me plus Community

me+ Community Stories - Sarah

Meet Sarah, who had an ileostomy surgery in 2010 to treat life-threatening peritonitis.

me plus Community

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."

me plus Community

me+ Community Stories - Ted Taylor

"Health wise, having stoma surgery was probably the best thing to happen to me."

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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.

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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

me plus Community

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. ...

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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 ...

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

me+ Community Stories - Maurizio

I'm Maurizio, I'm 48 years old, I've had a colostomy for 10 years due to colon cancer.

me plus Community

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.

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

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...

me plus Community

me+ Community Stories - James Bagshaw

I'm James Bagshaw and my journey with a stoma began in 1984 when I was 37. My stoma story traces back to my battle wi...

me plus Community

Travel

Travelling with a Stoma Bag: What to Pack

The idea of taking long trips with an ostomy may seem daunting at first. But with a little extra preparation, you can...