#Stoma

[snowberrydream]

Stoma gave Käärijä a new life - english translation of an  interview for Finnilco ry 8.5.2023

Translator’s note:

If you’ve been wondering about that scar on Finland’s favorite green boi’s belly …this is about that. (Because why be cha cha cha when you can be sad sad sad and read about how he was like a week away from death at one point in his life. Though I guess it kinda fits the post-ESC depression, really)

Okay, now some actual notes about the text. So, Finnilco is a Finnish organisation for patients with stomas and the like, so the interview talks a lot about medical stuff and is clearly geared towards people with similar health issues. It might not be as ”entertaining” as all the other stuff you might’ve seen about him recently, but I recommend reading it anyways, as I feel it gives a lot of insight to who Käärijä is as a person. It hasn’t always been just crazy and party for him.

There is a lot of medical vocabulary in this, and I’ve done some intense googling and wikipedia-ing to figure out what the correct terms are, but I can only hope they are right. Trying to understand whether things are synonymous with each other or completely different things is kinda hard when you have zero knowledge about the subject. I deeply apologize for any mistakes that might occur.

I’ve also done some minor tweaks to the text (like cut down on repeating his last name in nearly every sentence) for the sake of easier reading, as the style of it is quite academic and ”dry”, but overall I’ve kept as close to the original as I could.

link to the original finnish interview:https://www.finnilco.fi/post/avanne-antoi-k%C3%A4%C3%A4rij%C3%A4lle-uuden-el%C3%A4m%C3%A4n

***

Jere Pöyhönen, known by his artist name Käärijä, is the finnish representative in the Eurovision 2023 Song Contest. The artist, known for his style and energetic live-performances, had his youth shadowed by serious health issues, to which he even almost lost his life.

By his own words Pöyhönen is still just a normal guy. Vantaa-born Pöyhönen was diagnosed with colitis ulcerosa, a type of imflammatory bowel disease, when he was young. As the disease got worse, he had to eventually have an emergency surgery, where he got a temporary stoma. Later the stoma was removed and replaced with a J-pouch (ileo-anal pouch), a reservoir pouch formed from the end of his small intestine.  Currently in good health, he wants to be open about his disease so that he could offer peer support to others battling with the same issues.

- I am truly fine with this, I am not ashamed about it, on the contrary, I want to tell about this to everyone. I hope that by sharing my experience I could help someone else, Pöyhönen says with a smile.

Symptoms lead to an emergency operation

When Pöyhönen was at ninth grade, he was diagnosed with rectal inflammation. The inflammation was treated with suppository and oral medication, and it got better. When he was 18, the symptoms returned. For a year he was on an elimination diet that kept the inflammation under control, but eventually his condition got worse again, and in the end his entire colon got inflamed. Several treatments were attempted, but none worked. At the worst point Pöyhönen weighed only 49 kg, and his hemoglobin was swaying between 54-56.

- I was still somewhat right in the head, though I was feeling dizzy and kept bumping into bathroom doors. It was quite a rough time in every way, he reminisces. He defecated blood multiple times a day and was practically bedridden, his parents had to feed him. But nothing seemed to help. Pöyhönen remembers how his mother was crying by his bedside. Back then he had blood tests done regularly to control his condition, and after one time he got a call and was told that his hemoglobin was so low that he needed to be treated urgently. After the call his dad went to start the car and drove him straight to the hospital.

At the hospital, an emergency surgery awaited. While waiting for his turn he wondered about what would happen to him in the surgery, afraid that he’d need a stoma. At the same time he thought that the most important thing was to stay alive.

- Do whatever you have to, as long as I’ll get better, he remembers thinking before going in. A stoma had been suggested to him already before, but until then he hadn’t been able to accept it and had tried to manage by other means. Afterwards he has been thinking that the fear was due to the issue being so unknown. He didn’t know much about stomas and had never seen anyone with one.

