Living with a Stoma & Stoma Positives with Billie Anderson

I and many others with IBD were heartbroken by the news, last week, that a man in his 30's with IBD chose to die rather than have surgery that would mean he had to live with a stoma bag for the rest of his life.

Those of us who live or have lived with a stoma, know the hugely positive impacts it can have on us and our quality of life. Fellow IBD’er, Billie Anderson (@billieandersonx) has put together the video above of people talking about the one positive they found to having a stoma.

Interestingly, one of the main things themes that runs through the video is that having a stoma gives people their life back. IBD can steal weeks, months or years of our lives away and for many having a stoma can restore life to its former joy, save lives and remove the endless pain many of us have with IBD.

That’s exactly how I felt. I had life saving surgery for my ulcerative colitis aged 11 and came out with a stoma bag (ileostomy). In the year before my surgery I was unable to go to school; every time I did, I caught a bug which made my UC worse. I had been a very active child, always outside playing on our farm and I was very lucky to have a pony that I adored riding, but in the months before my surgery I was too tired and too unwell to have the energy to do anything, even lifting my head off the pillow in the morning was a huge effort. But having surgery changed everything for me. I recovered reasonably quickly and adjusted to having an ileostomy really well. I was able to start riding again, to go back to school and to do everything a normal 11-year-old would usually do which felt amazing!

When I tell people I lived with a bag from the age of 11 to 18 they often remark on how hard it must have been and how awful, but it wasn’t. It saved my life and gave me my life back and for that I was so grateful. After surgery I lived like a normal teenage girl; I did everything that my friends did with no problems. If you want to read more about my journey with UC you can do so here.

Of course, we do not know what else was going on for that man last week but all we want to do is everything we can to try and make sure that it doesn't happen again, and that anyone who is faced with the decision of having a stoma knows how positively life changing it can be and that there is life after stoma surgery, a wonderful quality of life.

We are all here for you, we are all in this together, you are not alone.

I have written a free e-book to help you find a way forward for your everyday life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Whether you are right at the beginning of your journey with IBD or have been living with your condition for years and feel like you have tried almost everything, there are things you can do everyday, beyond the medication you are taking, to help you take back control.

Disclaimer: All content found on the nalmclinic.com website, including: text, video, or other formats have been created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor, consultant or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

We are all wonderfully unique and what works for one person may not work for another so please seek help and advice before changing your diet to work out the right way forward for you.