Okay, firstly for those of us in the UK /Mud Island/ Blighty etc. Did you know that you may be able to get a discount on your water bills? Ostomies qualify us for a medical discount or cap or something. It was on Martin Lewis's webpage.
Secondly, for everyone in the entire world, not that I'm a bit proud, but my son, who is an academic, a professor of cognitive neuroscience, was awarded a very high "honour" by President Biden last week, it's apparently the highest honour academics can get in the USA (bar the Nobel). It is awarded to up to 100 academics a year for outstanding contributions to their field, (there are 1.7million academics in the US) and it's called the PECASE award. Trump has since deleted the website, but the awards are permanent.
My son came back to the UK to look after me before, during and after I had my stoma op, and has had a rough time too, not least that discussion with the medical team about whether to pull the plug when I was in ITU for 2 months after the op. So I am very very proud of him, it's one of those awards where, if he was still in the US, he could go to the White House and get the certificate from the president. He's declined that option for several reasons.
We can sometimes forget the toll paid by our nearest and dearest, and I am so proud and glad that he has received this, hopefully it may lift your day too.