Before I had my stoma, Homer, I was not in a good place in my life. I had been suffering with ulcerative colitis (UC) for several years and my life just seemed to revolve around pain, stress and endless toilet visits. The hospital visits were getting more and more frequent as the pain, diarrhoea and bleeding got worse; eventually I had no option and I had my stoma in 2012.
There are so many reasons why I love my stoma but perhaps the most obvious one is that it saved my life. My bowel was so damaged that it was unable to perform its usual job and at the end couldn’t even absorb water. I opted to have a colectomy where my bowel and rectum was removed. This may seem a bit drastic but, to be honest, I couldn’t imagine having to go through everything again and maybe have another operation somewhere down the line.
I had forgotten about some of the other symptoms of IBD that I had suffered. The disease affected my joints quite badly and they became really sore and stiff. I also had severe cramps in my legs and mouth ulcers made eating painful as if all things dietary weren’t challenging enough anyway! And my eyes were often sore and itchy too so all in all it was pretty rubbish. The constant diarrhoea aggravated my hemorrhoids – an operation to relieve this was actually thwarted as my bowel wasn’t in a good enough state to allow healing.
Since my operation, however, my life has become really exciting and fulfilling. I can enjoy eating pretty much anything I like now and I don’t have to worry about rushing to the toilet before, during and after a meal. My mental health has improved a hundred-fold. Anxiety and stress about my UC made me very depressed and unable to feel positive about anyone or anything at times. Now it is quite the opposite. I have devoted my spare time to raising awareness, spreading positivity and raising money for charities close to my heart. I keep fit by walking outdoors in all seasons and weathers and thanks to my stoma this is now possible whereas I couldn’t have contemplated it during my illness.
I am immensely privileged to be an ambassador for Pelican and Respond. Since my first blog was published on their website I cannot begin to list all the incredible opportunities I have had: the many and varied people I have met, the events I have attended, the places I have visited as a result. I am totally committed to championing their service and products as the quality is second to none and allows me to embrace having my stoma, and looking after him is easy . This has undoubtedly been key to my ability to live a full and active life as the products make me feel totally secure and worry-free. I have never been let down by any product and the direct delivery service is always reliable.
Having a stoma and therefore a hidden disability has given me the voice to speak out via my social media platforms to raise awareness. I have been able to share my experience and support others going through what I went through, which is both humbling and rewarding. I have become a representative in work for supporting a diverse workforce and showing that having a disability need not stop you from achieving your potential. I have enjoyed being involved in filming projects celebrating diversity and life after illness, recently I was lucky enough to have taken part in a film promoting the Swansea Grand Theatre pantomime and got to meet the cast to boot.
All in all there is absolutely no comparison to life with illness and my life now. I owe so much to Homer the stoma and having looked back at what I have achieved over the last 12 years, why on earth wouldn’t I love him?
