Learn with Comfizz
Hirschsprungs disease

One of the top concerns for pre surgery is the thought of having a stoma bag and it smelling offensive to others. Lets keep it real here, the contents of anyone's bag and what comes out of your typical exit if you didn’t need an ostomy does most certainly not smell of roses!!!! Some press coverage of influential people have seen jokes made referring to bad smells meaning they must have an ostomy. It is narrow minded, offensive, and discriminating towards ostomates. Having a stoma is not a choice easily made, if it even is a choice in the first place when some wake up to find they have one through emergency surgeries, and up until then did not know...

Sleep is one of the top things a new ostomate worries about and can struggle to get into a new routine with following surgery. For sometimes decades, they may be used to sleeping a certain way bag free. To then have to find a new normal with your ostomy bag going nowhere soon is mentally and physically hard. If you have had a rough road with your illness and surgery, bedtime is where you want to try and relax and unwind which can be difficult as you get used to having a bag in the way. It won’t always feel that way, I promise. You will find a new way of sleeping that allows you to not worry about bag...

You may worry about how life will change following surgery. For me I was in chronic pain, living off a ridiculous amount of painkillers, and trying to make it through each day wishing the surgery would come yesterday. I was hoping to be able to reduce the pain killers and be able to walk without being in pain. 

Christmas feels that much more special this year. Can you feel it? After a few years of the pandemic having to hold back on what Christmas is about - being together. As I type this I am looking at my beautiful Christmas tree and it is not quite December 1st yet…don’t judge! A lot of us are doing the same as people share on social media their excitement about getting the festive season started earlier this year, and why not?! Why not bring joy into your life when times are hard. I say do you, get the decorations up if you want, and start the festivities when you want to.  

My beautiful boy, you have a long road ahead. You were born with the strength of a warrior and the fight to overcome more than most do in their whole lives within the first few years of life. You need stoma surgery like Mummy did when she was born. The word stoma is the opening made in the tummy to divert stool out of the intestine. It is like a rose bud sitting proudly on top of your skin. It moves sometimes like a wriggly worm and can be a bit naughty and poop when you don’t want it too.

This month I was lucky enough to win a spa day competition! You know when you get tagged in a million competitions by certain friends, well I can tell you its totally worth it! Its something as an ostomate that can feel quite daunting going to a spa. You may have worries about what swimwear to use, what treatments you would feel comfortable having, and how much you need to disclose.

It's been 2 years since my second stoma following age 2 1/2 when I had my first reversed as a baby. I went 30 years without one living with a J Pouch to find myself needing a second during the second lockdown. I count myself extremely lucky that I was given that surgery during the times we were living in.

When asked by Pelican to be an ambassador I had been sharing our story for 4 years already. I started my page on Instagram @gutsy.mum with the aim of reaching anyone that may stumble on my page and feel like they are the only ones. Being an ambassador has brought with it so many wonderful opportunities, and for that I am so grateful for. I have learnt some lessons along the way too.

As the wedding season began and the backlog of weddings put on hold due to Covid starting to fill the diaries, I was honoured to be Maid of Honour for my best friend. We have been friends over half our lives, met in school and as the old saying goes, the rest is history. Weddings are an exciting occasion for anyone, but when it's for someone as close to your heart as this, it means so much more.

I am rather a sociable being and love the bones of my friends. Having a poorly child will show you very quickly who the real ones are, the ones that reach out. The ones that have the difficult conversations then entertain your anxieties and dramatics in times of hardship. Child-care has always been an achilles heal for us with a child with both an ostomy and a feeding tube.