- It was a tough spot. I wondered how the stoma would affect my life and me as a person. How would I look like, what would happen to my sexuality. Those kind of things scared me the most about it, he recalls.

Life as a young person with a stoma

The first thing he did after waking from the surgery was feeling his stomach and the collection bag.

- It was a weird feeling, confusing. But at the same time I felt just immense calmness. The root of the problem, the inflamed colon had been removed entirely. Confusion soon turned into acceptance.

- I wasn’t sad about it for that long, on the contrary. When it sank in that I was still alive, the stoma felt like a pretty small thing, considering everything. It was a happy thing that I had it.

Despite feeling thankful about the stoma, it was still a shock at the beginning.

- When I was taken to get a shower for the first time and I saw it, I nearly fainted, he laughs.

The emergency surgery was lifesaving for Pöyhönen. if it hadn’t been done, the inflammation could’ve spread from his bowel to the rest of the body within weeks, or even days. So Pöyhönen came really close to death, but thanks to the stoma he got to continue living.

– Getting the stoma gave me a second chance. A chance that not everyone gets to have. But if they get it, they should take the offer with a smile.

Pöyhönen tells that he got used to living with the stoma quite quickly. But it required him to adjust his own attitude – he had to accept the situation as it was. Luckily he was able to enjoy life even with the stoma

- When I had it, I did all the same stuff as other people. I did sports, went to restaurants, I truly lived a really ordinary life.

Of course he faced also some difficult times. At the time 18 years old Pöyhönen was in a relationship, and he tells that at first things relating to sexuality felt difficult.

- It was indeed nerve-racking. Overall, you are only starting to try out stuff at that age, and then there is the stoma on top of it all.

But one thing was clear for him already at the time: 

- If the other party in the relationship doesn’t accept your situation or the stoma, then that person isn’t worthy of you.

From stoma to J-pouch

Pöyhönen lived with the stoma for five months until it was replaced with a j-pouch. In the beginning the pouch got clogged, but he didn’t tell about it right away. He was fed up with spending his time in a hospital and wanted to live a normal life. When he finally told about the clogging, the issue was fixed and the difficulties eased.

- I’ve done all the normal stuff. I’ve travelled around the world, done and eaten the same things as everyone else. 

Pöyhönen has had the j-pouch for almost eight years now. He hasn’t had any serious complications, but occasionally there’s been some milder issues.

- Sometimes there’s been minor inflammation or bleeding. Once I went to have an endoscopy after there was more blood and I got frightened. Old fears about how things were in the past rose to the surface, Pöyhönen tells.

Overall he is feeling positive about everything.

– At the moment I’m really contented with my situation, and I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t even want that colon back, as this all has become a part of my identity, he says.

 Music as a part of life

Music has always meant a lot for Jere Pöyhönen. Yet it wasn’t always obvious that it would turn into a career.

While spending his time in hospitals, listening to music comforted him and gave him hope. Laying in a hospital bed with an IV drip next to him, Pöyhönen also wrote his own songs. If other patients wondered about his doings, he simply answered that he was making music.

During his time in hospital he realized that life might be short. He decided that if he’d be alive and healthy again after the emergency surgery, he’d go and try doing music for real and with everything he had. Of course, at the time he had no idea how far that decision would eventually bring him.

- My values became clearer there in the hospital. I realized what are the things I love and what is truly important for me. One of those things is music, and doing that was what I set my mind on to. 

Pöyhönen tells that he especially enjoys doing live shows, because then he gets to entertain people. He feels he is at his best while performing.

Daily life of an artist

Nowadays health issues don’t cause much trouble in Pöyhönen’s everyday life as an artist, but he still needs to take good care of his body. At gigs he must pay extra attention to what he drinks and eats, when and how much. He is sweating a lot while performing on stage, and to balance that he drinks salt/mineral water. The excitement also affects his bodily functions, and during stressful moments he’ll need to use the bathroom more often. But he tells that he doesn’t really get nervous about doing gigs anymore. 

