YES. It is slightly ridiculous. I have had so many friends come off contraception to realise retrospectively that it was flattening their emotions or making them more anxious :(
It's crazy how common this is and how little research is being done about it! It's unacceptable. I literally know more women who had problems because of the pill/coil than women who had no problems with it.
The fact that a) you're giving such a positive message to people after what I can only imagine was a supremely taxing ordeal and b) still look so damn beautiful after you've been through so much is incredible. Go Hannah.
Omg Han my publisher gave me a proof copy of ‘how do you like me now?’ and it’s bloody brilliant, I didn’t know she was your friend ahh! Also I’m so happy to see you regularly uploading again I could cry but I shall NOT x
I've been casually subbed to you for a while and when I saw what happened, I was really shocked, because it all seemed to happen insanely fast. Didn't watch a vid for a couple of months and then all of a sudden I saw the title of this one in my feed and I just thought 'bloody hell'! Then went and watched the other video about it and I'm stunned and honestly inspired how you've handled it and are recovering so well. It's fascinating and informative to hear about and I hope you get well soon.
Having family members that have had/have stoma bags all I can say is THANK YOU! Thank you for bringing it up in a public space, thank you for educating people on stoma bags. Also your explanation of the stoma bag and operation was on point :)
My boyfriend doesn't have a stoma (yet) but he has UC. Weve talked about stomas before and what would happen if he needed one but it always seemed like an awful and scary last resort (no colon therefore no colitis hooray). It's been great for both of us to see you rocking and educating about your stoma ❤️
I saw articles on people that healed UC with a vegan diet, worth a try, if it works that would be amazing! Hope your boyfriend gets better, it sounds awful to live with this
Mickey Sonya He is managing it right now with medication! A tough part of the disease is everyone's is different. He has tried cutting out various foods and it doesn't help him. Others can't eat anything with seeds or skin and that's how they manage. Tricky bugger often doesnt have any one real answer except removing the diseased organ! Thank you though ❤️ the best part now is actually knowing what he has - it was awful being undiagnosed and seeing him in pain
Stephanie Dick I hope he manages to deal with it, and the pain stops soon, even if he does have to get a stoma. It sounds to me like although it is a last resort, it doesn't have to be a really depressing thing or anything like that. Of course it will be a change, but something to adapt to, and in a short time you'll get used to it. Anyway, I don't think my tone is coming through properly, but I wish you all the best! :)
Alcohol made me nervous at first too! I definitely feel it quicker now. As for beer and fizzy things, it gave my a lot of gas when I first tried it, maybe 6 or so weeks out of surgery but that has settled down and now when I drink it’s mostly fine! I was very annoyed getting up in the middle of the night as well! Someone suggested I try a two piece bag with a regular pouch attachment during the day and a high out put bag (they have like a nozzle on the end instead of the fold up) at night. I’m from the states and I get these from Hollister or Convatec, I’m not sure what companies would carry them in the UK. I just rinse the bag out before I take it off, attach the other bag and then do the same in the morning. It has been amazing to get a full nights sleep!
I've heard of stomas a few times before (I'm not sure where but pooing into a bag has definitely been mentioned) but your the first person I've seen on a platform to talk about it openly and honestly!
This has been a good educational session, in the event I one day meet someone in a similar situation. This video was also quite inspiring. You have such an incredible attitude.
I was aware stomas existed but I had mostly seen them in the context of the elderly. You're the first young, relatively healthy person I've seen who is just (well after recovery) going about life as normal. Thanks for teaching me a bit about it. I wasn't sure how much it would affect your physical abilities or preventing you from doing things you want to do. Sounds like not a whole lot which is awesome!
Spiffleh About one percent of the population has or have had a stoma, so you have probably seen a lot of people that has them. But you cant tell unless the bag is full, the person tells you or they are naked. People usually dont talk about it as it is a very personal thing for a lot of them, and everything that has to do with poo is quite tabo in our society
Wow, I can tell a difference in you since your last video, you look a bit stronger and seem to have a little bit more energy!!! All positive things!!! I’m so so happy you are doing so well!! Live the content of your videos, I want to hear about everything stoma related that you are dealing with. I used to be a trauma tech so I’ve dealt with ppl who have had stomas and I’ve emptied them and changed bags. It’s so amazing how open you are about what you’ve been through, this is truly helping so many people!!!! Love you so much Hannah, continued prayers for recovery!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️
I also have a stoma *high five* 😂 Thanks for making videos about your stoma and recovery, it's great to spread awareness! Maybe you could try out different stoma products and review them? Glad to see you're recovering well x
When all my hair dropped out and I started wearing faux hair, it was the women brave enough to share their stories, and tips and secrets with me who helped me feel human and beautiful again, and helped me learn to embrace what had happened and not to be ashamed or feel unworthy because of it. You speaking out about your stoma makes me feel much the same way, I'm sure you are helping so many people and offering support and giving confidence and information to others. I have so much respect for you for doing this. Raising awareness is such an empowering and wonderful thing to do, so well done you brave and lovely lady :)
I’m a nurse and all I’ve learned about stoma’s is very clinical and it’s refreshing to hear from someone who actually has one. It’s amazing that you’ve already started changing your own. I hope everything goes smoothly and there aren’t any blow ups!
I was diagnosed with UC in Dec 2006 & have lived off and on with a stoma for about 5 years. I currently am back living with my jpouch which is what I prefer. I will be honest and say that living with a stoma was one of the worst experiences of my life. I had my first (of 8 surgeries in 7 years, including my c-section) when I was 25 (Feb 2010) and I hated almost every minute of it. The only thing that I am grateful to the stoma for is that I was able to get pregnant and have my beautiful daughter. Before the stoma surgery I was too sick to even consider getting pregnant. My pregnancy was perfect and like you mentioned in the video I did have to get a c-section due to scar tissue. The OBGYN was concerned that if something went wrong during labour that she wouldn't be able to get to baby quick enough. I had my jpouch surgery after she was born. I'm so glad that there are people like you who can help bring awareness to UC & ostomys, it's not a very common thing to hear people talking about. Thank you for your honesty and openness about what you have been going through. I hope your feeling better soon!
My Dad has had a stoma for years; he suffered from an undiagnosed bout of UC before I was born but thankfully made it through! It's great to see you speaking so openly, educationally, and confidently about stomas, as I know many people are completely ignorant to their existence or are confused by stigmas which only seem to exist amongst those who don't have them. Thank you! If you ever need a confidence boost yourself, I'd recommend getting to know other people who have stomas (if you haven't already). My Dad's really benefited from knowing others who have them and having stoma discussions!
