12 years and so much has happened since then. There’s been many ups and downs, many changes to my lifestyle, daily routine and changes to me as a person. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that I am still me and can still do everything I did before my surgery and my surgeries since then.
Having a surgery due to bowel cancer at 27 was terrifying if I’m honest and it wasn’t until after the surgery and in the recovery stage that I really felt this mentally. Everything happened so quickly. It was a shock diagnosis that went on to scans, colonoscopies to surgery and little did I know this was only the beginning of a long journey ahead.
After recovery from this surgery things changed a lot for me. My way of thinking changed a lot and what worried me previously was no longer a worry as nothing compares to Your health. 7 years later in 2019 would see me having another bowel surgery for adhesions and issues with my remaining bowel to then again another surgery the year after this one in 2020 to have my stoma bag fitted.
With each surgery I became more anxious about my health. Every pain I had, had my brain in over drive I just felt like this was now going to be my life a constant worry and having to deal with a new body on top of this and a stoma bag just added to my list of worries. I knew I couldn’t go on living like this as I wasn’t living so I made a choice to get help and turn things around and that’s exactly what I did!
With some medical help and a lot of work myself i opened up about my stoma and surgeries and how I was feeling over social media. I had the page for a year before anyone I knew, knew about it and I followed others in similar situations as myself and this really helped and gave me the confidence to be myself and be content with how I looked.
I have learnt so much about myself and see the world alot different from how I did before. I’ve learnt that life with a stoma bag isn’t how I thought it would be in-fact it’s the complete opposite in a good way. I’ve learnt never to judge others and that normal for everyone is different. I’ve learnt so much about invisible disabilities and how many is affected by this and that someone using a disabled toilet or parking space may look pretty normal but may in-fact have an issue we cannot see.
I could speak all day about how different I see the world since my first initial diagnosis and surgery as it has opened my mind to many things that I may not have seen if I didn’t have my diagnosis but I can hold my hands up and say it has humbled me and made me into a much better person in so many ways.
