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My name is Maggie and I received my stoma at the age of 16. Originally, I had gone in for a resection of my terminal ileum and colon due to Crohn's disease. A few days after this surgery, I started having severe pain and it was discovered that my newly-connected intestines had fallen apart, leaving me with peritonitis. I was brought into emergency surgery and woke up with an ileostomy.
How did you feel before having stoma surgery?
I had mentally sort of prepared myself for a stoma, even though I was only heading into surgery for a resection. I had seen friends who had stomas and had seen how much relief they had from it, so I always kind of expected I'd end up with one. I was still terrified of the logistics of living with one, though!
How do you feel now after stoma surgery?
I feel grateful to have the stoma now - so much so that I made it permanent in 2019. I spent most of my childhood worried about what I ate and where a bathroom was. I learned that I had so much more freedom with the stoma.
Tell us about your hobbies. Any new ones since surgery?
I took up gardening in my adult life, loving to grow flowers. Its been a great source of physical activity but also stress-relief.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before having surgery?
I wish I had known that stomas could be a positive outcome and not a last-resort. It makes me wonder if I would have asked about just getting the stoma in the first place, rather than having to go through multiple surgeries, peritonitis, and sepsis to get there!
What are your favourite stoma products from Convatec?
I love the ESENTA line, particularly the adhesive remover. It makes cleaning my skin a breeze and wish I had used it those first few nights in the hospital after surgery. My skin was so tender around my stoma, but if I had the ESENTA Adhesive Remover, it would have saved me so much pain!
Featured Products
ESENTA™ Sting-Free Skin Barrier
ESENTA™ Hydrocolloid Strips (Thin Curve)
Featured Articles
10/10/2024
me plus Community
Travel
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Everyday life
Travel
Road Trips with a Stoma(2)
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Fashion
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Activity
Exercise After Stoma Surgery: Back to Basics
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Activity
Exercising With a Stoma: Dos and Don’ts
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Activity
Can You Swim with a Stoma Bag?
Having an ostomy should not prevent you from swimming. Here are some helpful tips to get you feeling confident in the...
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Diet
Stoma Diet and Hydration Advice
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Diet
Why Hydration Matters with an Ileostomy
On average, a person loses around 2.5 litres of fluid per day through sweat, urine, breath and faeces. Stoma bag wear...
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me plus Community
me+ Community Stories - Harrison
Hi, my name is Harrison Kefford and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I have been living with an ostomy since February ...
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me plus Community
me+ Community Stories - Renee
I had moderate to severe Crohn's disease for 25+ years which ended up with me getting the surgery to have an ileostom...
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