Stories

Some ostomates think of a stoma as a disability and others don’t. In this blog Clare asks the question- is having a stoma a disability?

A fistula is a rare complication of surgery that sometimes affects ostomates. In this blog, Lauraine shares what it is like living with a fistula.

1 in 500 people here in the UK currently have a stoma, so how many celebrities have one?

Getting this ostomy made it possible for me to travel again, date, and apply for university.

Changing what you can change must make you feel more positive and that is why I have decided to stick to this.

I may have an illness and wear a bag but I don’t want to be labelled as the girl that’s sick.

 Having my little friend is second nature to me now, but it took a while getting used to him and there’s days I still am adjusting. He looks different compared to the stomas on the books or websites that you see.  I have learnt to dea...

I miss the old me, but she’s gone - it’s time for change. I hope 2020 will help me find and embrace my new normal.

Does a family member or partner help with any aspect of your care since stoma or stoma related surgery? I ask because there are many ways in which you might need help for example, wound care, help with the stoma change itself or maybe even TPN and na...

I have made it my mission to embrace my second chance at life, not allowing having a stoma to become a barrier to me doing anything.

Spa days are a great way to practice self care, and this shows you can totally relax and unwind on a spa day with a stoma.

Smells can be a big problem for ostomates, but with such a variety of odour eliminating products on the market it can be hard to know what to choose.

Having a stoma means toilets play a big part in our lives. I have used some really lovely clean ones, but also some dreadful ones that I really didn’t want to use but had no choice.

Meeting the right people and testing a variety of products helped me find what worked best for me.

Hi all on this Thursday. I hope I find you well ? I just wanted to say I am never far away from social media and if you just need a friendly hello. Give me a shout . Take care and speak soon. Keith. 

When you have a surgery date you feel relieved but then as it gets nearer you nearly talk yourself out of it

Google is great for many things but if, like me, you have anxiety issues, I would strongly repeat what my consultant said 35 years ago, leave the doctoring to the doctors.

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.