MY STORY
Hi, my name is Lucy.
One year ago I received a life-saving operation - I honestly thought it was over for me. I had to have my large bowel removed pretty quickly and my stoma ( ileostomy ) was the result.
It was a huge shock and the loneliness for the first 24 hours was something I don’t think I can ever explain but some of you will relate to it.
I’m single, an active 50-year-old full-time working mum and parts of my life have had to change. But this wasn’t going to beat me, why would it? I’ve had a second chance at life.
As I lay there in my hospital bed I’d met two friends for life - two women one with bowel cancer and the other with diverticulitis… all 3 of us with stoma bags all still in shock from the 24-hour whirlwind we’d just experienced.
The difference between us - they have long-term partners and I didn’t.
The determined me -the person with has always craved to do something to make a difference other than in my career - I started sketching in my notebook…My worries I’m not going to deny - the three ‘ S's: sexy time, swimming, and sunbathing! sexy time was an easy one to sort out with a bit of creativity that was resolved...
But as I scrolled through social media I see these wonderful beautiful human beings showing their stomas, posing in their bikinis and running in the sunshine. Then it hit me. We're exposing our intestines now on the outside of our bodies to the harmful sun's rays - it’s madness! I get it - I don’t want to wear a swimming costume either - I rock a bikini (apparently), and I don’t want to be stuck with one kind - high pants ( doesn’t look great anyway on a shorty like me in my opinion).
It’s so important to protect this from the sun - why wouldn’t you? I just know that this will be powerful. I’ve been able to have so much freedom on my recent holiday even partaking in press-ups by the pool 😂 as well as aqua aerobics. I swam with turtles and in underground caves.
I want my stoma mates to know that life as they knew it isn’t over but they have a responsibility to look after their stomas because we are the lucky ones.