However, the approaching Eurovision song contest is a kind of gig he has never experienced before. The event is big and the place as well as the proceedings are all new to him. Despite all that, Pöyhönen seems trustful.

- I don’t know how it is going to be like in there, but I don’t think I’ll have any problems. His confidence relies both on his general attitude and that over the years he has learned to know the way his body functions quite precisely. He knows when his energy levels are getting low and when he needs to drink or eat.

 Family’s support has been important

When Pöyhönen was sick, the support from his family was what helped him to keep going. Thanks to his family he has always felt valued and loved.

– The contribution from my parents has been enormous. I will never be able to repay their efforts, other than by being alive.

Pöyhönen tells how his parents gave him their full support while he was sick.

- When I first got diagnosed with the rectal inflammation, they wanted to figure out what could cause it right away. They delved deep into the matter, made phone calls and searched for information from the internet.

His parents drove him to his tests and put their time and money into finding out what was going on. The financial support made it possible that he could have all the different tests done despite them costing a lot.

 Stories from peers bring hope

Though his family and friends have been there for him, they haven’t been able to offer him peer support. When he was sick, Pöyhönen did sometimes feel very alone with his issue.

- I didn’t know anyone else in a similar situation as myself. I didn’t get to talk face to face with peers, he says. He did search for peer stories from internet, but people online were usually anonymous, and though he gained information through it, he was longing for human connection and faces to relate to. Lucky for him, an acquaintance of his was in the hospital at the same time as him due to a similar issue. They became friends and messaged daily through Facebook, asking each other about the number of times they went to bathroom and the like.

 Pöyhönen says that those kind of discussions with a peer were a big help. It was important to hear that someone else was experiencing similar things as him. An ice hockey player Teemu Ramstedt gave him another face to relate to.

– It gave me lot of faith to see someone else with the same stuff going on as me. That an athlete, a hockey player, had been dealing with the same issues, he tells.

Attitude and dreams helping to go forward

While being sick Pöyhönen gained strength from daydreaming and steering his thoughts towards future.

- I kept thinking that at some point I’ll have good moments with my family and friends again. That one day I’ll be healthy and able to feel happy about everything. In the end it was quite simple things that helped, and also humor helped to get through it all. 

Pöyhönen tells that he has been a joker since he was young, and when he was unwell, he also used humor to deal with the difficult things. But there was also something else hidden underneath the jokes.

- Maybe all the joking was also a survival tactic. A way to escape from it all. In the beginning I didn’t want to accept the reality, even though I tried to convince myself that I had done so. 

Pöyhönen tells that the songs he used to listen to while in hospital were difficult to listen to after he got out of there. Also some familiar places would bring up old memories in an unpleasant way.

But in the end, time heals, and years later those same songs are back on his regular playlist. Now they just uplift his mood and push him forward.

 It’s worth it to open up

When Pöyhönen was sick, he didn’t always tell about his symptoms to his parents or the hospital staff right away. One reason that he mentions was shame. At first he himself didn’t want to believe it to be real when he first saw blood down in the toilet.

- But when it happened again, I realized that this might not be something that would just go away. That it might be something more serious that should be taken care of, he recalls.

And to his younger self, or someone else in a similar situation he would give the advice that you should be open about your problems. He also encourages to try and find some peer support, as he himself was left without it for the most part. Though the bit he did get was a big relieving factor..

– When a person suffers from an illness, the most important thing really is that you are mentally in a good condition. If you are feeling down, the healing process will be really hard, he points out.

At the moment he dreams about that he and the people closest to him would stay as healthy as possible. He wishes that he would get to do things he enjoys in his life and to spend time with the people that are important to him. 

To the readers of Finnilco he sends the following message:

– Go forward with humility, but don’t be too meek either. Love yourself, your body and mind. Be well, and if problems arise, react to them right away. Enjoy life and do things that make you happy.

