Ok. I am in for a very positive blog right now! Life keeps getting better and better and it's all thanks to my life-saving ileostomy :D
Firstly, I have been able to go out clubbing 2 weeks in a row thanks to my job and health. I'm finally healthy enough to work and earn some money, and I'm actually healthy enough to spend it...not via online shopping either! I'm getting stronger and stronger every day and had my final appointment with my surgeon. He was so happy with how well I looked and how much better I'm doing that he's happy to see me if and when I need him in the future which is great! I'm putting the weight back on so I no longer look like a skeleton in a dress and I'm just generally on a health high! :)
Today is also the day that I've decided, boys aren't all that bad. I know I'll probably have a really bad experience next time, but up to this date I've told 3 boys about my ileostomy. Just because our friendship has led to us getting closer and opening up more and all 3 of them have reacted in the same way. "That's not even a big deal I can't believe you would worry about telling me that. If people can't see you for your true beauty then they don't deserve you." Wow. Now for 3 lads aged between 17-20 I think that's pretty mature...just a shame I'm not looking to any of them for a boyfriend right now. Sod's law hey?! Plus who knows, maybe in the future when we're even closer friends and I am looking for more they will be there?
Another positive thing is that I will (hopefully) be meeting an ostomate (from this very site) quite soon! February time I think, which I'm really excited about! I get on so well with them, I think we're like long lost twins or something because we seem to be on the same wavelength with most things. I just hope all goes well in person, which I'm sure it will. Only time will tell.
Well...this is just a short one, I just had to let out my burst of huge positive energy before I crashed and slept :)
Hope this cheers up all of you who are feeling down x
Hi Fran, thanks for sharing your positivity with us. Reading all this has just lifted my spirits, as I've just had a fall and hurt my big toe and foot. Lol, tripped over a wire in the house, so I'm trying to be creative with my poetry right now. You never know, you could be my next inspiration for a poem. Anyway, back to your blog. I'm so pleased all is working out well for you, and that you're meeting someone from this site. I hope it works out okay. We often wonder why we are given this kind of thing to cope with, i.e., a bag. I have too, but I've come to the conclusion that most of us who have endured it are usually strong-minded and have the courage to carry on no matter what, and you are one of them. There have been times when your blog has been about trials and pain and suffering, but you never fail to mention the good things in life you're experiencing. It's really good to read the progress that you're making. I, for one, feel lifted just by reading today's blog. Thanks again for lifting my spirits. Good luck in the future. You deserve to find the real love of your life. Take care, Ambies...xx
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Hi Mike and all. I am not sure how panoramic my perspective really is as my peripheral vision shrinks with each passing year. I can tell you that when I came to this website six years ago I was truly ;impressed by the positive attitudes of so many members, especially the younger folks who refused to let their ostomies define who they were or what they would become. I also came to appreciate that having an ostomy is not the same thing as having a disease. Pardon ;my pun now, but ostomies and cancer don't belong in the same bag. One is a solution, the other is a problem. Celebrating National Ostomy Day ;is also well outside my comfort zone. That's like celebrating National Wheel Chair Day. Come on!
I think there is a ;need for improved ;public awareness of ostomies, but I am not sure how that's best done. There ;remains ;some social stigma attached to our situation, and it's acutely felt among our young. We need to get out of the dark ages on this issue, but not by going 'in your face' to everyone else. I think Bill and NDY are 'spot-on' when it comes to telegraphing the right message to friends and family. People will know how to react when they ;see ;how we accept the cards we were dealt. I also appreciate the contribution some people here are making to this effort through their publications.
On a personal note, my son has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for years just like I did. I am very concerned because people with UC are at a higher risk for colon cancer. Years ago my GI told me to get annual colonoscopies to be on the safe side. I am glad I did because he eventually found pre-cancerous cells which led to several surgeries and my becoming an ostomate. Since then I have always ;conveyed a positive attitude to ;my son about wearing a bag because it has kept me alive to enjoy many more years with my loved ones. I think he got the message. We both go to the same gastroenterologist in NYC and get scoped on the same day. Father and Son moments!
Someone once wrote that our children are the letters we write to the future.
PB
Good on you Franicaa!! It's always good to read your posts and when you've got such a positive outlook, it makes the world of difference. And for everyone on here, I'm sure your good vibes make such a difference. Like Ambies said, thanks so much for raising our spirits!! Take good care, Colm
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Oh wow, you guys are so lovely! :) Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reading :)
My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister
Hi, thanks for your positive outlook on things, especially as I'm having a tough day! I had my surgery for an ileostomy 2 weeks and a day ago, lol, so it's all new to me. I had my first mishap today, so that's a bit scary! How long since your op? You've made me feel positive about my future, even though I am loving life more now already because I've got rid of my horrible colitis! X
I got a temporary ileostomy on July 10th, 2009, a J-pouch with loop ileostomy on July 23rd, 2010, and then a permanent ileostomy on September 9th, 2011, and I've been so happy since :) I wish you all the best, and don't worry, I'd say you get used to the mishaps, but they're always going to happen at the worst time, but you learn to cope :) Yeah, at least you're not planning your days around using the toilet anymore :) x
Franicaa - you are so cute and positive! I've been following your progress, and it seems that you are well on your way to life and all it entails! I'm so happy for you! And you know, boys are not so bad... well, some of them are, so keep your radar up ;).....remember when dealing with the male species and your ileo and such, those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind, to quote the immortal Dr. Seuss! Please keep us posted on your progress....you are a ray of sunshine in a wonderful, young adult package....a gift to us all! Go out there and live your life for all it's worth! Darla
Now that I have had to live with an ileostomy myself, I look at others in a totally new way and know who my true friends are by the way they would not even come to visit me. So far, several of them have tried to visit since the reversal, and I have decided they aren't worth having as friends if they think I was a freak just because I had to go to the bathroom all the time and my bowels made loud noises most of the time. So cheer up, it is they who are freaks, not us.