Hi there! First of all I’d like to thank you for taking the time out to stop by my blog

This will be a blog about Crohns Disease and all the battles and opportunities that come along with it for me.

Let’s begin with my story of diagnosis…OK Soo here’s the story in short

I was diagnosed with Crohns disease in November 2008 after about a year or two of ill health and going from 12st to 8st in under a year, I suffered with constant stomach pains and was unable to eat without being sick. After diagnosis I read up on Crohns but not much although I did see something about some people ending up with bags, didn’t think too much about it and as with everything you never think it will happen to you!

 

 

“as I’m being wheeled In to theatre the surgeon comes rushing over”

Despite being on meds things didn’t improve so ended up being booked in for ‘straight forward’ surgery to remove part of my bowel…..11th May 2009 was the date given for surgery, as I’m being wheeled In to theatre the surgeon comes rushing over with some consent forms….He’d forgotten to put ileostomy on although he didn’t think it likely I’d need one there was  still a chance.

Fast forward a few hours later to when I wake up from surgery, only to discover that it wasn’t as straight forward as planned, small bowel was fused to large bowel, it was just chaos when they opened me up lol oh and surprise you are now the owner of an ileostomy!!!!

Well that certainly wasn’t part of my plan so what now? Well I just had to get on with things! I named it my ‘Glad bag’ because I was glad to still be alive lol renamed her Gladys after a night at my friend’s who also had a bag that she had named Stuart!

I was too tired, and my skin was so sore

The first few months were horrible up at 1am, 3am, 5am changing clothes, bed sheets, crying, getting angry, threatening to sleep in mum’s bed without a bag on because I was too tired, and my skin was so sore lol (I’d clearly lost my mind at that point lol) it was a difficult time but I got through it.

As I began to adjust I started to feel like I had to hide myself and that people would judge or scorn me, no more bikinis for me! or so I told myself.

Why can’t I relax like everyone else! it’s not fair!

In 2017, 2 years after having further surgery to relocate Gladys after complications, I thought to myself why should I wrap up and hide? Why can’t I relax like everyone else! it’s not fair! Soo…I wore a bikini, I was shitting myself (not literally lol obviously coz that’s Glady’s job lol) and it wasn’t easy but It’s something I felt I needed to do and I did it 😊 so allow me to introduce to you all Gladys my life saver!

The purpose of this blog will be to:

• Remind people that we’re all different and have our flaws
• Teach other that it’s not fair to make anyone feel like they should be ashamed of something out of their control instead we should be supportive of each other, life’s hard enough as it is.
• Prove to everyone that us Ostomies are still capable of achieving things and can still be sexy!!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me during the tough times Gladys and I appreciate it and mum…thanks for not tossing me out your room with my threats lol love you xx