***

#käärijä #eurovision #eurovision 2023 #cha cha cha #interview #translation #ulcerative colitis #inflammatory bowel disease #stoma #it's a bit sad read but also comforting #he sounds so nice and so does his famiily

[unclewaynemunson]

What if the bats got Eddie so bad that part of his guts were damaged beyond repair and he needed to get a stoma?

TW for body issues and medical content (I guess? Please let me know if I should use another TW for that)

EDIT: I posted an extended version of this post on ao3. Thank you @spectrum-spectre for helping me get there <333

They were in Eddie's bathroom, Eddie on the stool that had been placed there for him before he got home, and Steve standing right in front of him. Eddie was still recovering, but he had finally gotten the green light to leave the hospital. He had spent the day with Wayne, who was now at his night shift, so Steve had arrived to the trailer to keep Eddie company instead. Nobody really liked the thought of Eddie being alone in the trailer, even though Eddie himself pretended like it was all fine – the guy was a terrible liar, and Steve wouldn't mind spending some time with him anyway.

At least, he had thought he wouldn't mind, before he actually got there. He had pictured them spending a couple of hours hanging out together, then helping Eddie get ready for bed, and falling asleep in Eddie's bed together at a reasonable hour because Eddie still needed his rest. What he had certainly not pictured, was Eddie practically begging him to leave him to his own devices behind a locked door in the bathroom.

'I'm not letting you do it alone,' Steve said, getting tired of Eddie's stubbornness. 'Wayne would kill me if he found out, and I only just won his trust – not worth it, man!' He hoped that throwing Wayne in his arguments would be more successful than his concerns about Eddie's health and safety, which did not seem to hit home at all.

'I can take care of myself, alright?'

'Barely,' Steve couldn't help but scoff.

'Wayne can help me with this shit in the morning!'

'I know, but he isn't always here. What if you need help when he is at work?'

'I can teach Nancy how to do it, or Robin.'

Steve wanted to say something along the lines of 'So it’s just me who you don't trust with this?' but he knew it'd be a real dick move to make this about himself, so he decided to go for logic instead.

'Both of them will be off to college after the summer,' he pointed out. 'And I'll be right here. So why don't you teach me how to do it and let me help you?'

Eddie opened his mouth, no doubt to protest some more, but Steve was losing his patience by now.

'Look, you need a backup close to you, man,' he said. 'You want Dustin to do it?'

Eddie chuckled darkly. 'God, no,' he mumbled.

He squeezed his eyes shut – but not before Steve caught a glimpse of the tears Eddie was apparently trying so hard to hold back – and suddenly he understood that this wasn’t just Eddie being an annoying little shit. Eddie was scared. He was vulnerable. And trusting people when you were scared and vulnerable... Well, that was a goddamn scary thing, even Steve knew that.

'Hey,' Steve said, in a much softer voice than before. 'I got you, alright?' He gave a gentle squeeze to Eddie's knee, feeling the soft skin through the rips in his jeans against his fingers. 'It's okay, I really don't mind. I'm happy to help you out. And I’ll be careful, you can trust me.'

'It's not that I don’t trust you, it's...' Eddie took a deep, shaky breath and Steve could sense that something important was coming.

'It's kinda gross, you know. The whole stoma thing. And, like, extremely unsexy.'

And there was something about the combination of Eddie calling it unsexy and him preferring the help of Robin or Nancy over Steve's... Something that Steve very much could not begin to unpack right now, even though it was doing something weird to his stomach.

'It's not gross,' he protested, focusing on the other – the easier – part of Eddie's confession. 'It's just your body, man, it's part of being alive. I like that you're alive.'

'I can barely even look at it,' Eddie whispered, so softly that Steve could barely make out the words. It sounded so small, so un-Eddie-like, so fragile...

