My Bag of Crap

11 years ago, I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Ulcerative Colitis. At first I denied my diagnosis. I ignored it. I tried to carry on with my life as if nothing had changed. This meant that I wasn't taking my medication regularly, and I wasn't respecting the fact that I now had an incurable disease.

 My condition deteriorated, as did my health.When I started researching what it might mean to have an Ostomy (about 5 yrs before I actually took the plunge and got mine), all I was able to find was pictures of people who were much older, and much lighter than me. The impression that I got (wrongly) was that Ostomys were only needed by the elderly. It totally put me off. I pushed the idea of surgery aside as something that was NOT for me.

A few years later I was rushed into hospital. I was desperately unwell. I had had my darling boy (my second child) 8 weeks previously. So there I was, a new mum, separated from my baby, and facing an emergency surgery to remove my colon. In the end, medication worked, and the surgery was avoided, however, I realised that it was only a matter of time before my colon had to go. So I went online again. This time, I found other young women living with an ostomy. I followed their pages, watched their Youtube videos, immersed myself in all things "stoma". These women inspired me, and showed me that life with an ostomy didn't have to be a tragedy. That I could continue to be vibrant and sexy. That I could live a full life BECAUSE of my ostomy, not in spite of it. When I finally accepted my health issues, and realised that I needed to have surgery, I decided that I wanted to turn my illness into something positive. 

When I woke up from having my colon removed and my ileostomy formed, I told my Mum that it was my aim to get my face associated with a company that makes Ostomy bags. I wanted to be a smiling face, a happy face, a strong and confident face that was happy with my life with my ostomy. I wanted to be the face that I needed to see all those years ago but didn't. I wanted to be one of the faces that I eventually did find when I needed them the most. 

Today, I am that face. Coloplast - The industry leaders in intimate heath care products, have made me their face. I couldn't be more proud, or happy.