In the lead up to World IBD Day on Fri, we will be sharing the stories of some of our incredible IBD Warriors.
Kicking things off is our ambassador Stefanie Boyle who is sharing her experience of living with her stoma for the last 4 years. 💜
I’m Stefanie, the first ambassador for the Catherine Mcewan Foundation with a stoma bag. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 17 years old and now love my life with a permanent ileostomy bag.
Life with a stoma has been a rollercoaster, but I’m forever grateful for it. Since having my stoma made permanent, I have been able to live my life to the fullest.
Thanks to my stoma, I have been living a healthy life that I never thought I’d be able to do at the start of my diagnosis. In honour of IBD Awarenss Day, I would like to share with you 4 realisations I have come to realise in the 4 years of having a stoma:
✨ Having a bag doesn’t make you unattractive or unworthy.
✨ Mindset is key. Having a positive outlook can make the world of a difference when it comes to accepting a new way of life
✨ It’s ok to grieve the old you. Not everyone who has a stoma finds it easy and everyone at some point has days where they grieve the old body they had and that’s ok.
✨ You can still live a normal life even with a stoma. You can be active, go to the gym, make memories with friends, eat at nice places and wear the outfits you want. Having a stoma doesn’t define who you are.
#allinforcrohnsandcolitis #worldibdday
Instagram: @lifewithastoma_