As someone who had surgery to make a stoma about a year ago - once Mona settles down in a couple of months you should be able to get through the night without emptying the bag! Thank you for being so open about all this :)
*MAKE HANNAH READ THIS* There are these stoma plugs you can wear for your sexy time or to go to the beach or just in situations you don't want your stoma bag hanging there. I know because I'm a nurse and recently got that for a teenage patient that wanted to go to the beach but was insecure about her stoma bag. Of course this is to be used for a certain amount of time and after the area is healed I hope this is helpful :)
Well.. that only applies for colostomys, not with ileostomy like she has, I can tell, because I have one too ;) So you must have been getting wrong information.
Wow i never hear people talk about this! My younger brother had colitis his whole childhood, and it got so bad that he needed to have his large intestine removed and get a stoma at the age of 10. It was such a good thing for him because for the first time in his life he wasn't constantly sick. He's now 20 and just had a surgery to attach his small intestine to his rectum. It was an intense recovery process, but now that he is healed he feels great!
I did an Internship in a hospital two years ago and some of the patients were there because they were getting a stoma/ or they already had one but still needed help changing it. That was the first time I ever really heard about them. I think it's really great that you use your platform to talk about the topic and inform especially young people about something they might not even have encountered otherwise!
I was diagnosed with Crohns around the time that you had your flare up and honestly seeing your journey and positive attitude throughout has really helped me keep positive myself. So thank you Hannah for always being so open about what you're going through, your posts and updates I'm sure have helped countless others like me stay optimistic!
Dungeonfreak it can be. You can get deodorizer drops to help with that. I’ve had Crohns for over twenty years and once I got my ostomy surgery I got my life back. 😊
I remember as a kid that my dad had a stoma because he had colon cancer, but I've never heard anyone talk about it before. Thank you for being so open and for the amazing educational videos!!
My friend just recently acquired a stoma after years of struggling with crohns diesease and losing a lot of weight in hospital. It's comforting to know that your life doesn't have to drastically change after undergoing the surgery!
I had my colon removed in September 2015 and let me tell you... it gets so much better!! For me, I was able to sleep through the night after a couple of months. I know that isn’t true for everyone but I learned what foods gave me the most output and would try to avoid them later in the day so that I wouldn’t have to empty in the middle of the night. Wishing you all the best! 💕
I knew about stomas but this is the first time i’ve properly learned about them, it’s fascinating! Really missed you and your videos, so glad to see you on the mend ❤️
My grandfather had a stoma after he had a colostomy when he had colon cancer in the 80s, but you're the first young person I've seen talk about it extensively (or at all, actually). I really appreciate your openness about it
Hi there, good to see you somewhat back! Just my 50cent regarding the stoma management: tying it down with a Velcro corset-y-thing during sex is what I do and it really blocks nothing and if you're a "dress sexy" lingerie-stuff (male in my case of course) person anyway not a complete nude-sex-person there really is no problem whatsoever. Regarding food: Eventually you will get back to eating everything,maybe in differing doses, or slightly different preferences (caused by the differences diverse foods cause when dealing with the stoma), but I'm now at the point where I can eat even asparagus again... though it still stinks when peeing-_- ;). The alcohol business works well for me, though it generally causes a whole lot of movement and stuff moving though the whole stoma into the bag, but that's also a thing of two additional emptying procedures, and that's a max, could also be none whatsoever. Also it should be noted that initially much more ahem, shit, moves through the stoma than later, now emptying is only necessary in the morning, so stay relaxed, it will get better!^^ Best regards Raoul G. Kunz
I'm a medical student so this isn't the first time I've heard about them, but it is the first time that I've seen a human person living with one in real time and the impact that has. I'm probably going into mental health and so I want as much exposure to how people feel about changing bodies and all that, so thank you thank you thank you for being so open and honest about your UC and Mona.
Thank you so much. I’ve always been worried that my Crohn’s will flare to the point where I’ll need an ostomy, but this makes me not so scared. Knowledge is power! Love the recent content💜💜 good luck on your journey
I study medicine, and I am now halfway through. I have always found inflammatory bowel diseases interesting, they were easy to learn tbh - and this is such great source of information for me, as to how a patient feels about this whole process. The chronicity of the disease with flare ups and the fear/no fear about that, the relation with bag ;) , the relief of the surgery and so on. In my opinion, it must be really healthy for health workers to hear stories like this and to learn from it. Both because it gives broader insight, but also because it can help communication and cooperation between patient and doctor/nurse. So a big thumbs up from me for your honesty, your humour and your detailed descriptions of both emotional and physical aspects of your experience!
Love the video Hannah! I have IBS and the future of my large intestine is very up in the air. Currently on an antidepressant that makes my flare ups not as often or as bad! I'm 22 and it's cool for me to have another 20 something to look up to that has had similar issues. Rest up! Lots of love from California
My dad has had a stoma and urostomy bag for about 12 years but I've rarely heard this sort of thing talked about outside of my family, and definitely not with anyone of our generation. Thanks for being so stoma-positive and glad to hear you are well on the mend!
I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to make videos! This has been the first time I've heard about stomas so I'm happily learning along. I've had a friend who has had Crohn's for a few years but learning the difference between Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis has been a new topic of research - something I never thought I would be doing on my free time! After your journey with the hormone diaries, I took the plunge and went in to ask about IUD's from my gynecologist. I had been having awful periods for the previous 6 months and had the feeling that my body wasn't agreeing with my birth control anymore. I ended up getting a Kyleena (a smaller version of the Mirena) put in at the beginning on December. My gynecologist only inserts IUD's while a woman is on her period and I had a reaction which made my period last for 14 days but I haven't had a period since. The actual insertion was horrendously painful as I had a bad reaction and couldn't leave the doctors office for over an hour for fear of passing out - but that eventually passed. The only side effects I've noticed is a bit of anxiousness and slight back pain like I would have before a period previously, but it comes randomly throughout the month. Otherwise, I'm in the same boat of waiting to see if I have a period again. Enjoy eating lots of penguins during your recovery!
