Have you seen the influx of ostomy videos on social media? They come in different forms like tiktok videos or just plain old photos like I do. This week will have partially been down to the fact Tuesday (19th) was World IBD Day and one of the more common reasons for having an ostomy other than cancer but certainly not limited too is inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. I love that ostomates are finding new and creative ways to show their pride for what in some cases saved their lives – their stoma!
Our very own blogger Amy along with other IBD Superheros have been doing videos to songs and doing duets together displaying their ostomy bags and showing that pride doesn’t always come before a fall. It has certainly become a craze and why not have fun whilst raising awareness? So far I have resisted getting TikTok (mainly because I am not creative enough!) but they are seriously fun to watch the ones people upload to the groups I’m in on Facebook and across Instagram.
Yep so I have hidden my stoma with one of the best Nicolas Cage images EVER (my hero) but it’s to help bridge the gap between those that are squeamish or those not ready to see stoma’s and those who aren’t fussed or it is our daily life. This is my stomach, in all honesty I have cropped the bit of my stomach I can’t cope with but this post isn’t about that!! I am often seen looking pale and somewhat interesting rather than tanned, yet as I showered without my bag (yeah you can do that just time it right!) The fact if I was to ever get a tan I will always have some odd tan lines. Rather than just triangles from bikini tops or sleeves and straps in will forever have this circle of pearly white – well if I tanned it would be!! Tan lines are forever in my world and yes I read that in Shirley Bassey’s voice singing “diamonds are forever”! It dawned on me that not many people realise it can change the simple things you took for granted before like tan lines but it just replaces it with humour.
What do you do to show your ostomy pride?
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