Ten tips for traveling with confidence as a person with a laryngectomy

Your guide to taking care of your neck stoma while on vacation

- Ellie van Knegsel, SLP

Traveling with a neck stoma may seem like a daunting task at first. There are many new things to be aware of, and new care and maintenance routines to take into consideration. But a little planning and preparation go a long way to making your trip easy and trouble-free. We’ve put together our top ten tips of how to take care of your neck stoma while traveling, so you can feel safe and secure when out and about. As a person with a laryngectomy, you can still live and enjoy life to the fullest.

Download our travel checklist here or print and save this article for future reference.

Ten tips for traveling with a neck stoma

• Start small
  Exploring the world sounds exciting, but you will need to get used to traveling with a stoma. Start with shorter trips to get used to being away from home and to find out what your stamina and energy levels can handle.

• Travel with a companion
  Travel with someone that knows about your laryngectomy and the basics of stoma care. This can come in handy if any emergency situations arise. So maybe wait until the second or third date to go out of town.
  
• Pack smart
  Pack extra supplies. For example, if you’re going away for 4 days, pack a week’s worth of supplies just in case. Keep your supplies in your hand luggage so they are close at hand. If you can’t pack your supplies in your hand luggage, pack them evenly across you and your traveling partner’s baggage in the event of a suitcase getting lost or stolen.

• Always bring an extra voice prosthesis
  One more time: always bring an extra voice prosthesis. And consider having your voice prosthesis changed before going on a longer trip.

• Bring back-up communication
  Bring an electrolarynx and/or a pen and pad so you can communicate even if your voice prosthesis is having issues. Remember to check the electrolarynx batteries and pack some spares, just in case.

• Be aware of the environment
  Check the weather reports and get a good idea of the potential hazards of the climate that you are visiting. This is especially important in areas with lots of dust, sand or air pollution.

• Plan for your hygiene needs
  You’ll need a clean bathroom or similar space to change your HME and adhesives, and to clean your stoma and voice prosthesis when traveling. Clean the space thoroughly with disinfectants or sanitizers before changing your HME or cleaning your stoma and voice prosthesis.

• Air travel tips
  Your breathing patterns may change while flying due to cabin pressure and other factors. Relaxing can help your breathing return to normal. The recirculated air in the airplane can also cause irritations. You can also wear a Provox Life Protect HME for extra protection.*

• Find local emergency information
  Find the addresses and telephone numbers of local hospitals with ENT/head and neck service before traveling. Contact your Atos representative to help you.

• Bring the right HMEs for your trip
  Pack the right HMEs for the activities that you have planned during your trip. Provox Life Protect effectively filters the air, helping to protect your airways from bacteria or viruses, for example when flying.* Provox Life Go or Provox Life Energy help make it easier to breathe when out and about, or when being physically active. Make sure to bring extras, as you will often use more supplies when away from home.

Download the travel checklist here.

A great holiday with a neck stoma comes down to one simple concept: preparation. As long as you’ve taken the necessary steps to be prepared, you should be ready to handle most situations. Bon voyage!

*Please note: Since pathogens can enter and leave the human body in other ways (such as the mouth, nose, and eyes), Provox Life Protect HME can never guarantee complete protection. Please read the instructions for use for guidance. Please note that the Provox Life Protect HME filtration capacity may vary depending on the size, shape and speed of airborne particles.