I have known about stoma bags for all of my life as my mum has had one since before I was born (and me and my twin sister are 26 now). What's amazing is that i have actually learned things through your video that I would have never thought to ever ask my mum about (not that I know nothing but its just the little things) and it just made me want to go and hug my mum and talk to her about it. She actually has a terrible time with it and suffers so much every day from dehydration, obstructions, hernias etc and it makes life hard for her. You have really opened my eyes as to how a stoma can be a positive thing especially compared to having a disease like UC. Wishing you all the best for your recovery!
my auntie had stoma surgery in 2011 due to cancer, she's passed away now but this still makes me feel closer to her and understand what exactly she went through (or similar)
It so nice to see that you are doing better! As someone who also have UC and have had a stoma for almost 5 years i thought i would just comment on a few of the questions you got both for you as a new stoma person and for all those that are curious about stomas. Having a stoma is not a problem for sex, but it can be annoying at times. If the bag has some contents in it you might want to empty it before you continue, and its good to use a small bag or fold it so it wont flap all over the place. When it comes to changing the stoma bag it can be all from 10 times a day to every 3 days, it all depends on the quality of the skin the bag is supposed to stick to. If you have a lekage the acidity of the contents can burn of the top layer of skin, so its difficult to make the bag stick. If you first have one lekage and dont take care of it right away the chance is a lot bigger you will get an other lekage due to the bag not sticking properly, and that is really a pain in the ass to deal with. There is no rule for how often you have to empty the bag. It depends on how much quantity of food you eat and how much gas you have. I ususally empty it before it gets noticable if im at work. At home i might just let it fill up if im feeling lazy :P But usually people just empty it if they go to pee anyways. If you have a problem with having to get up during night time to empty the bag, there is some bags that are bigger than others that is good for night time. Also, i try not to eat after 7pm, if i eat after that i know i have to get up during the night. I dont have to set an alarm as i will usually wake up by the preassure if its full. (Ofcourse, when you dont wake up in time you have a litteral shit show to del with...) As soon as you have healed you can live pretty much like before. I have even been solo backpacking with a stoma, no problem. You need to bring equiptment with you when you go out, and you can deal with lekages, but its still a lot better than beeing sick. In the beginning its important to be careful with abdominal exercises for obvious reasons, but you can start slow, then increase as you are getting stronger. After about 1,5 years you should be able to do pretty much the same stuff as before depending on how hard you would work out. When it comes to food you can eat the same things as before. Ofcourse, be a bit careful in the beginning, you will notice what works for you. I have noticed that smoothies and stews are great for my stoma to get a good concistency (if it too liquid or too hard it will make it more likely for you to get leakages). Im vegan and eat a lot of fruits and veggies, so thats no problem. Too much nuts dont react too well, and if i eat a lot of low moisture foods. Alcohol is fine if you have a stoma, but you want to be a little bit more careful than before. When you drink its more likely for the content to become more liquid, and the chance of leakages are higher. You have to make sure you are not so wasted you cant take care of your ostomy if need be (or have someone who you are comforable with who can help you if you are to wasted to do it yourself. I know plenty of people who would get so wasted (a lot of ostomy people like to drink, a lot) a friend or partner had to change their ostomy. After a while you will know the routine inside and out, so you wont have a problem changing your stoma as long as you are not passed out drunk. Any kind of substance is ok as long as you can take care of the stoma. You can have flareups in the rectum if you still have it, but it wont be as bad as a full on UC flare up. I have had one day home from work due to a flare up with full on pain attack (weed helps a LOT for that pain), but thats nothing compared to the 3 months out of the year i would have of school due to UC. It has also happened that i had to stay home from school due to the skin arround my stoma beeing too fried from the acid with leakages, but again, nothing compared to UC. Good luck so much with having a stoma, and i hope you have a really nice new years celebration and birthday!
I honestly don't know how you are so positive about never being able to trump out your bum again. Like that and losing my hands/arms and hearing are something I feel I couldn't live without. However your positivity/riding the peace train- inspires me to ride that train too.
Hi Hannah, this is the first time I've ever heard about a stoma. Thanks so much for being so positive about it - I think the representation of things like this is super important - thanks for informing me!
Just been diagnosed with Crohn's - just wanted to say how much these videos and knowing about someone else that has been going through the grimness of IBD has helped me feel less lonely! Thanks for always being a positive role model and I wish you all of the best in recovery :) x
This is the first time I heard about stoma bags. I'm so proud of you for talking so openly about all of it! I hope you get better as soon as possible.♡
I also recently got an ileostomy and it is so nice to see people talk about it in a positive way. I had emergency surgery because my colon got acutely inflamed and tore and my surgeon, prior to surgery, forgot to mention that I would end up with an ostomy. It's just nice to hear someone talk about ileostomies in a normal way and not feel so different.
I first heard about stoma bags when reading Hero by Perry Moore. In it one of the main characters has one, very good book. Wishing you all the best Hannah x
It's a ya superhero that's all about secrets and differences. Not the best writing style but the plot and characters are quite good. I'd definitely recommend it
Dude! You’re a champ for dealing with your stoma! As a nurse, it sucks seeing people dealing with changing the system out and dealing with the waste while grappling with their body issue changes. I’ve always love your videos.
i loved she of the mountains! it's definitely poetic, i don't know if i'd say it's poetry. it's the story of a young brown guy grappling with his queerness, interwoven with vignettes of re-imagined hindu mythology that inform the themes/main story. it's gorgeous and a pretty quick read :') good luck moving and building your furniture by the way!! congrats on your recovery!
My mum had colon cancer year and a half ago so they removed her colon (most of her large intestine) and got rid of the cancer. She had a stoma for 6 months to let the area heal. Then they did the reversal last January. We had never even known this was a thing and was so shocked by the whole process. My mum was restricted diet too and then again in a different way after the reversal. Now she's back eating veggies and seedy bread (her favourites). Cancer free too :D Thank you for putting this out there Hannah. Will help a lot of people learn about this and help people going through it :)
As my grandfather has a stoma and he is the only person I know with one, I always associated stomas with old people. Thank you for making me realise that this was a limited view and educating me on stomas in general! I hope you have a speedy recovery, with many more ups than downs :)
Nice to hear some personal stories about this stuff. I have moderate ulcerative colitis, haven't had a flare up in a few years, and I haven't had a big flare up in 5 years. I don't have a stoma (obviously, cause I still have UC), but my dad has 2. A colostomy and a urostomy. I didn't know that was a thing, until he had to have his bladder removed. His toilets are a bit redundant now...
My grandpa had a stoma. It was something we openly talked about but it’s great hearing all about it from a younger female perspective. Thank you for sharing all of this with us
Thank you for being so unashamed about this. My auntie has severe endometriosis and when she had surgery for it, they nicked her bowel so she has a stoma too and it's so nice seeing someone talk so openly about it. Recently, the doctors were scared I had Crohn's but my bloods have returned to normal now so we're just treating it as if it's IBS atm.
Thank you so much for answering my question! And thank you so much for being so open, it is so interesting to learn about the stoma bag and how it works etc. It will definitely help raise awareness for people using disabled toilets when they look "normal"
I've never known anyone who's had a stoma (as far as I know anyway), my Mum had a catheter for awhile but that was temporary and sounds fairly different. It has been interesting learning about them so I'm no longer ignorant and you have certainly made it seem less daunting than I would have imagined. You never know what the future holds so I appreciate your honesty. I can only imagine how great your representation is for a lot of people.
My friend is 26 and suffered with colitis for a long time - he had a surgery recently to get the bag removed. It's been a long and painful process for him, but things are getting better, slowly but surely.