'So let me take care of it,' Steve tried. 'I'd be happy to do it for you. And I promise I won't find it gross. I mean, yeah, maybe it's not sexy, but not everything needs to be sexy at all times. Things can be neutral, right?'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah.' He made sure to not lose eye contact with Eddie as he nodded earnestly.

'Okay. I think I can settle for neutral.'

'Can I take off your shirt?'

And somehow, that got him another chuckle.

'Sure, big boy, you can take off my shirt,' Eddie answered.

Steve felt like there was a joke in there that went over his head, but he helped Eddie pull the black fabric over his face and his curls.

There was so much more to look at than the tiny piece of intestine peeking out of Eddie's belly and the pouch filled with turbid liquid attached to it. There was also a whole maze of wounds and bruises scattered across his torso, some all-too-familiar looking bite marks that would no doubt leave scars in Eddie's sides. But none of it was gross or unsexy. Yes, maybe some of it was neutral – Steve wouldn't wish the bite marks both of them carried onto anyone – but underneath all that, there was something else: it was the fact that this was Eddie's skin, that the half-torn-apart tattoos he saw had once been selected by Eddie, that Eddie's heart was beating in that chest...

Steve quickly let his gaze travel upwards, back to the safety of Eddie’s eyes.

‘Alright, tell me what to do,’ he said.

Eddie finally gave up his protesting and guided Steve through the process of taking off the pouch, cleaning the skin underneath it, and applying a new one.

'Sorry,' Steve mumbled when he was struggling to attach it properly.

'Don’t worry. Takes a while to get the hang of it,' Eddie answered. And Steve tried not to think about how there seemed to be a promise in those words, a promise that Eddie would trust him to take care of him, now. That he'd get to do this often enough to get the hang of it. That he'd get to know all about Eddie's body.

'Thank you,' Eddie said in a soft voice when they were all done.

'You don't need to thank me for that,' Steve protested.

'No, I mean, thank you for... Not, like, flinching or, I dunno, looking disgusted or something, when you...' He stumbled his way through the words, uncharacteristically awkward, as if he felt ashamed of what he was trying to say to Steve.

'No need to thank me for that either,' Steve answered earnestly.

But Eddie still looked at him with those scared wide eyes, so he gently placed both his hands on Eddie's bare shoulders.

'You look...' He swallowed, chickened out right on the verge of saying whatever it was he was going to say. 'It's not disgusting. Not at all. It's... It's just you.'

And there was this shy smile around Eddie's lips, as if he knew exactly what Steve had almost blurted out.

'I think it's kinda metal,’ Steve added in attempt to steer things back to safer territories - and for the first time since they were in that bathroom, Eddie let out a real, actual laugh.

He playfully bumped a fist against Steve's shoulder.

'You really don't know enough about metal to decide that, big boy.'

Steve chuckled. ‘Well, I’m pretty sure Izzy would agree with me on this one.’

‘Ozzy,’ Eddie corrected him, rolling his eyes but still smiling.

Steve's hands were still resting on Eddie's shoulders, and Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve's back, tugging him closer until he could rest his head in the crook of Steve's neck. Steve was sure Eddie would be able to hear how violently his heart was beating right now, but he didn’t pull back, didn’t move; he simply kept holding him, gently tracing his hand over the bare skin of Eddie’s spine.

Eddie wasn't the only one who had been damaged beyond repair, but in this moment, in the trailer's tiny bathroom, they could simply hold each other and pretend like they were both still whole.

#full disclosure: i don't have any personal experience with stomas #so everything in here comes from what my housemate told me and some internet research #please let me know if i should make any changes!!! #tw body issues #tw medical content #the mortifying ordeal of being known #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stoma #stranger things #fruity ficlet #don't mind me rambling about stranger things

[sorry-but-no-sorry]

Him

#maul #maul opress #darth maul #star wars #clone wars #stoma

[novalin]

I'm scared. My stomach hurts since two days ago. I had my spleen removed in 2021 and they had to move my colon for that. Since then it's a bit sensitive.

