And this forum has been a richer place from your participation.

You are not on borrowed time but using  a (soccer) football term playing extra time where you can change the outcome of the game. Liza and squeaky you by been you! inspire others :-) 

Hi Liza, I have watched you post on your experience and no matter how difficult you may have found your journey you have still been willing to help others and retain a sense of humour. An ostomy is a big life change and while it’s an easier road for some you have the strength and courage to succeed. I have always been a great believer that all problems get sorted eventually. Happy stoma day, good on ye , and way to go! Hey what’s happened me!! “Way to go “ heck am I turning American!! What has this forum done to me!! What’s next playing ice hockey maple syrup on my cereal 🥣. Chris save yerself. Have a great day ye all😂🇨🇦🇺🇸

@chrisandbagpus

I like that-extra time!!  Thanks for always being encouraging to me!!

@john68

Thanks John!  My sense of humor has kept me sane. 😊

Didn't you know we are in on a plot to turn you and Chris into Americans/Canadians. 😉

Happy Stomabirthiversary, Liza - have a happy one and many more!  Have you been doing any sewing and quilting lately? I recently sorted and neatened my fabric stash, and I have found a new apron pattern that I enjoy. Do you have a stash? 

John and Chris if you haven’t tried maple syrup and a little milk over hot cereal you must do that - you will swoon, eh! 

@llholiday

Thanks for the good wishes!! 😊

I just made a baby quilt for our niece who is expecting in July. I will try to attach a picture. My phone doesn’t always let me attach photos. 

I do have a little stash of fabric. When I find something I really like, I buy it. Plus I keep the extra fabric from all the quilts I make. Eventually, I want to make a quilt for myself, using the remnants from each quilt to make a block. It won’t match at all, but I think it would be fun to have. I also have a sampler I started about 20 years ago that I need to finish. And I’m accumulating black and white fat quarters for another quilt I want to make, this one for our bed. The very first quilt I ever made was for our bed and it is getting threadbare. 

@llholidayllholiday...My eyes tweaked...a new apron pattern?? Care to share the pattern number?? lol! The aprons you made before this new one are so fabulous, very appreciated & getting the workout they were cut out for. I'm  Loving that pun muchly!!! lol! I did locate the pattern for them but find it a but tricky.  Maybe this one will be a bit easier on these nasty hands. Thank you again a million stitches worth! 

P.S. I've started quilting as well. But have a few pouch covers to make first. Just waiting for guts & gut pain to ease up & get a few iron Infusions under my skin again.

@squeakyandliza...HaPpY HaPpY STOMAVERSARY Liza and squeaky!  You have come a long way and your doing so well Liza, okay, you too squeaky!  It's always good to look back & see where a journey such as this started & appreciate where you are at today. Your sense of humour & contributions are very appreciated here! 

May squeaky continue to treat you as rightly as you should be treated!! 

Hey.. Liza, as far as black & white fat quarters go, have you ever checked out @charismahortons quilts on IG? She's done a lot in black & white & these days, colours & black. Very 3 - D work some of them. .  

LK, I will try to attach a photo of the pattern. I added an inch to the neck strap on each side at the bottoms, and added about 3 inches to each waistline tie - and also you can see where I drew in pencil where I made the skirt a little curvier. I didn’t use rickrack, and didn’t use the heart-shape for the pocket, just a square patch pocket.

@dlkfiretruck

Thanks Linda!!  And Squeaky sends his thanks as well. 🤣

I'm not too familiar with Instagram, but I will try to find that person’s account you mentioned. Who knows when I will find the motivation to actually start such a big project. 😊

Happy anniversary! I love your "borrowed time" mention, it's so true!

I hit my 6 year mark this past week, but have been so busy with farm work and family needs, it came and went without notice until I read your post and realized the date.

@goatherder

More like a change of lifestyle from fixing things to fixing goats :-) 

Like your spirit

@chrisandbagpus Always things to fix on the farm, but I did trim the goat's hooves last night!

@llholiday...Thank you!  That is a nice pattern.  It's fun making changes in a pattern & turning it into more your taste.  I ended up making my own pattern from the last time we chatted about aprons. My eyes have little tolerance for screen lights no matter how much I dim the screen. I'm kind of thinking it might have to do more with my cataracts then anything but they're not bad enough to do anything about yet.  Shucks eh!!! lol! The thought of someone doing surgery to remove them when one is awake! Ugh!!! 

**Liza, when Romeo was sick his last 3 days he had a small nasty of a carpet accident. I ended up using baking soda & vinegar.  My Mom swears by vinegar for carpet odors, but this really lifted the soiled area up & out. I put on a good amount of soda then poured enough white vinegar on it to cause the bubbling. Paper towels to the rescue as well. Lol, as kids we used to clean copper pennies doing the same thing! Once satisfied I put on extra BS &rubbed it in then left to dry I was able to vacuum it out. It worked pretty good. I've since used it a small bile puke up Missy had. It worked great for that to. No remainig stain. 

**Eric, I'm sorry your having a tough time. I'm afraid we don't give our shoulders or any joint the credit they deserve for the work we give them.  Soft tissue along with a bone injury is not fun at all. I required physio after I tore my R rotator cuff. I couldn't brush my teeth, my hair or anything for weeks with that shoulder & I had my Ostony at the time too.  But using it & physio paid off.  I have good use of it now so don't loose heart.  Maybe check with your doctor if early physio may help with the soft tissues injured along with the break & make a phone call & check out a massage therapist could break down crystallization in the tissues as well. I hope things change for you soon Hang!!  Hang in there!! 

Posted by: @goatherder

I hit my 6 year mark this past week, but have been so busy with farm work and family needs, it came and went without notice until I read your post and realized the date.

Happy Stomaversary to you too, @goatherder. 😀

Three years! 🥳

(Checks calendar) 🧐😬😳

My eight year is coming up 🤯🤯

I don't know what's made time fly, but I'm glad you guys are all here to celebrate our journeys together.

Posted by: @veganostomy

Three years! 🥳

(Checks calendar) 🧐😬😳

My eight year is coming up 🤯🤯

I don't know what's made time fly, but I'm glad you guys are all here to celebrate our journeys together.

Me too!!  

@squeakyandliza...I have rec'd the fabrics & pattern for a quilt along, my 1st ever.. yikes.. to start the Anna Maria Horners "Vissions" quilt. The fabrics are amazing but between my Iron, not the one you press with, lol, settling at 2 & the  gut pain, I can hardly stand or sit long enough to get this going without falling asleep.  I finally rec'd approval on the Iron I need from B.C. Med. and infusions start next week thank Heaven!!! Its been a long haul this round & I'm so tired of jumping through hoops!!! 

GoatHerder, Eric & Liza & anyone else,  ...do you still appreciate the changes a stoma has made on your lives?? I guess April was my 13 yr. mark for my Ostomy, but it feels like a lifetime ago!!  Even with what I still deal with, I'm very thankful for this lovely lifelong Rose.  

Sorry I’m so late to this birthday party - I’ve been busy helping my elderly parents a lot lately. Congratulations, Liza, and Squeaky too! Three years is an accomplishment, especially considering how dire your situation could have been without Squeaky. Quite a sobering thought, actually. We are lucky to live in a time when this is possible, and lucky to have a forum like VO to bounce our thoughts and ideas around. When I had my surgery I wasn’t exactly feeling like celebrating, but almost 6 years later, I am grateful to have had an alternative to an unpleasant outcome. I’m so glad you did too, Liza!

Laurie