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me+ Community Stories - Sarah
Meet Sarah, who had an ileostomy surgery in 2010 to treat life-threatening peritonitis.
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me+ Community Stories - Lee-Ann Watanabe
When the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN suggested that I undergo ileostomy surgery, I knew I was ready. After a decade ...
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me+ Community Stories - Ival Secrest
"If you’re struggling with your new life as an ostomate, I can’t recommend enough that you seek our local support gro...
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me+ Community Stories - Ellen Hepp
In 1985 – at 25-years-old with three small children – Ellen was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Within a year and a h...
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me+ Community Stories - Phyllis Rovner
"Getting an ileostomy was not the end of my life; it was the beginning. I’m so happy that I want to help others."
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me+ Community Stories - Ted Taylor
"Health wise, having stoma surgery was probably the best thing to happen to me."
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me+ Community Stories - Thomas Exler
Thomas was born with a rare birth defect called bladder exstrophy, meaning that his bladder was turned inside out. In...
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me+ Community Stories - Stephanie Crane
Stephanie Crane couldn’t imagine life without dance. But when Crohn's Disease threatened her life, she feared the worst.
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me+ Community Stories - Lee Thrash
Before being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, Lee Thrash had no idea that living with a stoma would be such a blessing.
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me+ Community Stories - Bill O’Donnell
An active man who loves the outdoors, Bill O’Donnell’s ileostomy didn’t stop him from forging ahead in his career, pu...
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me+ Community Stories - Ryan Decker
Ryan Decker's life went from “zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.” Although he had developed stomach problems in hi...
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me+ Community Stories - Dana Marie Gatziolis
Intuitively, Dana Marie knew that life after stoma surgery could mean one of two things. She could either choose to l...
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me+ Community Stories - Glen Neilson
When you beat cancer and learn to live with a stoma, you can scale any challenge.
me plus Community
me+ Community Stories - Ian Barton
Ian Barton shares his story of living with an ileostomy since the age of 10.
Everyday life
Caring for a Child with a Stoma
Even though it’s often a lifesaving procedure, it’s still difficult to watch your little one undergo stoma surgery. T...
Everyday life
Back to school with a stoma
As your child begins to recover from ostomy surgery, it is normal for them to feel fearful or anxious about their nee...
Everyday life
How can I stop my stoma bag leaking at night?
There are some simple things that you can try today that could help reduce stoma bag leakage at night.
Everyday life
Navigating Public Toilets With A Stoma
When you’re out and about, everyone needs to take a quick pitstop from time to time, and the key to a good pitstop is...
Everyday life
Peristomal Skin Care
Knowing how to identify irritated skin around your stoma early and keeping it healthy could help avoid greater compli...
Everyday life
Preparing for Winter Weather
If you live in an area that may be affected by a natural disaster or severe weather, these tips may help you feel mor...
Everyday life
Returning to Work with a Stoma
From industrial jobs to the classroom, from long shifts at the hospital to dancers – and all workplaces in between – ...
Everyday life
Tips for Managing Anxiety After Stoma Surgery
One of the biggest worries for people who have recently had stoma surgery is what other people will think.
Diet
Everyday life
Living with a Stoma: Hydration
Learn about the importance of hydration when living with a stoma. Our guide provides tips on fluid intake, recognisin...
Diet
Stoma Diet: Enjoying Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
Tips from our me+ contributor, Sarah Biggart about enjoying a healthier diet whilst living with a stoma.
Everyday life
Bathing or showering with a Stoma
Showering or bathing with a stoma should not interfere with your regular cleaning routine. Here are some tips on bath...
Everyday life
Sleeping with a Stoma
‘Learning’ how to sleep again after ostomy surgery may be odd. But when you have a stoma, your old sleep positions ma...
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me+ Community Stories - Ted Vosk
Ted has been living with an ileostomy since May 2012, after developing ulcerative colitis.
Everyday life
Top Tips for Preventing Stoma Bag Leakages
Tips for preventing stoma leakages, find out if there’s something you could try today to help prevent leakages in the...
Everyday life
What to do if your stoma bag leaks in public
Leakages in public may be a stoma wearers' worst nightmare. Leaks happen, but the good news is that it doesn’t have t...
