This topic is about finding friendship and understanding after living with a colostomy for several years. Ciska, who is 58, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011 and has been through a lot since then, including surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. Although she is still here in 2025, she feels the loss of many friends from before her illness. Living with her husband and their pets, she sometimes needs to talk about things that her husband might not fully grasp, so she is reaching out to make new, genuine connections.

Here are some pieces of advice and insights shared by others:

1. Many people reassure Ciska that she is not alone. There is a supportive, global community of ostomates from places like Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, the USA, and Australia who understand each other's experiences.

2. Ciska is encouraged to ask any questions, share her frustrations, or simply chat. Fellow ostomates "get it" in ways that even loving partners often can't.

3. Some members point out that friends who disappear during illness probably weren't true friends. Ciska deserves relationships with people who will stand by her.

4. A general morale boost is offered: life is too short to spend on unsupportive people, and better friends can be found within this community.