IBD, ostomy, life and me!

Today is World Ostomy Day. Most people won't know this or even care and if I'm honest I didn't up until 3 1/2 years ago when my Ostomy saved my life!  That's pretty much the long and short of it... If an amazing surgeon hadn't taken out my colon and formed an opening with my ileum on my stomach I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be watching my daughter swim. I wouldn't be able to go out for a curry with friends. I wouldn't be able to run. Before I was given my ileostomy I honestly didn't know much about them. I guess the concept of pooing into a bag on my stomach was pretty grim. It certainly freaked me out when the surgeon came in and told me that they were considering removing my colon... But you can't live without a colon! Actually you can... Very well...and a whole load better than I could live with my diseased colon. So ... What do I want you to know today? 1) My Ostomy is the single most important reason that I am here today! 2) I look

This was my #ccuk story that I shared in 2014 for World IBD day. I shared it with my immediate colleagues at work as part of a cake sale that I held in our work room. This year, with whole buildings going purple and, alongside a colleague we upped the awareness raising stakes. We organised a college wide bake sale and invited staff and students to #gopurple! As part of the promotion of our bake sale I sent an email out to all staff in the building with a link to some earlier blog posts. I hoped staff would read these and understand why World IBD Day is so important and why we need to raise awareness of both Crohn's and Colitis! I know people followed the links and read the posts....I can monitor the traffic on my blog and it was great, if not slightly terrifying to know that potentially everyone I work in the same building as knew that I have a Stoma and an ostomy bag! But that is how we are going to raise awareness , not by hiding but by putting ourselves and our stories o

I am currently at home, lying on my bed, unable to sit or stay in any position for too long as I recover from my proctectomy.....or in lay man's terms...the excision of my rectal stump. I have to say the current state of my arse or lack of it is one of the most painful things I have experienced! However I'm fine and will recover well! This, along with my previous op when I was given my ileostomy are direct consequences of Ulcerative Colitis. Being at home has allowed me the joys of watching daytime TV and to surf the net finding interesting stories. Last week I came across a fabulous open letter from Sam Cleasby's blog http://sobadass.me . Sam's comments and experiences reminded me of my own experiences using accessible toilets! Sam's letter went viral and yesterday she appeared on BBC Breakfast. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31636415 The interview that Sam gave and the way the BBC approached this topic was excellent... Professional, sympathetic and informati

I find it hard to believe that I have had my stoma for nearly 3 years. Life is so different now than it was in early 2012. I am a completely different person. I am healthy, fit, strong and able to share a fulfilling life with my family. For that I am eternally grateful. I have blogged before about the final operation that I need to remove my rectal stump. I have put it off until now as I haven't been ready to face another operation. But now I am  - in my head it is time. It is time for closure on this. I had my annual EUA in December - while I was talking to the surgeon about the procedure he asked what was next. I said that I wanted the op done. He then said that he was retiring on March 31 but he thought he could fit it in before then!!!! That's slightly earlier than I anticipated but at least it will be done. Although this is a major operation and I am not underestimating it at all I also know that I am in a very different place from when I had the last op. I am fit an