Retail Therapy

Since my colectomy I have been on more shopping trips than my bank account cares to remember.  Woohoo! gone are the miserable days sat at home hopping from loo to sofa,loo to sofa, loo to sofa! You get my drift.  The greatest gift that comes from my lovely Winnie (stoma) is my new sense of freedom.  I can venture out and enjoy life without the worry of the “I need the loo NOW” feeling.  Winnie has also given me the perfect excuse to go shopping, I was fortunate to be sited with the perfect place for my stoma by a stoma nurse.  Some ostomates are still able to wear their usual clothes or others purchase underwear and trousers from ostomy clothing stores which you can find online.  I find normal clothing uncomfortable to wear, as it is my preference to have trousers, jeans etc to sit over my stoma bag rather than let the bag sit over my clothing.  I also tuck the bag into my lovely French knickers which are big, but beautiful and if you didn’t know and I decided for some reason to walk around in just my underwear you would never even know I had a stoma! Not that I’m keeping that a secret.  Leggings have become my favourite item, and now maternity clothing.  I do feel a bit silly buying maternity clothing when I’m not in the family way but hey ho!! Who cares?  Not me.  Maternity jeans are perfect the stretchy fabric sits comfortably over my bag making me feel more confident and secure.  Also for the first time in years I now wear dresses, which makes me very happy.  I never had the confidence to wear dresses with UC as I was constantly worried I would be incontinent, I felt safer with jeans.  So being back in a dress is truly wonderful. 

Happy Shopping People.
Lx 

The waiting room

Today I sat in the waiting room of Clinic 2 and my eyes filled with tears.  Sitting opposite from where I sat the last time I was here, I can almost see myself.  A girl so exhausted, so in pain and so desperate for help.  During the forty minute wait for my appointment, I went to the toilet six times!  Bloody, mucousy poo and PAIN!!!  I want to go into the past and give myself a hug and say “don’t worry, keep strong one day it will be alright.”  And today it is, I woke up emptied my bag, had a shower,got glammed up and enjoyed my breakfast.  I made my way to the hospital without the worry of being incontinent.  I got off the bus and confidently walked into clinic, the fact I first walked into clinic 3 instead of 2, was due to my sheer giddiness of meeting my new consultant.  I asked the receptionist if my old consultant was lurking around, she said no.  Thank goodness, that would have been too much to bear.  

My name was called and I walked into the examination room! Great I thought.  I could see all the equipment required for a rectal exam, oh fabulous!!!  I raised my eyebrows as my eyes were averted to what can only be described as an implement of torture!!  I looked for the canister of entonox, but obviously there isn’t any because to quote many a doctor “ it doesn’t hurt” well, I for one would like to shove some thing like that up there arse and see if it doesn’t hurt. 

Then the moment of truth, in walked my new consultant.  I instantly liked him, we then went through everything.  “You have ulcerative colitis” thanks for reminding me doc… “ you still have part of the diseased colon and rectum which I will take out” woohoo I want to kiss him.  We talk in detail about what will happen, how I can proceed, it’s up to me.  So I am a candidate for J-pouch surgery currently on the waiting list.  Feeling a little apprehensive about it but also a little excited!  I must be mad.