Hello everyone,
I've not been on here for such a long time. Last time I was on here, my boyfriend was facing the prospect of stoma surgery back in the summer, and now here we are, 5 months later, with a very special little friend we've affectionately named "Rocky".
Having Rocky in our lives has changed everything. Mostly, I'm pleased to say, for the better. My boyfriend has adapted to life with an ileostomy amazingly well, with very few down days (which are only to be expected from time to time). I just can't believe how different our lives are now compared to six months ago. The stuff we can actually plan to do and places to go and the people to see! It's just amazing!
My boyfriend has put on over three stone since his operation. This wouldn't have been possible last year while his body was ravaged with Crohn's Disease. He's back at the gym with a view to returning to his beloved roller/ice hockey in the coming months. He's eating whatever he wants. He's sleeping through the night. He's off all of his medication (apart from steroids but he has to come off them realllllllly slowly). He can drink BEER!! He doesn't spend half a day on the toilet. And best of all, he's in no pain. In a nutshell: His life has changed for the better.
I remember someone said to us last year that they'd rather be healthy with a stoma than sick without one. We didn't believe that person last year. But now we do. And if you're worried or scared about having this life-changing operation, then that's okay. It's very normal and part of the acceptance process. But I think it's worth seeing your future stoma as both life-changing and life-enhancing. It certainly has been for my boyfriend and for me.
I just wanted to share our story, I hope it's helped someone! If you need any kind of emotional support or just someone to talk to, either as a stoma patient or as someone close to a stoma patient, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I'd love to be able to help in whatever way I can. Everyone is here to support each other.
I've not been on here for such a long time. Last time I was on here, my boyfriend was facing the prospect of stoma surgery back in the summer, and now here we are, 5 months later, with a very special little friend we've affectionately named "Rocky".
Having Rocky in our lives has changed everything. Mostly, I'm pleased to say, for the better. My boyfriend has adapted to life with an ileostomy amazingly well, with very few down days (which are only to be expected from time to time). I just can't believe how different our lives are now compared to six months ago. The stuff we can actually plan to do and places to go and the people to see! It's just amazing!
My boyfriend has put on over three stone since his operation. This wouldn't have been possible last year while his body was ravaged with Crohn's Disease. He's back at the gym with a view to returning to his beloved roller/ice hockey in the coming months. He's eating whatever he wants. He's sleeping through the night. He's off all of his medication (apart from steroids but he has to come off them realllllllly slowly). He can drink BEER!! He doesn't spend half a day on the toilet. And best of all, he's in no pain. In a nutshell: His life has changed for the better.
I remember someone said to us last year that they'd rather be healthy with a stoma than sick without one. We didn't believe that person last year. But now we do. And if you're worried or scared about having this life-changing operation, then that's okay. It's very normal and part of the acceptance process. But I think it's worth seeing your future stoma as both life-changing and life-enhancing. It certainly has been for my boyfriend and for me.
I just wanted to share our story, I hope it's helped someone! If you need any kind of emotional support or just someone to talk to, either as a stoma patient or as someone close to a stoma patient, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I'd love to be able to help in whatever way I can. Everyone is here to support each other.
