What helped me the most on my stoma journey | by Nikki
What helped me most on my stoma journey? There probably isn’t a very straightforward answer for this one. So many factors contribute. It’s ongoing. A stoma journey is a constant. It doesn’t just end. It goes on and on. And at different stages, different factors have helped. Here are a few…
My family and my friends
They have been understanding, patient, kind and willing to adjust to help me navigate the ups and downs of stoma life. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
The online gang
The late-night questions, the lengthy voicenotes, the scrolling to find answers and always finding them because someone would have posted about it. The Get Togethers. The feeling of being able to see how far someone else has come and knowing that one day I’d be the same. And most importantly, the feeling of not being alone.
Therapy
Nine months of an hour a week pouring my heart out. Going back to places that terrified me. Trying to learn to box emotions and feelings, to face them head on and put them away in my brain so the world felt safer again. Therapy most definitely helped me more than I could have hoped for.
Black stoma bags
Ok, this one sounds a bit wild. But I genuinely struggled with the beige ones. They looked medical, they shouted ‘poo bag’ to me and I really disliked what they looked like on my body. When the black ones became an option for me, I jumped at the chance. They feel less intrusive and they don’t scream ‘this bag has poop in it’.
Exercise
A gentle walk, a killer weights session, yoga, Pilates, whatever it is. Moving your body will help your recovery and journey, physically and mentally.
Kindess
From me to me. Probably something I didn’t do much of at the start. Anger and sadness took over a lot. But being kind to yourself is so, so important. Speak to yourself the way you would speak to someone else in your situation.
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