I usually don’t get into this whole ‘giving something up for Lent’ thing. I’ve never been particularly religious or felt the need to give something up to prove something either. But I can see the logic behind it; trying to do something new for 40 days and see if it sticks. And this year, I think I might just be in need of this. Of course, things for me have…
IBD
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It Creeps Up on You
Diary Entry: 29.04.16 It’s two weeks until my surgery. I’ve finally had all my paperwork for my pre-op and my admission for the actual surgery. It’s come around fast. Faster than expected. Even though it was only a month away when I got told it was provisionally booked. Planned anxiety. That is what my first surgery was. Lately, I’ve been finding myself getting less sleep because my head has…
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Life Lately | Stoma and Ostomy Lifestyle
So, I’ve been doing a lot of specific blog posts on ostomy advice and milestones. What I haven’t been really talking about is what is going on with me, personally. After my first surgery, we had a game plan on what I was going to achieve and when. This included how well I was going to recover, how I would get on with my chronic illness wway from surgery and…
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What I’ve Learnt after Six Months with an Ileostomy
“I’ve learnt that this learning experience isn’t over and won’t ever really be over. And that is okay. I am fine with these challenges because I know I can do them, whatever my stoma throws my way.” Extract from my November post “What I’ve Learnt After Three Months with an Ileostomy” *** Six months. Half a year. It feels and sounds like a huge amount of time.…
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My Ostomy Appliance Change Routine
Disclaimer: This information is based on my own personal experience since my ostomy surgery in August 2016 and is not intended to replace medical advice from a trained professional. If you are requiring advice regarding your own stoma, routines which might benefit you most, or products that suit your needs best, please contact your stoma care nurse for further assistance. I’ve had my ostomy for six months now. And throughout that…
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“What is a Stoma, if it Saves Your Life?”
I remember being in the first year of learning how to cope with my Crohn’s Disease – a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease – and I met fellow IBDers who had stomas. They spoke about how they had come to have their ostomy surgery; how terribly awful things had become to get to that stage, but how much better life was because of it. Despite that, I panicked. Nope. Not…
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My Note to You
My boyfriend has never seen or experienced me without my IBD. We met a couple months after I was diagnosed. That is now almost five years ago. It’s been my longest relationship to date and I hope it’s the only one I now have. At the start, my disease was under control and I was able to have some sort of life whilst being ill. We acted like a couple…
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Surgical Review #2 – 13.02.17
Back to see my amazing surgeon today. Don’t worry, I’m okay! If anything, that’s the reason for seeing him. I am doing so well since surgery, he double checked my blood work, did a MRI scan and a calprotein test to confirm that everything is A-Okay. I’ve briefly discussed my thoughts on ‘remission’ this time around here, and also here. But today it was made official but not at all…
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Sometimes; it just hits you, hard
How long does it take you to accept something? I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t be terrified to see my stoma. The first time I got to see it, I was high on morphine and was desperately trying to understand what was coming out of me and what I was attached to. PICC line? Check. PCA pump? Check. Catheter? Check. Abdominal drain? Check. Ostomy bag…? Check. I felt the…