My grandma had a stoma for the last few months of her life before recently passing away from cancer, so the subject makes me a bit anxious. But your videos are helping me to process a bit of the trauma I got from seeing her when she was ill so thanks for that
Love the video! My granny has a stoma, but I've never known exactly how it works because it feels invasive to ask her about it. I remember going to the hospital to see her, and it was scary because she was so thin compared to how she usually looks. She's totally fine now, and makes jokes about pooing in a bag
I didn't know anything about stomas, and my dad has ulcerative colitis! So this has really opened my eyes about the consequences of the illness. If my dad ever falls badly ill again and has to have the surgery, I'll be more prepared than I was before these videos came out and your awareness :) so thank you!!
Lydia Andrew is a model who has a stoma bag and has done lingerie shoots, she might be someone you would be interested in looking up! you can definitely still stay sexy and confident, your attitude to all of these changes is inspiring Hannah x
I've encountered stomas a couple of times because in the heart disease community (which I've been in my whole life) there are enough sometimes associated conditions that some of the kids I went camping with in my youth had them. But this is certainly the first time I've heard someone talk so openly about living with them, so thank you for that. Unrelated: seeing your instagram story where you're excited about the Civ VI expansion put a huge grin on my face.
So happy you’re talking so openly about everything! I hadn’t heard about stomas until you had one and I’m really glad to learn more about it! You’re simply incredible and I’m so so happy you’re getting better!
My dad had bladder cancer and therefore had his bladder removed and has a urostomy. It was a hard journey for him so it’s so good to see you being positive and speaking out about your experience. Thanks for being awesome!
Iv got into this disease quite recently because it occurrd to my mom last year. It ruined her life completely, since then because literally she is stuck in the house for all the time)) She is so depressed as well. It's so sad that I cant do anything about it but encouraging her... It's so impressive that you live your life so positively and talk about it to public! Your story will encourages my mom too! I wish good luck with everything you do!😀 thanks for this video
My granddad had 2 stomas for the year and a half before he passed away, but I never really saw it or asked (practical) questions about it. Having you talk about it actually makes me understand a little better what it was like for him and how he probably felt. On a happier note: I’m very glad you’re feeling better and staying positive! :) I really missed your videos the last 2 months and I can’t wait to see more! :D
As a disability activist who works in body image/sexuality/love I really appreciate your sharing the perspective of someone with a stoma. I'd love to work with you on the subject.
You are such an inspiration, i admire you so much. This is the first someone with personal experience but I had patient in an elderly home once with a stoma and something similar but for the urine. Keep up your good work, hope to see you again soon and get better and better! ❤️
My grandad has recently got a stoma after having surgery to remove his bowel cancer and watching these videos has really helped me get a better idea of what that actually means. Thanks for sharing Hannah :)
I'm so happy your recovery is going well and you are uploading this amazing content! You're a total badass Hannah, I hope everything gets as good as it possibly could, lots and lots of love
Hi Hannah, I know this vid is from a little while ago but I’ve just gotta say I really appreciate what you’re doing. My father passed away 6 years ago after complicated health problems which left him with a stoma. watching your videos on the subject is helping me find a lot of peace with something I found quite traumatising at the time and so I’d like to say a very sincere thank you. You are brilliant, keep up the good work :)
My grandfather has a stoma but he’s a very private person and I never felt like I could ask him about it, so I’m learning a lot about how it all works from you and I’m grateful to be able to understand it better!
I've only recently found out about UC as I'm doing biomedical science at college and had to research it for an assignment. Love the videos about your experience though, there actually helping me with college work!
My mum has a stoma (Fred) so I already know quite a bit but it's so refreshing to see it being talked about in such a positive manner. So few people even know what UC or Crohns are let alone how serious they can be. Thank you for all your positivity and keep going strong! Would love to hear more about your journey - and my mum definitely will. She has started following you as well!
I’m a medical student so I’ve learnt a lot about IBD and have met several people with the condition. Your channel has always been a fantastic source of information but it’s been great to see an open conversation about a condition that people might not know about. Wishing you the quickest recovery and all the penguin biscuits! 💝
My mum had ulcerative colitis, surgery and a stoma when I was four or five years old. She was very open with me about the surgery and her stoma and what was involved and ever since it’s just seemed like a normal part of life. It’s not always easy or convenient, but i can honestly say it hasn’t stopped her from living her life whatsoever. I was too young to understand the pain my mum went through before needing surgery, so thank you for sharing your story Hannah and best of wishes to you for a full and speedy recovery ❤️
Although I had heard of stomas and bags and had a general clue of what they were, I have never heard any actual person speak openly about them. I appreciate you describing your lived experience.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of stomas but before I only had a vague idea of what they were for and even less of a clue about why people had them
I feel like at some random point in time I knew that poo bags on your side could be a thing, but you're definitely the first person who has made me more aware about stoma bags and the entire process of needing one! I am so happy you're back and getting healthier each day! Honestly find these videos fascinating! Keep up the hard work! Stay well! :)
My dad had his bladder removed and they fashioned a new one out of the intestine so he too has a stoma but to pee. It's amazing what they can do and how people can continue to live normal lives without major organs. So glad you're recovering and doing better!
I’ve had active UC since I was 18 (now 23) and I’m starting to consider getting a stoma as I’m constantly worried when my next flare will be. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear you talk about your experiences rather than reading facts and statistics online. It’s normally all so clinical, so it’s lovely to see the real benefit it’s giving you day to day. Take care and thank you x
We need more medical research about the consequences of contraception methods.
YES. It is slightly ridiculous. I have had so many friends come off contraception to realise retrospectively that it was flattening their emotions or making them more anxious :(
It's crazy how common this is and how little research is being done about it! It's unacceptable. I literally know more women who had problems because of the pill/coil than women who had no problems with it.
The fact that
a) you're giving such a positive message to people after what I can only imagine was a supremely taxing ordeal and
b) still look so damn beautiful after you've been through so much
is incredible. Go Hannah.
Omg Han my publisher gave me a proof copy of ‘how do you like me now?’ and it’s bloody brilliant, I didn’t know she was your friend ahh! Also I’m so happy to see you regularly uploading again I could cry but I shall NOT x
I never understood what a stoma was before, so I think it's wonderful you're being so open and educational for everyone.
I've been casually subbed to you for a while and when I saw what happened, I was really shocked, because it all seemed to happen insanely fast. Didn't watch a vid for a couple of months and then all of a sudden I saw the title of this one in my feed and I just thought 'bloody hell'! Then went and watched the other video about it and I'm stunned and honestly inspired how you've handled it and are recovering so well. It's fascinating and informative to hear about and I hope you get well soon.
I'd never heard of stomas before. Very educational!
