Six years and highlights of Stomalicious life

For my six year stomaversary I am celebrating six of the many highlights I’ve been fortunate enough to experience since having my stoma. These are six things I worried I may not be able to do again due to my health when diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and six things I wasn’t sure would be possible even after permanent ostomy surgery. This post is to show you that they are, and that anything is possible with a stoma!

I think I may have written something similar for a previous stomaversary, but every year with my ostomy continues to amaze me more and more! Some of these things I experienced less than six months after surgery, and some were in the last six months!

Here are six of my top stoma life highlights (so far!):

1. To the skies – Paragliding in Cape Town, zip lining in Spain and South Africa, hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, and riding the world’s largest portable roller coaster Munich Looping. at Winter Wonderland Next on the list is sky diving – more on that later!!!
   

   

   What a difference!

   
2. Music, sweet music – Standing second row from the front with 20,000 other fans to see my favourite band of all time (Pearl Jam) at gigs in London and Amsterdam, and surviving Mad Cool, a three-day music festival in Madrid! Next on the list is Glastonbury!
   

   

   
3. Eating my way through Europe and the world! For a long time during bad Crohn’s flares I was on liquid or other diets, too sick or just too plain scared to eat, let alone enjoy my food. Now, so long as I chew properly, I am back to eating all the delicious cuisines of the world (one of my favourite things about travelling!) and enjoying the odd beer or wine! Some things make me gassier or give me smellier output than others, but it’s worth it!

   

   Food glorious food

4. Beaches and water – kayaking in Halong Bay, the Lofoten Islands and Cesky Krumlov, swimming and sunbathing with goats on the beautiful Greek island of Symi and camping above the beach in Cornwall.
   

   
5. These boots were made for walking – after years of often being too sick or anxious to leave the house and walk further than around the block without knowing where the nearest toilet was, I now cherish being about to get out there and walk for miles – from hitting the pavement in cities, to hiking 500+ metre mountains for breathtaking views, climbing dessert sand dunes in Africa to taking a stroll around Victoria Park. If I can walk somewhere, I will!
   

   

   

   

   
6. Wedding bells – being bridesmaid for both my sister and one of my best friends Anna, and marrying the love of my life on the shores of Koh Lanta in Thailand.

These are just a few of the highlights of the last six years with my stoma, but I don’t want to show off 😉😉😉 Thank you to my ostomy for giving me back my health, my freedom, and allowing me to live my best life for the last six years. For showing me that life is worth living, and that I can do anything I put my mind to. As I said to my husband Michael on a recent holiday, “how lucky are we?!”. How lucky indeed!

To anyone reading this, I hope your ostomy has given you the freedom and opportunities it has given me, or that my experience helps remove any doubts you may have and gives you the hope and confidence to get out there and do whatever makes you happy!

Happy stomaversary little guy – here’s to many more incredible experiences together for another six years and beyond!