. 
Sarah xx
Morning Sarah.
Well, that cheeky Ray had me completely taken in! 
It was so plausible, the way he explained it, that I took it as gospel. Well and truly duped, I - 0 to Ray!
Hey, I bet you can't wait for Friday - where are you heading off to? Holidays are well exciting and I'd be counting down the days, oh, and the voddies will get you kick-started. Excellent! You'll have a fabulous time.
Gill xx
Hey Gill
Maybe it’s different with a catheter bag of course-I’ve never travelled with one of those! But 5 years of travelling on planes with stoma bags have certainly given me an insight into managing them while in the air!
We are off to Zante to a lovely little hotel we’ve stayed in before so good food and relaxation is the plan. We have our own little pool with our room which certainly makes things easier-I wear tankinis so my bags are well supported/covered and I don’t think anyone would notice but I’m also disabled so I don’t like being the focus of attention trying to get in and out of the main pool-that wouldn’t be a pretty sight!
I’ll need to be careful with the voddies as I got an unexpected diabetes diagnosis last week so it will need to be diet mixers for me!
Sarah xx
Thanks Gill-it took time to get back to travelling for us as my surgery was so huge in 2020 and had a very long recovery time, but I never wanted to let stomas or disability stop me going away. We would like to return to our favourite place in the world which is Bali, but the journey is really long so I’m not sure that will ever be possible again. But we’ve been very lucky to see a lot of the world before I first got ill. And we can at least still see some of it!
I hope you’ll find that you and your husband can do as much travel as you’d like to as he improves-we need to be patient as you say, but I thought I might never travel abroad again, and I’m so glad I was wrong!
Sarah xx
Thank you Jane. I dread travelling itself but am happy once I get there and at least this flight isn’t too long. I hate being pushed around the airport in a wheelchair, but there’s no way I’m taking any chances with my snazzy, new and very expensive power chair!
I can hire a wheelchair in Zante for days we want to go out as I won’t be able to walk, but I’ll have my 2 trusty sticks for the hotel, which ironically I know is not really suitable for the disabled! it’s small and I know from our past visit that I can cope there.
Hope you’re doing ok Jane-we haven’t had a catch up for ages!
Sarah xx
