After my husband Dusty’s difficult journey with bowel disease, we were inspired to give something back to our community. This is the story of how we set up the charity No Guts All Glory.
A hard fight
Back in December 2017, Dusty was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). He battled the condition for 45 days, into the new year. However, the disease attacked his body quickly, and he started to deteriorate. To combat it, the doctors prescribed very strong drugs, including steroids and a double dose of remicade.
Unfortunately, these drugs were unsuccessful. Dusty was given multiple blood transfusions and daily intravenous nutrition. He was bedridden for nearly a month leading. His weight dropped by 18 kg, and he lost his strength, stamina and ability to walk. By day 45, the doctors finally made the decision that, in order to save his life, his entire colon needed to be removed.
New life
Dusty went for this operation, and for the next 6 months he lived with the daily challenges of life with an ileostomy. Dusty had to learn which ostomy supplies were important to have on hand when he was not at home. He learned ways to change his ostomy bags efficiently and with limited odor, and which products helped him feel more comfortable in his new body. His biggest challenge was learning how his body now processed food.
In the spring of 2018, Dusty’s surgeons refashioned the end of his small intestines into a new artificial colon, called an internal pouch or J pouch, due to its shape. That summer, he had his final operation to complete the process, where his stoma was closed and his intestines reconnected, so that he could live without an external ostomy bag. Since then, Dusty has regained his weight, strength and zest for life. He now lives a new, normal life, where he enjoys being outdoors and playing with his kids.
Dusty regaining mobility after complications from his ostomy surgery
A call to serve
While Dusty was fighting to survive this difficult season of his life, I did what I could to walk beside him. While Dusty was in hospital and recovering, I would often go to our church to pray for his health and recovery. I also prayed that God would make me fearless. It was there that I felt called to serve other people, called to be fearless my pursuit of making sure that others going through this same season of life would not feel alone. As I prayed, I had a clear vision of how we could use Dusty’s journey as a platform to give back to the hospital community that had served and supported our family.
No Guts All Glory
In August of 2018, we started the charity No Guts All Glory. The charity supports patients battling Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer and other bowel diseases. We do this by sending care packages containing supplies that make the transition after colon surgery from the hospital to home more comfortable. Right now, we’re based in three Texas Health Resource hospitals in our area.
Over the past 2 years we have raised money to donate medical equipment, care packages and Ollie Ostomy Bears to our community. We continue to live our mission of serving others through our giving and making sure no one feels alone in their condition.
Care packages
Like Dusty, new ostomates have to learn which ostomy supplies are important to have on hand when not at home. Ostomy bag changes and care for an ostomy need to be done efficiently and discreetly. Our care packages are filled with supplies that ease the transition for ostomy patients from the comforts of the hospital to the comforts of home. These products help make this new normal way of living more bearable. The No Guts All Glory care packages can include:
• A handwritten card
• Flushable wipes
• Calmospetine healing ointment
• Odour-eliminating spray
• Squirt bottle (portable bidet)
• Bed liner
• No Guts All Glory t-shirt
Dusty and Andrea Sibley run the Texas charity No Guts All Glory