This topic is about someone celebrating their one-year anniversary since having emergency surgery that resulted in an ostomy. They reflect on their journey of physical and emotional recovery over the past year. Here are some insights and advice from their experience:

- The first few months were challenging. They spent a lot of time on the couch, had a fall down the stairs (thankfully without serious injury), and experienced a wound reopening that was quite scary.

- Rapid weight loss meant their clothes no longer fit, so they turned to Amazon for smaller sizes.

- Initially, changing the wafer was a lengthy process, taking about 45 minutes to cut a perfect hole. Now, using a barrier ring, they can complete the change in about 10 minutes.

- Early on, they worried about whether the stoma was functioning properly, what foods were safe to eat, and how to shower with the ostomy.

- They credit the support, stories, and humor from an online forum with helping to restore their confidence.

Some advice and insights shared include:

1. Psychological adjustment is important. Try to see the stoma as a friend rather than an enemy. It's normal to have mental distortions after trauma, and seeking professional or peer support can help.

2. It gets easier with time. Many people share their own experiences of upcoming or long-past anniversaries, encouraging others to keep moving forward.

3. From a long-term perspective, life with an ostomy can feel completely normal. Acceptance often comes after the initial learning curve.

4. A nurse shared an interesting perspective: if people were born with a stoma and later had surgery to eliminate it, they might miss being able to see and clean it. This highlights the importance of perspective.