Stories

Getting a stoma for many people will mean the end of extreme pain and illness, so it can be easy to forget that you still need to look after yourself.

It can be hard to ask for help after surgery, and for family and friends it is hard to know how to help a loved one during their recovery. Clare Mee shares some tips for both sides from her own experience.

Having an ostomy can be the start of your journey - not the end. The only limits are the ones you set yourself.

At some point after the birth of your stoma, you will want to venture outdoors – it’s totally natural and expected that you will be anxious about being too far away from a toilet. A public convenience can often have small cubicles, making...

The thought of more surgery can bring on anxiety, so weighing up the pros and cons can help.

I’m learning it’s okay to cry and feel sorry for myself. I am also learning how to cope with these feelings.

The children are a huge part of my life and have helped me recover. My ileostomy gave me my life back and I’m still here and enjoying life with my family and those precious little people.

Having a surgical team you trust is really important, it makes going to sleep under anaesthetic just that little bit more reassuring.

All of us will at some point or another suffer somewhat. Following or tailoring these tips may hopefully help you enjoy your day better!

I absolutely love travelling and having a stoma has never stopped me. The key is to remember that more is best. Always bring more supplies than not.

When playing my camogie, I wear a shield over the actual stoma and then I feel like a wrestler wrapping my support belt around my waist, it’s a work out in itself!

I often think back to the early days of my operation and wonder if I could have done things differently to maybe help speed up recovery, make life for myself easier, and so on.

I am all for saying my stoma saved my life, and it did. But I would prefer not to have it at all and be well. That is not going to happen so I accept my life and live it to the best I can.

Clare shares her story about life change through poetry... I want to tell my story The best way that I can From my first big flare Via a thirty year span.

Samples I have requested over the years are varied – pouches, thickeners, deodorisers, covers, adhesive wipes and sprays, gels and wet wipes …. The list goes on.

We can do anything the same as everyone else at university and if not better, having a stoma shouldn’t put a hold on your dreams.

To everyone who is struggling with his or her body image now, I want you to know that it’s okay. I still struggle. There are days where I think I’m freaking hot and totally feeling myself. Then there are days where it’s the complete opposite.

There have been a few times when my husband has had to say hang on isn’t that a bit too much? Some things can be kept private, and I have come to my senses and left it out.

Drinking plenty of water however does not necessarily make you hydrated. Drinking too much plain water could actually make dehydration worse.

It is always nice to feel clean around the stoma, so bag change day feels good. Give yourself “me” time to relax and give your peristomal skin time to feel the air, there is nothing better for it.

For the month of February, I have decided to cut out some sugar intake. I gave up candy, ice cream, and cookies for this month. I want to see if there is an improvement in my energy and overall clarity.

Having a stoma should not detract anyone from having a loving, caring and an intimate level of trust that may have existed prior to the creation of a stoma.

I am happy that I managed to get out there and help others. I am glad that I joined the Ileostomy association, I am glad I joined lots of forums, I am glad I write my blog letting the world know about life with a stoma.

Even though we cope with these serious body conditions and the aftermath of sometimes mutilating surgery (because we have NO choice but to cope), I still have a desire to dress up, show up because I will never give up.

Life is different for everyone with an ostomy and it’s all about finding what works for each of us.