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Confidence BE® #BEyourselfie: Damian
Father of two, Damian, 39, lived with Crohn’s Disease for many years before being rushed into hospital for emergency surgery and waking up with three stomas in 2015.
“Having a stoma was a blessing in disguise”
Surgery had always been an option for Damian, ever since his Crohn’s Disease diagnosis. But he was worried that a stoma bag might change his relationship with this wife, Katherine, and upset his children, Ashleigh-Ann (13) and Tomos (10). The decision was taken away from him when an abscess formed between his large and small intestine, and he developed sepsis. Unplanned surgery on New Year’s Eve resulted in an ileostomy and two mucous fistulae, which took him a while to process both mentally and physically. Now, he says the operation was a blessing in disguise.
“I can’t talk enough about my stoma”
Damian is now very confident and takes his children and their friends swimming. Holidays aren’t affected as a waist band helps his modesty. People do look and ask questions but he’s happy with this and feels proud to share his story – he can’t talk enough about it! Previously, Damian would come home from work and fall straight to sleep but now, he has more energy than he’s had for years. Even doing simple things like sitting at a parents’ evening is easier. He sometimes finds it hard to believe he lived a life being so poorly without even knowing.
How Confidence BE® helps Damian...
Damian wears Confidence BE® 1-piece in all three colours, which he says is great for whatever he is wearing and, also, as a conversation starter on family holidays! Part of his ability to cope, he explains, is knowing he has a reliable bag that gives him complete peace of mind. Before, he was constantly worried about leaks but now he knows Confidence BE® won’t let him down. His family’s acceptance of his stoma has also helped him hugely. He’s extremely comfortable talking about it and has even posed for topless photos on holiday.
The feel of the material is so much better than the other bags I’ve tried and tested. It’s just like a piece of clothing. They don’t feel “clinical” and are great during more intimate moments. The wafer is so much better than others I’ve used. I genuinely forget I’m wearing it most of the time and the filter traps all the odours which is a huge weight off my shoulders. I love the blue parts of the draining area too, especially in the middle of the night, as I can clearly see where to touch and hold the bag. Adapting to life with a stoma is a huge undertaking and I’m so proud of my journey.
We would like to say a big thank you to Damian for sharing his Confidence BE® story with us.
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If you are interested in sharing your story too, please get in contact here.
Watch a few ostomates talk about their journey with Confidence BE®...
*This blog post is for informative purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of Damian, the Confidence BE® user, and are in no way influenced by Salts Healthcare.*