Having family members that have had/have stoma bags all I can say is THANK YOU! Thank you for bringing it up in a public space, thank you for educating people on stoma bags. Also your explanation of the stoma bag and operation was on point :)
You're far more open about all things stoma than most people. That's a much needed public service.
My boyfriend doesn't have a stoma (yet) but he has UC. Weve talked about stomas before and what would happen if he needed one but it always seemed like an awful and scary last resort (no colon therefore no colitis hooray). It's been great for both of us to see you rocking and educating about your stoma ❤️
I saw articles on people that healed UC with a vegan diet, worth a try, if it works that would be amazing! Hope your boyfriend gets better, it sounds awful to live with this
Mickey Sonya He is managing it right now with medication! A tough part of the disease is everyone's is different. He has tried cutting out various foods and it doesn't help him. Others can't eat anything with seeds or skin and that's how they manage. Tricky bugger often doesnt have any one real answer except removing the diseased organ! Thank you though ❤️ the best part now is actually knowing what he has - it was awful being undiagnosed and seeing him in pain
Stephanie Dick I hope he manages to deal with it, and the pain stops soon, even if he does have to get a stoma.
It sounds to me like although it is a last resort, it doesn't have to be a really depressing thing or anything like that. Of course it will be a change, but something to adapt to, and in a short time you'll get used to it.
Anyway, I don't think my tone is coming through properly, but I wish you all the best! :)
Stephanie Dick - ok awesome! damn that sounds complicated, So true, not knowing the cause of health issues is super annoying! xxx
Both my husband and I have ileostomies. If you have any questions about our experiences, I'd be happy to answer!
Alcohol made me nervous at first too! I definitely feel it quicker now. As for beer and fizzy things, it gave my a lot of gas when I first tried it, maybe 6 or so weeks out of surgery but that has settled down and now when I drink it’s mostly fine!
I was very annoyed getting up in the middle of the night as well! Someone suggested I try a two piece bag with a regular pouch attachment during the day and a high out put bag (they have like a nozzle on the end instead of the fold up) at night. I’m from the states and I get these from Hollister or Convatec, I’m not sure what companies would carry them in the UK. I just rinse the bag out before I take it off, attach the other bag and then do the same in the morning. It has been amazing to get a full nights sleep!
I've heard of stomas a few times before (I'm not sure where but pooing into a bag has definitely been mentioned) but your the first person I've seen on a platform to talk about it openly and honestly!
This has been a good educational session, in the event I one day meet someone in a similar situation.
This video was also quite inspiring. You have such an incredible attitude.
I was aware stomas existed but I had mostly seen them in the context of the elderly. You're the first young, relatively healthy person I've seen who is just (well after recovery) going about life as normal. Thanks for teaching me a bit about it. I wasn't sure how much it would affect your physical abilities or preventing you from doing things you want to do. Sounds like not a whole lot which is awesome!
Spiffleh About one percent of the population has or have had a stoma, so you have probably seen a lot of people that has them. But you cant tell unless the bag is full, the person tells you or they are naked. People usually dont talk about it as it is a very personal thing for a lot of them, and everything that has to do with poo is quite tabo in our society
Spiffleh s1t0rg
Wow, I can tell a difference in you since your last video, you look a bit stronger and seem to have a little bit more energy!!! All positive things!!! I’m so so happy you are doing so well!! Live the content of your videos, I want to hear about everything stoma related that you are dealing with. I used to be a trauma tech so I’ve dealt with ppl who have had stomas and I’ve emptied them and changed bags. It’s so amazing how open you are about what you’ve been through, this is truly helping so many people!!!! Love you so much Hannah, continued prayers for recovery!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️
I also have a stoma *high five* 😂 Thanks for making videos about your stoma and recovery, it's great to spread awareness! Maybe you could try out different stoma products and review them? Glad to see you're recovering well x
When all my hair dropped out and I started wearing faux hair, it was the women brave enough to share their stories, and tips and secrets with me who helped me feel human and beautiful again, and helped me learn to embrace what had happened and not to be ashamed or feel unworthy because of it.
You speaking out about your stoma makes me feel much the same way, I'm sure you are helping so many people and offering support and giving confidence and information to others. I have so much respect for you for doing this. Raising awareness is such an empowering and wonderful thing to do, so well done you brave and lovely lady :)
I’m a nurse and all I’ve learned about stoma’s is very clinical and it’s refreshing to hear from someone who actually has one. It’s amazing that you’ve already started changing your own. I hope everything goes smoothly and there aren’t any blow ups!
I was diagnosed with UC in Dec 2006 & have lived off and on with a stoma for about 5 years. I currently am back living with my jpouch which is what I prefer. I will be honest and say that living with a stoma was one of the worst experiences of my life. I had my first (of 8 surgeries in 7 years, including my c-section) when I was 25 (Feb 2010) and I hated almost every minute of it. The only thing that I am grateful to the stoma for is that I was able to get pregnant and have my beautiful daughter. Before the stoma surgery I was too sick to even consider getting pregnant. My pregnancy was perfect and like you mentioned in the video I did have to get a c-section due to scar tissue. The OBGYN was concerned that if something went wrong during labour that she wouldn't be able to get to baby quick enough. I had my jpouch surgery after she was born. I'm so glad that there are people like you who can help bring awareness to UC & ostomys, it's not a very common thing to hear people talking about. Thank you for your honesty and openness about what you have been going through. I hope your feeling better soon!
You already look and sound so much stronger than in the last video, continue striving forward in your recovery 💗
My Dad has had a stoma for years; he suffered from an undiagnosed bout of UC before I was born but thankfully made it through! It's great to see you speaking so openly, educationally, and confidently about stomas, as I know many people are completely ignorant to their existence or are confused by stigmas which only seem to exist amongst those who don't have them. Thank you! If you ever need a confidence boost yourself, I'd recommend getting to know other people who have stomas (if you haven't already). My Dad's really benefited from knowing others who have them and having stoma discussions!
I’m glad you’re on the road to recovery, I can see already you’re looking healthier!!
As someone who had surgery to make a stoma about a year ago - once Mona settles down in a couple of months you should be able to get through the night without emptying the bag! Thank you for being so open about all this :)
*MAKE HANNAH READ THIS*
There are these stoma plugs you can wear for your sexy time or to go to the beach or just in situations you don't want your stoma bag hanging there.
I know because I'm a nurse and recently got that for a teenage patient that wanted to go to the beach but was insecure about her stoma bag.
Of course this is to be used for a certain amount of time and after the area is healed
I hope this is helpful :)
Are these for ileostomies or colostomies? What brand? I'd love to try this!
Well.. that only applies for colostomys, not with ileostomy like she has, I can tell, because I have one too ;) So you must have been getting wrong information.
