I’ve never really returned to work before. There, its out there, I’ve said it! Pre-surgery IBD days, and here I talk about the period of time from my diagnosis until I was left unemployed four and a half years after that; I had bouts of ‘sickness’ and I never really had a prolonged period of time off work to get ‘better’. And upon my diagnosis, I was told to get…
stoma life
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“What is a Stoma?” Part III: Living & Coping with a Stoma
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 other…
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“What is a Stoma?” Part II: Why & How
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 other…
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“What is a Stoma?” Part I: Types of Stomas
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 other…
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Happy Stomaversary!
What I’ve Achieved in Twelve Months with my Ostomy Well, me and Priscilla have been belly buddies for a whole year today. It feels like such a long time but it also feels like nothing, like I’ve clicked my fingers and here we are. But what have I done in these twelve months since that fateful day of ostomy surgery? I survived another surgery! That would make two…
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When Does Having an Ostomy Feel “Normal”?
I am a firm believer in self confidence. Feeling sure of yourself and who you are is a big part of feeling good about life. But do you know what makes self confidence difficult? An incurable chronic illness. And all the things that come with it. What I struggled with was, after almost five years of living with Crohn’s Disease, I needed to have my colon removed and an ileostomy…
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Life Lately | Struggling in The Heat
Guys, Summer is not my friend Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy summer but I like to be inside enjoying it. I hate being too hot and just prefer to be cool instead of roasting myself in the sun like a chestnut. I’ve felt this way for all of my teenager years, into adulthood and it’s been a struggle to have a good summer. Working also added some drama…
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The Reminder that I’m Not Normal
I sit in the bathroom, looking straight ahead to my ostomy bags and accessories. I smell the clinical, medical appliance nature of them, but they don’t look medical. I know the feel of my bag, the crinkle of the fabric again my waistband. The grey colour that disappears under my clothes, concealing my medical condition. An ileostomy. My stoma. Pricilla, the drama queen, coming shockingly into my life 10 months…
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Your Period with an Ostomy
It’s something that happens all of us ladies, but is it something you consider discussing when you get diagnosed with a chronic illness? It certainly wasn’t high on my priority list with my specialist and IBD nurse at the beginning of my #adventureswithachronicillness A little medical history on me: I was diagnosed with PCOS – polycystic ovary syndrome – when I was 16. My IBD diagnosis happened seven years later…