Activity
Reducing Risk of Parastomal Hernia
You may have heard about a complication known as a ‘parastomal’ hernia, an abnormal bulge around the stoma. These tip...
Fashion
Fashion Tips for Men Living with a Stoma
After stoma surgery you can wear the same clothes as anyone else – and do it with style! Here are some fashion tips f...
Diet
Why Hydration Matters with an Ileostomy
On average, a person loses around 2.5 litres of fluid per day through sweat, urine, breath and faeces. Stoma bag wear...
Fashion
Fashion tips for women living with a stoma
Here are some practical fashion tips from Jearlean Taylor, a successful model, author, and businesswoman who has neve...
Diet
Stoma Diet and Hydration Advice
There is no specific ‘stoma diet’ but there are important considerations as you discover the foods that work best for...
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me+ Community Stories - Angelo
Angelo dos Santos had to undergo surgery to create a urostomy in his 20s due to the treatment of the second cancer he...
Activity
Exercise After Stoma Surgery: Back to Basics
No matter what level of physical activity you want to pursue, stoma surgery shouldn’t hold you back.
me plus Community
me+ Community Stories - Maggie
My name is Maggie and I received my ostomy at the age of 16. Originally, I had gone in for a resection of my terminal...
Fashion
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me+ Community Stories - Jearlean
Jearlean Taylor has never known life without an ostomy. She has had two ostomies since she was just three years old. ...
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me+ Community Stories - Taylor
My name is Taylor Mitchell-Ross and I'm in my 30's. I had ostomy surgery due to severe idiopathic constipation and un...
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me+ Community Stories - Alannah-Jayne
I'm Alannah-Jayne and I had emergency surgery for an ileostomy due to Inflammatory Bowel Disease causing sepsis in my...
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me+ Community Stories - Harrison
Hi, my name is Harrison Kefford and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I have been living with an ostomy since February ...
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me+ Community Stories - André
Hello, my name is André Estrela, I am Brazilian, married and work as a graphic designer and influencer with an ostomy.
Activity
Can You Swim with a Stoma Bag?
Having an ostomy should not prevent you from swimming. Here are some helpful tips to get you feeling confident in the...
Activity
Exercising With a Stoma: Dos and Don’ts
Exercising after ostomy surgery is about patience and doing what feels right. It’s important to take your time and kn...
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me+ Community Stories - Maurizio
I'm Maurizio, I'm 48 years old, I've had a colostomy for 10 years due to colon cancer.
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me+ Community Stories - Renee
I had moderate to severe Crohn's disease for 25+ years which ended up with me getting the surgery to have an ileostom...
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me+ Community Stories - Lauren
What do you get when you cross a yoga-loving ad exec with a house plant- obsessed fashionista? You get Lauren Beach o...
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me+ Community Stories - Dianne
It’s not easy to hear that you have stage-four colon cancer, and even harder to be told you’re having stoma surgery o...
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me+ Community Stories - Ellyn Mantell
For most of her life, 73-year-old Boca Raton resident, Ellyn Mantell, has suffered chronic stomach and bowel complaints.
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me+ Community Stories - Kimberly
In 2015, Kimberly was in the midst of cancer treatments, with a bowel perforation and an obstruction that required em...
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me+ Community Stories - Manny
Manny Cuevas inherited a lot from his father, including his love of fashion design. He built a cult following and hea...
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me+ Community Stories - Walt
Inspired by stories of others living with an ostomy, Walt Brilhart had dedicated his life to sharing the message of h...
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me+ Community Stories - Meghan
Instagram Star, Meghan Brown, Shares How Easy Pouch Removal is with ESENTA™
Relationships & Intimacy
Date Night with a Stoma
Are you feeling nervous at the thought of date night after stoma surgery? You’re not alone. With a little planning ah...
Relationships & Intimacy
Intimacy with a Stoma
Tips to enhance intimacy with your partner and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Travel
Stoma Travel Tips
Extra security precautions are being taken at airports and other transit hubs worldwide. A little pre-planning and un...
Everyday life
me plus Community
me+ Community Stories - Thomas Crawford
How Christmas with an Ileostomy can be everything you wished for! Story by Thomas Crawford.
Everyday life
Travel
Road Trips with a Stoma
Now that you have an ostomy, the idea of taking long trips can seem daunting. But with a little extra preparation, yo...