Hello Tiffanie.
Thanks for joining in with this blog and I hope you have gained some insight along the way.
You are far from being alone if you suffer with body image. The cosmetic surgery business is earning millions out of all those people who are frustrated and disappointed with how they look. The 'moneymakers' have a vested interest in people being discontented because, the way they sell their products is to create discontentment and then sell you the idea that they have the solution to your problem (for a price!)
Discontentment is as much and emotion as any other and many people do not know how to control it without 'buying-into' the sales pitches which appear to promise 'happiness'. I have a whole series of theories on the futility of the pursuit of happiness, but I will not expound them here. However, what I will say is that the 'antidote' to discontentment must surely be 'contentment'. If only people would control their emotions, then they would become more contented with every aspect of their lives, including body image. Whether you wear a bag or not, the most lasting and endearing characteristic of any human being has got to be their personality. Good looks do not last, but personality can grow more and more positive with age and this is what intelligent, mature people look for in others. Beautiful people are only that way if their personality reflects their inner beauty. Otherwise, the image is superficial, shallow and does not stand the many tests of genuine 'worth' that life's problems can throw at it.
So many ostomates have posted on here saying that they are getting on with their lives without making a big thing about having a stoma. Getting on with their lives means they are involved with other things that they want to do, rather than worrying (another emotion) about the possible negative effects that surgery might bring. Focussing on the positives can help redress the balance of the negatives. After all, being alive surely beats the alternative and having a body-beautiful is far from being an essential ingredient in getting the best out of life. There is nothing in my 'Aims For Today' list that mentions anything about 'good looks' and if you see how the pet dog is loved for what it is (warts and all) you will begin to understand that being 'liked' ( or licked) is much more about what's happening on the inside of your head than outward appearances. Anyway, I have scanned through your photos and I can state with confidence (as a man) that your femininity is equal if not greater than many of the women who think they are beautiful. I can tell by the looks and reactions of others towards you that there is an inner beauty that goes more than skin-deep.
The bag can be a positive thing in our lives if we perceive it that way, so personally I celebrate the fact that the stoma has improved my life and I can carry on doing all those things that I want to do without the negativity that led to the operation in the first place.
Best wishes
Bill