Now I'm afraid it might get infected or what not and that it has to be removed and I have to get an artificial exit that gets infected all the time like my co-worker's does...

Help the downward spiral is real. I thought it would sort it out over the week but it still hurts and it's only Saturday.

And I start working in 1,5 weeks again. Which is great in general but maybe this is psychosomatic? That would be fucking stupid because I want this gone by that!

;_;

#rant #personal #health #stomach #colon #cock pouch #stoma #ibs #medical #tw surgery

[falling-down-the-scroll-hole]

#tracheostomy #stoma #OMG this metal one is so cool #Are they all like this? #Android girls #Tiktok #Airway #Video #FDTSHQ #Cyborg

[sleepycatten]

Post surgery update (+)

I managed to get out of pyjamas and into my cat onesie today. I very much consider this progress 🥰

My bowels are starting to get back into a rhythm, my pain is reducing, and I'm noticeably getting stronger each day.

I'm currently fortunate enough to have a community nurse come by daily each morning to clean and change the packing and dressing over my former stoma site.

Recovery is still a pain, but it's much more preferable to having a stoma 🥰

#trans #transgender #stoma #ProctoSigmoidEctomy #NHS #Trans Fem #NHS England

[cfs-crohns-colitis-warrior]

Honestly so fed up of these pains. They’re at their absolute worst today.

Can’t breathe properly without major pains. Nothing is helping. I expected some pains after my weekend away doing stuff but never expected it to be this bad. I’d rather just deal with tiredness and exhaustion cause at least then I can just sleep but I can’t even sleep because the pain is so bad and my steroids are affecting my sleep so even without the pain I’m struggling to sleep.

So much fun 👍🏻

#chronic illness warrior #chronic fatigue syndrome #cfs/me #myalgic encephalomyelitis #chronic illness #chronic illnesses #awareness #crohn’s disease #crohn’s warrior #stoma #chest pain #pains #aches and pains

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

putting this midwifery story told in class under the cut for serious disturbing, maybe gore idk

so there are four stages of tearing during birth right. stage one is barely anything stage two is more I can't remember muscle maybe stage three is severe and stage four is. there is One Hole Down There Now.

anyway apparently lecturer was once caring for a patient who had stage four tearing post vaginal birth (it's pretty rare, stage three is more common and even that's not incredibly common).

this woman had to have a stoma for SIX MONTHS before they could reverse it and patch her up bc healing took THAT LONG

if you're unaware a stoma is for management of bowels. basically they sever the intestine and rdirect it and sew it to the skin so that it's directly out of the abdomen. a bag then covers it and requires regular cleaning. the last bit of intestine and anus are sewn shut as part of this also.

so yeah that's terrifying!

#midwifery #tw gore #stoma

[andhumanslovedstories]

Does anyone know any media featuring a character with an ostomy? I can find memoirs and advice but haven’t found any fiction.

#ostomy #stoma

[leafycatboy]

happy disability pride month to catheter users and people with stomas! ✨

#since i haven’t seen any posts specifically for us yet #catheter user #stoma #mitrofanoff #appendicovesicostomy #apv

[max-and-minnie-crafts]

Something I really need to remember when I start this small business is that I can’t compare myself to other small businesses. None of us should be doing that anyway, but I feel like it’s doubly important for me to remember that because I have chronic illnesses that make it harder to get things done and to get things made, so my males will take more time, therefore I’ll have less stuff to sell, therefore I’ll make less sales.

It’s just the way it’ll be, and I can’t beat myself up over that. My body is already beating itself up daily. I don’t need to add to that.