Wow i never hear people talk about this! My younger brother had colitis his whole childhood, and it got so bad that he needed to have his large intestine removed and get a stoma at the age of 10. It was such a good thing for him because for the first time in his life he wasn't constantly sick. He's now 20 and just had a surgery to attach his small intestine to his rectum. It was an intense recovery process, but now that he is healed he feels great!
This is the first time I’ve ever heard about stomas. It’s super interesting. You are a trooper.
I did an Internship in a hospital two years ago and some of the patients were there because they were getting a stoma/ or they already had one but still needed help changing it. That was the first time I ever really heard about them. I think it's really great that you use your platform to talk about the topic and inform especially young people about something they might not even have encountered otherwise!
i never even knew stomas existed until now. like the whole concept is so wild humans are so smart like wow.
I was diagnosed with Crohns around the time that you had your flare up and honestly seeing your journey and positive attitude throughout has really helped me keep positive myself. So thank you Hannah for always being so open about what you're going through, your posts and updates I'm sure have helped countless others like me stay optimistic!
No one can blame their farts on you anymore haha! Glad recovery has been treating you well :)
Hannah Witton I dont know if it’s a ostemy thing or was just the person I knew but when he let gas out his bag it was lethal
Dungeonfreak it can be. You can get deodorizer drops to help with that.
I’ve had Crohns for over twenty years and once I got my ostomy surgery I got my life back. 😊
I remember as a kid that my dad had a stoma because he had colon cancer, but I've never heard anyone talk about it before. Thank you for being so open and for the amazing educational videos!!
"What's in my Stoma bag" Love the humor, love the positive outlook on everything, LOVE IT ALL!! You've got a new sub! xoxo
My friend just recently acquired a stoma after years of struggling with crohns diesease and losing a lot of weight in hospital. It's comforting to know that your life doesn't have to drastically change after undergoing the surgery!
i love you hannah, you make me happy ❤️
I had my colon removed in September 2015 and let me tell you... it gets so much better!! For me, I was able to sleep through the night after a couple of months. I know that isn’t true for everyone but I learned what foods gave me the most output and would try to avoid them later in the day so that I wouldn’t have to empty in the middle of the night. Wishing you all the best! 💕
I knew about stomas but this is the first time i’ve properly learned about them, it’s fascinating! Really missed you and your videos, so glad to see you on the mend ❤️
My grandfather had a stoma after he had a colostomy when he had colon cancer in the 80s, but you're the first young person I've seen talk about it extensively (or at all, actually). I really appreciate your openness about it
Hi there, good to see you somewhat back!
Just my 50cent regarding the stoma management: tying it down with a Velcro corset-y-thing during sex is what I do and it really blocks nothing and if you're a "dress sexy" lingerie-stuff (male in my case of course) person anyway not a complete nude-sex-person there really is no problem whatsoever.
Regarding food: Eventually you will get back to eating everything,maybe in differing doses, or slightly different preferences (caused by the differences diverse foods cause when dealing with the stoma), but I'm now at the point where I can eat even asparagus again... though it still stinks when peeing-_- ;).
The alcohol business works well for me, though it generally causes a whole lot of movement and stuff moving though the whole stoma into the bag, but that's also a thing of two additional emptying procedures, and that's a max, could also be none whatsoever. Also it should be noted that initially much more ahem, shit, moves through the stoma than later, now emptying is only necessary in the morning, so stay relaxed, it will get better!^^
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
I'm a medical student so this isn't the first time I've heard about them, but it is the first time that I've seen a human person living with one in real time and the impact that has. I'm probably going into mental health and so I want as much exposure to how people feel about changing bodies and all that, so thank you thank you thank you for being so open and honest about your UC and Mona.
Thank you so much. I’ve always been worried that my Crohn’s will flare to the point where I’ll need an ostomy, but this makes me not so scared. Knowledge is power! Love the recent content💜💜 good luck on your journey
I study medicine, and I am now halfway through. I have always found inflammatory bowel diseases interesting, they were easy to learn tbh - and this is such great source of information for me, as to how a patient feels about this whole process. The chronicity of the disease with flare ups and the fear/no fear about that, the relation with bag ;) , the relief of the surgery and so on. In my opinion, it must be really healthy for health workers to hear stories like this and to learn from it. Both because it gives broader insight, but also because it can help communication and cooperation between patient and doctor/nurse.
So a big thumbs up from me for your honesty, your humour and your detailed descriptions of both emotional and physical aspects of your experience!
Love the video Hannah! I have IBS and the future of my large intestine is very up in the air. Currently on an antidepressant that makes my flare ups not as often or as bad! I'm 22 and it's cool for me to have another 20 something to look up to that has had similar issues. Rest up! Lots of love from California
My dad has had a stoma and urostomy bag for about 12 years but I've rarely heard this sort of thing talked about outside of my family, and definitely not with anyone of our generation. Thanks for being so stoma-positive and glad to hear you are well on the mend!
I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to make videos! This has been the first time I've heard about stomas so I'm happily learning along. I've had a friend who has had Crohn's for a few years but learning the difference between Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis has been a new topic of research - something I never thought I would be doing on my free time!
After your journey with the hormone diaries, I took the plunge and went in to ask about IUD's from my gynecologist. I had been having awful periods for the previous 6 months and had the feeling that my body wasn't agreeing with my birth control anymore. I ended up getting a Kyleena (a smaller version of the Mirena) put in at the beginning on December. My gynecologist only inserts IUD's while a woman is on her period and I had a reaction which made my period last for 14 days but I haven't had a period since. The actual insertion was horrendously painful as I had a bad reaction and couldn't leave the doctors office for over an hour for fear of passing out - but that eventually passed. The only side effects I've noticed is a bit of anxiousness and slight back pain like I would have before a period previously, but it comes randomly throughout the month. Otherwise, I'm in the same boat of waiting to see if I have a period again.
Enjoy eating lots of penguins during your recovery!
I have known about stoma bags for all of my life as my mum has had one since before I was born (and me and my twin sister are 26 now). What's amazing is that i have actually learned things through your video that I would have never thought to ever ask my mum about (not that I know nothing but its just the little things) and it just made me want to go and hug my mum and talk to her about it. She actually has a terrible time with it and suffers so much every day from dehydration, obstructions, hernias etc and it makes life hard for her. You have really opened my eyes as to how a stoma can be a positive thing especially compared to having a disease like UC. Wishing you all the best for your recovery!
So happy you're getting better enough to be able to do videos and get back to normal life 💜
my auntie had stoma surgery in 2011 due to cancer, she's passed away now but this still makes me feel closer to her and understand what exactly she went through (or similar)
It so nice to see that you are doing better! As someone who also have UC and have had a stoma for almost 5 years i thought i would just comment on a few of the questions you got both for you as a new stoma person and for all those that are curious about stomas.
