Happy World Ostomy Day! If you had told me at 23 when I consented to a proctocolectomy that it was only the beginning of living a full life I may have laughed at you. I had surgery before we had communities like this-- when I had my colon, anus, and rectum removed we were right at the cusp of when these communities started. So, I had no idea that having an ostomy would allow me to travel, eat food I had only read about, and be present for life in a way I never was with active Crohn's Disease.

Since having surgery almost fifteen years ago-- I have passed law enforcement physical fitness testing, been present for holidays, taken road trips for hours without needing to stop for the bathroom, swum in the ocean for hours, gone on vacations, hiked mountains, gone backpacking, and in general, live a full life that is only possible because I have an ileostomy. Always grateful for my bag, and incredibly grateful for these online spaces where we find we are no longer alone!

#CrohnsDisease #InflammatoryBowelDiseaseIBD #WorldOstomyDay