Disclaimer: This information is based on my own research into this particular aspect of stoma care as well as some personal experience and should not be used as medical advice or a diagnostic tool. The suggestions given within are taken from sources laid out in the references header. If you seek advice regarding the things you experience within your own disease, please contact your SCN for medical advice. If you are looking for the entire…
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10 Tips for Feeling Comfortable with IBD
Throwback to an eventful Thursday afternoon in September 2011 when I was sat on the recovery trolley trying to grapple with the fact my latest test had discovered I have Crohn’s Disease. It was an understandably emotional time; the gravity of the situation was palpable – it was a ‘disease’, a lifelong and challenging illness – but I was also really unsure of what this meant for me going forward.…
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Sleep with a Stoma
One of my first queries when I was getting ready to have my stoma made was, ‘but how will I sleep with it attached to me?’ And sure for some, this might not phase them at all; it would be a welcomed break from not sleeping at all or having very broken and unsuccessful sleep. But I worried, none the less. Would I squash it? Would doing that hurt? Would…
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Extra Intestinal Manifestations and their Importance
Extra Intestinal Manifestations – or EIMs for short – are seen in 25–40% of IBD patients.1 Inflammatory manifestations of the skin, eyes, liver, and joints are considered primary manifestations. If secondary effects of disease activity are also considered, nearly 100% of IBD patients have an abnormality outside of the gastrointestinal tract.2 Twenty-five percent of IBD patients have more than one EIM. The development of the first EIM appears to increase the risk…
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Health Anxiety
What is meant by ‘health anxiety’? A sudden or unexpected health event can change your life in many ways. Feelings of shock, anger, grief, loss and sadness can be commonplace. And while these feelings usually pass with time, if they cause ongoing stress, you may be at greater risk of developing depression and anxiety. Health anxiety is an anxiety condition that is often housed within the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) spectrum…
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IBD, an Ostomy & Living with a Partner
Lately I’ve been reflecting on just how far I’ve come with my ostomy. I’ve been going without my medication – under the guidance of my IBD team – for a five months now and I’m feeling wistful. This hasn’t happened before. It’s unchartered territory for not only me, but my partner too. So just how do you juggle having IBD, an ostomy and living with a partner? Good question huh?…
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Self Love & Self Care
“Self-love, self-respect, self-worth: There’s a reason they all start with ‘self.’ You can’t find them in anyone else.” ~Unknown SELF-CARE means mindfully and consistently nurturing all aspects of your own wellbeing. Spiritual, physical – this is the aspect where we tend to mainly focus our self-care – , intellectual and emotional. You can know about self-care and have a hard time practising it, or you can be great at self-care…
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Chronic Illness & Guilt
Diagnosis of a chronic illness is just the begining of a life long struggle with acceptance and a certain loss of idenity. I remember sitting in that doctor’s office being diagnosed with PCOS at seventeen not knowing what any of this meant. Why would I need to consider my reproduction when I was this young? I naively assumed I could just forget about it all as I chose not to…
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TEN THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT… WINTER & NEW YEAR
Today happens to be #BlueMonday but here I am celebrating the good things that come from this cold and sometimes miserable time of year. Autumn and Winter are my favourite times of year. Yes, it might be darker and colder for more of the daytime but I relish that fact and welcome it with open arms. When there is a chill in the air, I am happy. In 2020 I…