Gear for your stoma is key

I know that I need to be safe in my life.  My gear is key to how I feel and how I am able to function in public.   I think that having a medical condition brings this safety to mind more than on a regular person.  That means that having a stoma can make safety a very high priority in life. This year I saw a safety issue come up and it was related to my ability to take care of myself if things went wrong.  The ability to get gear and stay healthy due to my stoma was put into question this year.  It as something that I truly didn't see coming and it scared me.  This year is 2021, and the reality is that the supply of medical gear came into question.  With the wild things that can happen what do I need to have on hand if an emergency happens?

So many people think a month is fine. Then there are some who want a year supply on hand.  I think that is a good thing and it is also because we are in different situations.  I know that the possibility of not being able to get ostomy gear in the mail monthly may never be an issue.  But this year I saw some location in our country not able to receive products.  It really scared me because if it happened to me I would have been in trouble. See I get my products once a month shipped directly to my house. I am basically just in time shipping on my supply as in I run out and the new products come just in time.  Generally my pharmacy is the answer to all my issues for getting gear in an emergency.

The news didn't show much, but multiple cities shutdown last year, and riots took place and police left.  They let the locals to see their city burn.  The local pharmacies were the first major targets in some locations and it was simply not safe to even go out.  The scary thing was that police didn't do anything in many of these locations and locals were essentially in a true prison. With many supply trucks turning around instead of going into these cities deliveries simply stopped.  There was no mail, and there was no help for those trapped in there.  If it was me I would have been in big trouble. This made me think I needed to do something to not be afraid.

My goal was to get an extra month of ostomy gear on hand.  Most law and order were restored within a month.  In my mind, I would be safe at this point and I feel that I could survive with no health issues for that period of time. Now some people may be thinking that they need more supplies or even less on hand.  That is a truly personal choice and I respect your decision whatever it may be.  But that is my suggestion and I am saving to purchase a little extra every time so I can have that safety net on hand. It makes me feel safe and secure and I think it is better safe than sorry. I know this is just an opinion, but I hope my thoughts may have helped you figure out what works well for you.