When Rocco Mann, 20 from Banbury in Oxfordshire was first diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, his biggest fear was ending up with a stoma bag. What he thought was his worst fears coming true, Rocco learned to embrace having an ileostomy and…

Amy Davidson tells her incredible story of how she grew up with Hirschsprung's Disease and never let it stop her from living the life she'd always wanted. Despite the many challenges including ileostomy surgery, she has gained the ability…

Laura MacKenzie, 45 from Wemyss Bay was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of bladder cancer around 4.5 years ago. Laura’s treatment involved undergoing a major and extensive type of surgery called a ‘Total Pelvic Exenteration’ or…

After years of suffering uncontrolled Ulcerative Colitis, Dan Callaghan underwent stoma surgery in the hope of getting his health back on track. Exercise and fitness had always been a big part of Dan’s life and this wasn’t something he…

When Deborah decided to help boost a friend’s confidence after undergoing stoma surgery, she didn’t realise that it would become a successful business selling stoma bag covers. She tells us her story.

From time to time stoma patients may experience stoma problems. The majority of these issues are not serious and can be resolved relatively quickly by adjusting part of your routine, swapping to a new product or altering your diet slightly.…

A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste (urine or faeces) to be diverted out of your body. It looks like a small, pinkish, circular piece of flesh that is sewn to…

Ever wondered what powers our Home Delivery Service? We put members first, which is why we have Stoma Nurses on hand at every turn. Meet the team here.

Stoma bloggers have done such a lot to reduce barriers around some key topics. We know how important it is to be able to draw on other people’s experiences when going through something like stoma surgery, so we thought we would share our…

We highlighted #stomaweek here at Bladder & Bowel Community, with a focus on stoma issues and related topics. As part of the week, we invited our Stoma Nurse to be part of a Question and Answer event, and we had some great questions…

As part of #stomaweek, Keith Thomas, 59 from Llanelli shares his story on how his stoma ‘Homer’ gave him a new lease of life and how he’s never been happier since his diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis. We'd like to thank Keith for sharing his…

This week we’re talking ‘All Things Stoma’.  We’re always looking for ways in which we can support the community, and this week we have a few little surprises for you! You’ll have to join us on social media to find out exactly what we’re…

Jan Ross underwent stoma surgery in February this year just before lockdown, after being diagnosed with rectal cancer. Here, Jan talks to Bladder and Bowel about how she coped learning how to manage her new stoma friend during these…

This article contains links. Sore skin. Bag leakages. These four words are a common source of anxiety for people with a stoma. They’re also something that Charlie Bremmell became all too familiar with after her stoma surgery. …

How many of us when we are younger try to map our lives out? We give ourselves deadlines; by this age, I will be married, be the top or my career and have children! In all honesty how often do these plans actually happen when we want them…

What is a Stoma Nurse? A stoma nurse is a specialised role and will look after and advise patients with a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy before and after surgery. This care may come from a Colorectal Nurse Specialist or a Stoma Nurse.…

Changing your stoma bag may seem daunting at first but you will soon get used to the routine of it and over time you will find that a bag change will only take you a few minutes to complete.

What is a stoma reversal? A stoma is formed by bringing a loop of bowel (from the colon to form a colostomy or from the small bowel to form an ileostomy) to the surface of the abdomen. A pouch is then worn over the top of the stoma to…

As many ostomates know, a ‘usual’ stoma care routine can involve many pouch changes throughout the day, some more anticipated than others. Frequent, irregular pouch changes and dreaded leakages, can often leave skin feeling sensitive,…

Having a stoma shouldn’t limit your ability to travel in the UK or abroad. It may just take a little more forward planning. The Colostomy Association have developed a useful guide on travelling with a stoma. Here are our top tips. Make…

Irrigation is a system of bowel management for a colostomy in which you ‘wash’ the bowel to encourage a bowel movement. Over time your bowel will adopt this regular habit, and you should not produce waste in between irrigation sessions.…

If you have a stoma it may help to adjust your diet and exercise routine. Learn about stoma diet, and how being an ‘active ostomate’ can help you.