Having a stoma is not a problem for sex, but it can be annoying at times. If the bag has some contents in it you might want to empty it before you continue, and its good to use a small bag or fold it so it wont flap all over the place.
When it comes to changing the stoma bag it can be all from 10 times a day to every 3 days, it all depends on the quality of the skin the bag is supposed to stick to. If you have a lekage the acidity of the contents can burn of the top layer of skin, so its difficult to make the bag stick. If you first have one lekage and dont take care of it right away the chance is a lot bigger you will get an other lekage due to the bag not sticking properly, and that is really a pain in the ass to deal with.
There is no rule for how often you have to empty the bag. It depends on how much quantity of food you eat and how much gas you have. I ususally empty it before it gets noticable if im at work. At home i might just let it fill up if im feeling lazy :P But usually people just empty it if they go to pee anyways. If you have a problem with having to get up during night time to empty the bag, there is some bags that are bigger than others that is good for night time. Also, i try not to eat after 7pm, if i eat after that i know i have to get up during the night. I dont have to set an alarm as i will usually wake up by the preassure if its full. (Ofcourse, when you dont wake up in time you have a litteral shit show to del with...)
As soon as you have healed you can live pretty much like before. I have even been solo backpacking with a stoma, no problem. You need to bring equiptment with you when you go out, and you can deal with lekages, but its still a lot better than beeing sick. In the beginning its important to be careful with abdominal exercises for obvious reasons, but you can start slow, then increase as you are getting stronger. After about 1,5 years you should be able to do pretty much the same stuff as before depending on how hard you would work out.
When it comes to food you can eat the same things as before. Ofcourse, be a bit careful in the beginning, you will notice what works for you. I have noticed that smoothies and stews are great for my stoma to get a good concistency (if it too liquid or too hard it will make it more likely for you to get leakages). Im vegan and eat a lot of fruits and veggies, so thats no problem. Too much nuts dont react too well, and if i eat a lot of low moisture foods.
Alcohol is fine if you have a stoma, but you want to be a little bit more careful than before. When you drink its more likely for the content to become more liquid, and the chance of leakages are higher. You have to make sure you are not so wasted you cant take care of your ostomy if need be (or have someone who you are comforable with who can help you if you are to wasted to do it yourself. I know plenty of people who would get so wasted (a lot of ostomy people like to drink, a lot) a friend or partner had to change their ostomy. After a while you will know the routine inside and out, so you wont have a problem changing your stoma as long as you are not passed out drunk. Any kind of substance is ok as long as you can take care of the stoma.
You can have flareups in the rectum if you still have it, but it wont be as bad as a full on UC flare up. I have had one day home from work due to a flare up with full on pain attack (weed helps a LOT for that pain), but thats nothing compared to the 3 months out of the year i would have of school due to UC. It has also happened that i had to stay home from school due to the skin arround my stoma beeing too fried from the acid with leakages, but again, nothing compared to UC.
Good luck so much with having a stoma, and i hope you have a really nice new years celebration and birthday!
Super interesting comment - thx! All the best to you!
I honestly don't know how you are so positive about never being able to trump out your bum again. Like that and losing my hands/arms and hearing are something I feel I couldn't live without. However your positivity/riding the peace train- inspires me to ride that train too.
Hi Hannah, this is the first time I've ever heard about a stoma. Thanks so much for being so positive about it - I think the representation of things like this is super important - thanks for informing me!
Just been diagnosed with Crohn's - just wanted to say how much these videos and knowing about someone else that has been going through the grimness of IBD has helped me feel less lonely! Thanks for always being a positive role model and I wish you all of the best in recovery :) x
This is the first time I heard about stoma bags. I'm so proud of you for talking so openly about all of it!
I hope you get better as soon as possible.♡
I also recently got an ileostomy and it is so nice to see people talk about it in a positive way. I had emergency surgery because my colon got acutely inflamed and tore and my surgeon, prior to surgery, forgot to mention that I would end up with an ostomy. It's just nice to hear someone talk about ileostomies in a normal way and not feel so different.
I first heard about stoma bags when reading Hero by Perry Moore. In it one of the main characters has one, very good book. Wishing you all the best Hannah x
It's a ya superhero that's all about secrets and differences. Not the best writing style but the plot and characters are quite good. I'd definitely recommend it
Shivali Amin love that book
Dude! You’re a champ for dealing with your stoma! As a nurse, it sucks seeing people dealing with changing the system out and dealing with the waste while grappling with their body issue changes. I’ve always love your videos.
i loved she of the mountains! it's definitely poetic, i don't know if i'd say it's poetry. it's the story of a young brown guy grappling with his queerness, interwoven with vignettes of re-imagined hindu mythology that inform the themes/main story. it's gorgeous and a pretty quick read :')
good luck moving and building your furniture by the way!! congrats on your recovery!
My mum had colon cancer year and a half ago so they removed her colon (most of her large intestine) and got rid of the cancer. She had a stoma for 6 months to let the area heal. Then they did the reversal last January. We had never even known this was a thing and was so shocked by the whole process. My mum was restricted diet too and then again in a different way after the reversal. Now she's back eating veggies and seedy bread (her favourites). Cancer free too :D
Thank you for putting this out there Hannah. Will help a lot of people learn about this and help people going through it :)
This is so interesting to learn about!! So glad your recovery is going well
As my grandfather has a stoma and he is the only person I know with one, I always associated stomas with old people. Thank you for making me realise that this was a limited view and educating me on stomas in general! I hope you have a speedy recovery, with many more ups than downs :)
Nice to hear some personal stories about this stuff. I have moderate ulcerative colitis, haven't had a flare up in a few years, and I haven't had a big flare up in 5 years. I don't have a stoma (obviously, cause I still have UC), but my dad has 2. A colostomy and a urostomy. I didn't know that was a thing, until he had to have his bladder removed. His toilets are a bit redundant now...
My grandpa had a stoma. It was something we openly talked about but it’s great hearing all about it from a younger female perspective. Thank you for sharing all of this with us
This is all very new to me and it’s super interesting and I’m learning a lot!
Everything I knew about UC I knew from you and hank green
Thank you for being so unashamed about this. My auntie has severe endometriosis and when she had surgery for it, they nicked her bowel so she has a stoma too and it's so nice seeing someone talk so openly about it. Recently, the doctors were scared I had Crohn's but my bloods have returned to normal now so we're just treating it as if it's IBS atm.
Thank you so much for answering my question! And thank you so much for being so open, it is so interesting to learn about the stoma bag and how it works etc. It will definitely help raise awareness for people using disabled toilets when they look "normal"
I've never known anyone who's had a stoma (as far as I know anyway), my Mum had a catheter for awhile but that was temporary and sounds fairly different. It has been interesting learning about them so I'm no longer ignorant and you have certainly made it seem less daunting than I would have imagined. You never know what the future holds so I appreciate your honesty. I can only imagine how great your representation is for a lot of people.
