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May is National Teen Self Esteem month. As I'm sure many of you can unfortunately relate to, having Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as anyone of any age, let alone being a teenager, definitely can come with impacts on self esteem to varying extents. That being said, there is thankfully a lot of treatments for IBD and coping mechanisms to put in place to help that, but still, it can be quite the minefield to work through when you're right in the midst of it.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) & Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are two different conditions and it is vital that the right diagnosis is made in order to have the best chance of managing and treating either condition.

Living in the United Kingdom I have to say hand on heart that I feel so lucky and appreciative of the NHS and the varied services it provides either free or at a lower cost. Having a “bag for life” in so many countries around the world is incredibly costly and many don’t have the choice in what products they use. I am aware that over the last couple of years we had a roll out where unless absolutely necessary items were being swapped to cheaper alternatives to bring the cost down around ostomy products. I have talked about this numerous times on different platforms about how certain products aren’t essential but are just nice to have; these items should...

I have written many times on my personal blog and on here about the fact you don’t have to keep using the same ostomy appliance as you were sent home with from hospital. You don’t have to stick with any bag etc that doesn’t suit your needs and there most certainly is a bag out there for everyone! Sometimes we just have to look a little harder for them. I am having issues with peristomal skin and leaks; the leaks are causing contact dermatitis and I am having a really crappy time with it all if you can excuse the pun. My stoma nurse has been fantastic sending me samples, doing house calls and thinking about me after hours and...

Today is National Hug Day. For nearly a year now, like so many of us, I’ve missed being able to hug loved ones. Being able to hug boosts people in so many ways & does so much for a lot of people mentally. Although I completely understand why we can’t and it’s better to be safe, it’s also okay to be sad at the fact that we can’t. Things are definitely feeling strained and difficult again at the moment. Throw not being able to hug people in the mix which often helps me when I’m feeling low and it can get overbearing. Thankfully, there are other things that you can do, especially in the current climate, to make someone’s day....

Like I said in my last blog post, Christmas 2020 is definitely going to be one of a kind (not in the way we want for sure – but hopefully we can all stay safe!) I don’t know about you, but I’ll definitely be indulging in a glass of gin, wine, prosecco or two this Christmas. Let’s start by saying that I am in no way a big drinker. I never have been and never will be. I do however enjoy a drink when my body allows it & I’m definitely partial to a glass of gin and lemonade. My current gin is Whitley Neil Blackberry & it is delicious. I never drink alcohol on an empty stomach and always...

Christmas 2020 is going to be different… That goes without saying! Having a stoma at Christmas can also be a journey to navigate. This post will hopefully give you some hints for getting through the changes that the Christmas period can bring, whether new or well bedded in to stoma life! Staying away from home This Christmas may not fall into this category with the “bubbles” being in place & guidelines for the clinically vulnerable, but hopefully these are pointers that can be used for Christmas’s to come either way. You may feel nervous and apprehensive if you are staying away from home, or have loved ones over to stay that may not know too much about your stoma journey....

Whether an invisible or visible disability, this question is something that understandably sparks a lot of thought, discussion & personal reasons for the individual. The views you will read in this article are mine only so please remember this is just how I see it. They are not medical guidance or otherwise and I am not speaking on behalf of those with disabilities. Everyone has their own views. As always, please consult a medical professional or legal professional for help with the things in this blog post before acting upon them. This blog post is merely how I interpret things combined with my experience of living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) & a permanent ileostomy. What defines “disability?” Under the...

“When I grow up, I want to do something that helps people” that is what I used to say to my young self. I did not know exactly what that would look like, never imagined it would be in the form of support wear, but here we are. It started with Sportswear The original Comfizz established 1998 was a sports and Leisure wear company, one of the first to bring ‘performance base layers’ to the UK. My husband, Nozar, ran the company initially from home with just one designer to help him. Then came the bowel disease The Comfizz you see today specialising in medical support wear emerged in 2004 when my dad Ernie, who had been battling with Ulcerative...

Invisible disabilities awareness week this year runs from October 18th to the 24th and the idea behind it is to educate people that not all disabilities are visible and we that what you see isn't always what you get! Other's use the phrase don't judge a book by it's cover or you don't know what goes on behind closed doors.  Very few people unless they see my stoma actually accept that I am ill; all of my other conditions because people can't see them they don't exist and a lot of people forget that I have limitations. I try and act as normal as I possibly can but by the time evening rolls around I'm absolutely knackered; it's even worse...