#handmade #handmade uk #homemade #homemade uk #small business #small business uk #chronic illness #chronic illnesses #chronic illness warrior #chronic fatigue #chronic fatigue syndrome #myalgic encephalomyelitis #me/cfs #cfs/me #crohn’s fatigue #crohn’s disease #crohn’s/colitis #stoma #stoma bag #low energy #fatigue #exhaustion #take your time #don’t compare yourself to others

[the-endless-storm]

So I did this last year and I didn’t delete it. Today (19th May) is World IBD Day, and to raise awareness of people with bowel diseases I am once again getting my bag out on display. I've had a pouch since June 2019 and while I’ve had plenty of ups and downs with it, it's saved my life. I have Crohn's Disease, which resulted in my large intestine basically being “rotten” when it was removed (surgeon's actual words to me).

Having it has given me body issues that I don’t think are ever going to go away, but I am forever grateful to all the wonderful people here on tumblr that have said I look great and never once made a big deal out of it.

Also pictured here with my Irritable Bowel from the Awkward Yeti comics and a happy little poo.

#me #selfie #ibd #world IBD day #crohns disease #ostomy #ostomate #stoma #i dont mind talking about it so if you have any questions feel free to ask them

[circleaday]

#stoma

[nocolonstillrolling]

5 things you CAN do with a stoma...  

You can physically challenge your body. There is such a huge misconception that just because you have had a major organ removed, that you shouldn’t push and challenge your body in a healthy way. WRONG... your hospital team of consultants want you to be as healthy and in shape as possible. This not only prevents further complications for your body but channels your body and mind in a positive way. It always makes me chuckle when people frown upon me lifting weights; there is nothing wrong with this providing, just like any other person, that you are training in a safe environment with trained instructors. Why not try it? You may even reach a personal best! 

2.You can own a crazy dog  Okay, I get it... you may not want to risk owning a big crazy dog who could possibly jump on your tummy area and cause damage to your bag or injury to your stoma.   In my experience, owning the most bonkers springer spaniel since having my major surgery 5 years ago, I have never encountered him or considered him to be a risk factor in relation to my stoma. And just look at his face... he’s such a tonic.  

3.You are still attractive to others  You may have a bag for life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be glamorous! So many questions have crossed my mind, particularly over the past few years when my first marriage turned out to be an absolute car crash; Who will ever want me with a bag? Am I still attractive? Am I enough?   The reality is, that you are just as worthy as anyone of finding happiness and living a beautiful life, and anyone worth YOUR time won’t even care that you have a stoma bag because they will love you for who you are. Living proof right here... 

4.You can travel...including going on a plane without your bag exploding... Oh, the famous myth that your bag may go pop from the air pressure. I can clarify that this does NOT happen!  Since my surgery, I have made a promise to myself to travel as much as possible if and when I can. In fact, my greatest holiday achievement so far since having surgery, is being able to climb thousands of steps at a water park whilst carrying two rubber rings AND throwing myself down some intense water slides! 

5.You can more or less eat what you want... apart from nuts.   I actually eat more foods now than I ever did pre-surgery. Being able to eat a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, proteins and grains that nourishes my body is one of my simple joys in life compared to the array of bread and crisps that used to fuel my body just enough to keep it in survival mode; bread and crisps were the only things my body would accept during the time that my disease was rife.

#stoma #ileostomy #motivation #mindset #positivity #recovery #healing journey

[wulfums]

This is def one of my fav Hellfur designs! Sign his paper I prommy nothing will happen teehee. Other option: Buy him french fries or mozzy sticks. That works too.

Attack him here on Art Fight when it beings >:) https://artfight.net/~Wulfums

#wulf art #furry art #ostomy #stoma #art fight

[nellyrue]

So after surgery I named my stoma. Odessa Stoma Bubbles. She downward b that doesn't like bags attaching well🙃🙃

Like let me live! But surgery pain is NOTHING compared to what I have dealing with so thats nice. Oh and all my body pain is gone too... but I can't bend down and for some reason I am nervous about bag now cause I have like this little dip that is really hard not to leak and so far third time attaching bag is the charm possibly?? Let's hope. Trying to get my supplier and home health set up😭😭

#disabled #chronic illness #personal #stoma #spoonie life