Your attitude to this change is very inspiring. I wish you a fast recovery!
My friend is 26 and suffered with colitis for a long time - he had a surgery recently to get the bag removed. It's been a long and painful process for him, but things are getting better, slowly but surely.
Well done for making a full recovery! Stay positive!
My grandma had a stoma for the last few months of her life before recently passing away from cancer, so the subject makes me a bit anxious. But your videos are helping me to process a bit of the trauma I got from seeing her when she was ill so thanks for that
Love the video!
My granny has a stoma, but I've never known exactly how it works because it feels invasive to ask her about it. I remember going to the hospital to see her, and it was scary because she was so thin compared to how she usually looks. She's totally fine now, and makes jokes about pooing in a bag
Marte Trollsås
I didn't know anything about stomas, and my dad has ulcerative colitis! So this has really opened my eyes about the consequences of the illness. If my dad ever falls badly ill again and has to have the surgery, I'll be more prepared than I was before these videos came out and your awareness :) so thank you!!
Lydia Andrew is a model who has a stoma bag and has done lingerie shoots, she might be someone you would be interested in looking up! you can definitely still stay sexy and confident, your attitude to all of these changes is inspiring Hannah x
Lydia Andrews
I've encountered stomas a couple of times because in the heart disease community (which I've been in my whole life) there are enough sometimes associated conditions that some of the kids I went camping with in my youth had them. But this is certainly the first time I've heard someone talk so openly about living with them, so thank you for that. Unrelated: seeing your instagram story where you're excited about the Civ VI expansion put a huge grin on my face.
So happy you’re talking so openly about everything! I hadn’t heard about stomas until you had one and I’m really glad to learn more about it! You’re simply incredible and I’m so so happy you’re getting better!
My dad had bladder cancer and therefore had his bladder removed and has a urostomy. It was a hard journey for him so it’s so good to see you being positive and speaking out about your experience. Thanks for being awesome!
I am also applying for a masters in gender and sexuality in various school in England for fall 2018. Sending good vibes to both of us!!
TheSingingPeople wouldn't it be cool if you both ended up in the same class!
Best of luck with applications 😊
Iv got into this disease quite recently because it occurrd to my mom last year. It ruined her life completely, since then because literally she is stuck in the house for all the time)) She is so depressed as well. It's so sad that I cant do anything about it but encouraging her... It's so impressive that you live your life so positively and talk about it to public! Your story will encourages my mom too! I wish good luck with everything you do!😀 thanks for this video
i had never heard about a stoma before- thanks for educating me!
My granddad had 2 stomas for the year and a half before he passed away, but I never really saw it or asked (practical) questions about it.
Having you talk about it actually makes me understand a little better what it was like for him and how he probably felt.
On a happier note: I’m very glad you’re feeling better and staying positive! :) I really missed your videos the last 2 months and I can’t wait to see more! :D
As a disability activist who works in body image/sexuality/love I really appreciate your sharing the perspective of someone with a stoma. I'd love to work with you on the subject.
Fellow IBD sufferer here! Wishing you a speedy recovery! Xx
You are such an inspiration, i admire you so much.
This is the first someone with personal experience but I had patient in an elderly home once with a stoma and something similar but for the urine.
Keep up your good work, hope to see you again soon and get better and better! ❤️
My grandad has recently got a stoma after having surgery to remove his bowel cancer and watching these videos has really helped me get a better idea of what that actually means. Thanks for sharing Hannah :)
I'm so happy your recovery is going well and you are uploading this amazing content! You're a total badass Hannah, I hope everything gets as good as it possibly could, lots and lots of love
Hi Hannah, I know this vid is from a little while ago but I’ve just gotta say I really appreciate what you’re doing. My father passed away 6 years ago after complicated health problems which left him with a stoma. watching your videos on the subject is helping me find a lot of peace with something I found quite traumatising at the time and so I’d like to say a very sincere thank you. You are brilliant, keep up the good work :)
You are an incredibly strong and amazing woman. 💚💛💜🖤💝
My grandfather has a stoma but he’s a very private person and I never felt like I could ask him about it, so I’m learning a lot about how it all works from you and I’m grateful to be able to understand it better!
I've only recently found out about UC as I'm doing biomedical science at college and had to research it for an assignment. Love the videos about your experience though, there actually helping me with college work!
My mum has a stoma (Fred) so I already know quite a bit but it's so refreshing to see it being talked about in such a positive manner. So few people even know what UC or Crohns are let alone how serious they can be. Thank you for all your positivity and keep going strong! Would love to hear more about your journey - and my mum definitely will. She has started following you as well!
ILYSM HANNAH❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m a medical student so I’ve learnt a lot about IBD and have met several people with the condition. Your channel has always been a fantastic source of information but it’s been great to see an open conversation about a condition that people might not know about. Wishing you the quickest recovery and all the penguin biscuits! 💝
So glad to see you're recovering well!
My mum had ulcerative colitis, surgery and a stoma when I was four or five years old. She was very open with me about the surgery and her stoma and what was involved and ever since it’s just seemed like a normal part of life. It’s not always easy or convenient, but i can honestly say it hasn’t stopped her from living her life whatsoever. I was too young to understand the pain my mum went through before needing surgery, so thank you for sharing your story Hannah and best of wishes to you for a full and speedy recovery ❤️
This was a really positive and informative and interesting video to watch, and I'm glad to see that your recovery is going smoothly! :)
Although I had heard of stomas and bags and had a general clue of what they were, I have never heard any actual person speak openly about them. I appreciate you describing your lived experience.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of stomas but before I only had a vague idea of what they were for and even less of a clue about why people had them
I feel like at some random point in time I knew that poo bags on your side could be a thing, but you're definitely the first person who has made me more aware about stoma bags and the entire process of needing one! I am so happy you're back and getting healthier each day! Honestly find these videos fascinating! Keep up the hard work! Stay well! :)
I love the videos. They’re always so entertaining and informative. Get well soon Hannah 😊
My dad had his bladder removed and they fashioned a new one out of the intestine so he too has a stoma but to pee. It's amazing what they can do and how people can continue to live normal lives without major organs. So glad you're recovering and doing better!
A couple days after you posted your last video, a stoma lingerie video popped up on my facebook feed (shared by a friend, not a sponsored post).
I’ve had active UC since I was 18 (now 23) and I’m starting to consider getting a stoma as I’m constantly worried when my next flare will be. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear you talk about your experiences rather than reading facts and statistics online. It’s normally all so clinical, so it’s lovely to see the real benefit it’s giving you day to day. Take care and thank you x