Hello fellow ostomates - I've been pointed in the direction of the Introductions topic, so here I am. I was diagnosed with Stage IV, invasive colon cancer in early Feb. Out of the blue as asymptomatic, and not ticking the 'at risk' boxes. A complete shock. The main tumour was blocking the ascending colon which meant that I was able to eat less and less and lost a lot of weight. In April I was rushed to hospital with a total obstruction and given a few days to live without surgery and possibly a few weeks with. I opted for emergency surgery, part of which included an end ileostomy, and the creation of my little friend the stoma. I'm still here, and have not commenced any further conventional treatment as I want to fully recover from surgery, get as fit and strong as possible, and understand this illness better. I want to do everything I can to help heal myself, and to find an integrative, patient-focussed oncologist. I live in the UK, love nature, walking, reading, and spend as much of my time as possible outside. After being told in hospital all the things I couldn't eat, as a vegan since 1986 I was pretty dismayed, as food is one of the joys of my life. So as soon as I got home I googled vegan and ostomy and found this amazing site . . . positive, life-affirming and optimistic. Thanks Eric, and thank you to all the wonderful ostomates who generously share their experiences, provide top tips, and empathetically understand and cheer on when things are difficult. Best wishes. Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. - John Wesley I'm vegetarian for 30 years and was so shocked at the poor quality hospital food loaded with sugar and additives and also little concern at diet advice I sympathize with your shock being a healthy active vegan I felt quite the same!!! Colostomy Jan 2020 Hi Mimi and welcome! I too love nature, walking, reading, and the outdoors. I live in Seattle and we're still in semi-restricted mode due to the virus (ie all parking lots at parks are closed) so I'm working hard to find ways to enjoy nature. It's such an important part of healing and maintaining health, I believe. I'm also an Anglophile, so enjoy many UK shows set in such lovely spots like Cornwall, Somerset, the Cotswalds..). Sending you my best wishes for continued healing. Eric's site is really great. Hello Mimi, Mine was a cancer diagnosis, also, 3B. It has been more than two years since my diagnosis and I have had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. My checkups have been going well. Everyone has a different approach to things, of course, but my first decision was to be the best patient I could be and follow the directions I was given - that became a sort of mantra. Best of everything to you! i don’t do much outdoor activity, not because I can’t - I live in northeastern Minnesota, a beautiful place that I confess I have often taken for granted. We live in town but we get bears and deer in our yard sometimes, the bears looking for garbage and the deer for tender barks and flowers (except for marigolds). Colostomy 4/30/18. @squeakyandliza When the world gets back to where meeting over a coffee is normal and safe, I'd be happy to meet up. :-) @lynne That sounds like fun! If things ever get back to normal. 😂 Here in the Tri-Cities, people aren’t taking things seriously at all. And now we have double the infection rate as the rest of the state. Ugh. -Liza If your ever in somerset UK I will buy you the best cream tea you might ever have tasted in the town that created cheddar cheese local to us! https://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Somerset/Cheddar/pictures/1048655 8-)Chris Colostomy Jan 2020 -Liza What a pretty place to live!! https://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/ Sorry I'm biased its a very pretty place even though we had lockdown I been able to go for walk in great countryside (As they say "Far from the maddening crowd") which helps bagpus behave better. Perhaps we could all share a small piece of our great places we live in this isolating and crazy time? Just a few miles away is Wells the smallest city in england Wells has become something of a film Mecca - the chosen location for blockbusters and big-budget TV historic dramas https://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Somerset/Wells Hope you like it liza Chris Colostomy Jan 2020 @chrisandbagpus Lovely! I looked it up and see you also have a stunning Cheddar Gorge area. Now with two new (ostomy) friends in the UK, given my already deep love of the English countryside, I'll have to think about a visit one day. Thanks for sharing. :-) Somerset - how beautiful it looks! Searching online I see that some of The Remains of the Day was filmed there - that is among my favorite movies and books. I, too, am something of an Anglophile, love and admire the UK, though I have never been overseas. My home is Duluth, Minnesota, a small city on the shore of Lake Superior. It is hilly and rocky here, and the lake is blue and vast. Colostomy 4/30/18. Mimi...you have really had a time with your health. I too looked & read up on your links. Thank you for sharing this with us. What a wonderful place to live, and Cheddar Cheese, one of my favs., can't beat that. If you ever need Wine to go with that cheese, I live in the Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. A lovely town known for its wineries & Lakes. We recently got our 3rd street light! Lol! Population just under 5000, known for a vast array of vegetable farming , fruit orchards and Wineries. We are slowly breaking out of total isolation but with orders to wear a mask in public and no large gatherings. We have been lucky to have COVID19 relatively under control, but all warnings state we can be reissued quarantine if it becomes needed. I don't mind so much as I'm not a shopper or a crowd person. I have two little dogs I love to walk, one a senior, Romeo,12 years the other his buddy to train, a 9 month old active little Malsheh, Missy! She has been wonderful for us both. I love to garden vegetables and my flower bed. I love crafts of all kind but my go tos are Tole painting, crocheting, I like to sew a little, photography, love to cook and bake, do canning & read good novels and write Poetry & Church. All the best to you as you seek the best treatment for your cancer. Keep us in the loop. We love hearing from our Newbies and having them take part when they are ready. I am an 11 year ileostomy, a 62 yr. young widow of 11 yrs, 2 kids, 2 inlaw kids and 6 grands. I like your idea to get to know the beautiful hearts here at VO! Linda Welcome Mimi, You are right to just try to get your general health back. Eating well and getting some exercise. You will have more choices as you regain that fundamental well being. I agree hospital food is the worst..I was only in a couple of nights on several occasions....down to eating rice krispies and bananas! Best I could find on the 'menu'. Keep posting please. Glad you found us. Onset of severe Ulcerative Colitus Oct.2012. Subtotal colectomy with illiostomy July 2015; Peristomal hernia repair ( Sugarbaker, mesh, laparoscopic) May 2017. Thanks for sharing the pictures of your home town and county. It is definitely lovely and seems very tranquil. @llnorth Your home sounds pretty too. Can you see the lake from your house? Where I live isn’t too pretty. It is sort of desert-like with lots of tumbleweeds. We do have a couple rivers that run through the area. And it is sunny a lot of the year, and way too hot in the summer. -Liza Welcome, @mimi. We are happy to be with you on your journey, and I'm so glad that you found the site so quickly! It's often discouraging to hear that someone is at a low/no risk of illness, yet still they become ill. Sounds like you're living a positive lifestyle, and I would encourage you to continue enjoying the outdoors and moving in a positive, forward direction. Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”
Be enchanted, Visit Somerset
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~
Community Forums
Notifications
Clear all
Introductions
16
Posts
8
Users
28
Reactions
915
Views
Topic starter
June 19, 2020 11:02 am
June 19, 2020 11:43 am
June 19, 2020 2:35 pm
June 19, 2020 3:01 pm
June 19, 2020 11:33 pm
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
June 20, 2020 3:26 am
LK reacted
June 20, 2020 4:55 am
LK reacted
June 20, 2020 6:50 am
LK reacted
June 20, 2020 7:07 am
SqueakyandLiza and LK reacted
June 20, 2020 11:25 am
LK reacted
June 20, 2020 12:15 pm
SqueakyandLiza and LK reacted
June 21, 2020 7:32 am
Mimi reacted
June 21, 2020 2:21 pm
June 21, 2020 3:39 pm
June 22, 2020 3:13 pm
ChrisandBagpus and Mimi reacted