Looking after your peristomal skin (the ring of your skin that sits under your bag) is a vital part of your stoma care routine. It is important to avoid faeces or urine from coming into contact with your skin otherwise this can cause sore…

There are many different stoma care products for you to choose from. Your stoma nurse will probably help you choose one in the beginning. You may like to try some different pouches to see which type you find the most comfortable and most…

Straight after your stoma operation What will my stoma look like? Don’t be alarmed by the size of your stoma for the first few weeks after surgery. Your abdomen and your stoma will both be quite swollen and your stoma may also ooze…

Your Preoperative Assessment Depending on your hospital you will probably be offered a pre-op assessment a few days/ weeks prior to your stoma surgery. This assessment will involve a meeting with your surgeon to discuss any last minute…

The NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group has recently announced that they will be holding a focus group discussion regarding potential changes to how your stoma prescriptions are issued. This focus group will take place on: Tuesday…

This week the Colostomy Association launched the theme for these year’s Colostomy Day. Every year ostomates join together to raise awareness to dispel the stigma attached to colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies.

What is a stoma? A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste (urine or faeces) to be diverted out of your body. It looks like a small, pinkish, circular piece of…

After Christmas indulgences many of us resolve to improve our health and fitness in the new year. One of the ways that we can make a difference health wise is to reduce our alcohol consumption.

For those with a bladder or bowel condition, the thought of having to travel long distances may leave you feeling anxious about being away from your own bathroom. Here are some tips that will help you feel more confident travelling over the…

Staying safe and healthy during the Festive Season is important for many reasons, and this goes for mental as well as physical health. Making sure you see your friends and family can go a long way towards making Christmas and New Year more…

After years of escalating bowel issues, Mark was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in October 2022 but the effects of a late diagnosis have had a serious impact on Mark’s life. We highlight his story as part of Crohn's and Colitis…

Each year Ostomy Awareness Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness and educate people of the impact of living with a stoma - this year's event took place on 7th October. Everyone has their own stoma story, whether your stoma saved your…

David McVey, 58  from Glasgow noticed that he was having trouble going to the toilet and that there was blood in his poo. Prompt action from both David and his GP meant that he is still around to tell his story of going through a bowel…

The connection between your gut microbiota and your central nervous system is becoming more of a focus in recent years as we are now realising that having poor gut health could also be linked to having mental health disorders such as…

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is the name health professionals give to a series of symptoms relating to a disturbance of the large bowel that cannot be explained by any other disease. So what are the Symptoms of IBS? What are the…

Anna Cooper, 29 was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 17. She spent her teens suffering with heavy, erratic periods and severe abdominal pain. After 15 surgeries and her 16th planned to treat stage 4 endometriosis, Anna uses her…

Over 1 in 10 people in the UK are thought to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in the UK. It’s not really known what causes IBS but there are certain triggers such as emotional stress, sensitivities to certain food, a gut infection such…

Christmas is a wonderful time where we can celebrate with family and friends. It can also be very busy and exhausting which can negatively effect our gut. Here I am sharing a few hacks and ideas to make the holidays a little easier. This…

In recent months we’ve been working to raise awareness of the issues faced by people living with bladder and bowel conditions with businesses and venues through a new initiative - the Just Can’t Wait toilet Scheme.  The scheme is designed…

Mags tells us how a chance listening to Deborah James' (aka Bowelbabe) podcast ‘You, Me and the Big C’ made her realise her symptoms were bowel cancer. Here Margaret tells us about her diagnosis of Stage 2 Bowel Cancer in January 2019 and…

Travelling with bladder and bowel conditions can be a stressful process, and many will simply neglect the opportunity to venture across the world in fear that they won’t have fast access to a toilet. However, this doesn’t mean that you…

Lucinda Barton suffered with what she was told was Irritable Bowel Syndrome for over 20 years, despite constant trips to her GP and several gastrointestinal specialists for tests and  following various diets over the years, her symptoms…

A recent worldwide study has revealed that there is a close link between having irritable bowel syndrome and common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The research, which included over 40 institutions across the UK…

During February we organised a catheter awareness week on our social media channels to raise conversation around conditions such as Fowler’s Syndrome, Sacral Agenesis, Urinary Retention, Bowel Cancer and Dysautonomia, all of which can lead…

Natalie, 39 from London was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer at the age of 36. The cancer had grown extensively and even after intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, she ended up undergoing Pelvic Exenteration surgery, which…

In this video for Catheter Week, Estelle Stevens, 37 from Devon talks to the Bladder and Bowel Community about growing up experiencing bladder incontinence due to her disability Sacral Agenesis, the importance of normalising conversations…

Coeliac Disease is a little known condition where the body’s immune system attacks the tissues when gluten is consumed. For Stella, diagnosis was positively life-changing - it meant she no longer had to live each day with stomach problems.

If you suffer from a bladder or bowel issue or have any chronic health issues, Christmas time can feel overwhelming. It takes us out of our normal routine and often leads us feeling  unsure of what we can eat and drink or anxious around…