Saturday 3rd October is Ostomy Awareness Day and to coincide with this, ColostomyUK is launching a new campaign called #StomaAware. The aim of the campaign is not just to make people StomaAware on that day, but to make people in the UK #StomaAware every day of the year.
Read more300th Visit to the Nurse and 1 Year Since the Last Surgery
This time last September I was heading into surgery for the second time after the main colostomy surgery in January 2019. Complications had arisen and a non-healing wound and fistulae that had formed a track inside meant that the best option was to reopen the perineum and let it heal again with the aid of a VAC.
Despite some lingering issues, things have been better this year than they were last year and the outlook is looking better than it ever has been in the last two-and-a-half years.
Read moreNational Fitness Day
Thanks to a prompt from Colostomy UK, I discovered that today is National Fitness Day – “the most active day of the year” – and with a run already planned on my training schedule, I was all geared up to take part.
Read moreReview: Vanilla Blush Hernia Support Boxer
Since developing a parastomal hernia, I have been wearing a hernia support belt from SuportX for exercise. The belt serves its purpose well and being adjustable you can make it as tight as you’d like. But are there alternative support options available?
Read moreThe Complications of Colostomy Irrigation and a Parastomal Hernia
I’ve been irrigating largely successfully for over 7 months but there have been some issues as a result and at first I couldn’t pinpoint the cause but it appears that the parastomal hernia may not be helping.
Read moreThe Return of the Parastomal Hernia Dilemma
Ever since my parastomal hernia formed back in May 2019, an internal battle has being fought about whether I should do anything about it. I’ve had conversations with family and friends, a counsellor, those who’ve had a hernia and the professionals who operate on hernias and after weighing up all of the options I came to the conclusion in January 2020 that I would leave it alone.
Read moreRunning With A Stoma and a Parastomal Hernia? No Problem
It’s been six weeks since I took the decision to start running again and it’s been great to be back out running on a regular basis. I’m taking things relatively easy with 5k/10k runs at varying paces and the odd trail run. So how have things been going?
Read more17 Month Wound Update
It’s been a while since my last wound update but it’s something that hasn’t gone away and looks like it’s not going anywhere fast.
Read moreI’m a Runner Again (Hopefully!)
After 16 months of dealing with a chronic Ken Butt wound, both physically and mentally, it was time for me to try running again regardless of whether the wound has healed or not. The wound was constantly on my mind and affecting me mentally so I needed to try and find a balance of managing it whilst getting back into running.
Read moreJust When My Nurses Thought They Had Got Rid Of Me
After a break of a month, the Ken Butt wound that has been persisting for over 7 months has started to deteriorate again so I’ve had to restart seeing my team of nurses again.
Read more