My second ostomy pregnancy was a surprise in many ways. While at the start, I didn’t fall sick or feel ill, I went on to develop Pyoderma gangrenosum— a rare skin condition that mostly affects people with inflammatory bowel disease. My stoma nurse initially thought my symptoms were a form of friction burn, but I received an official diagnosis just a few days before my C-section.
As I was living in a house with stairs at the time, I found myself housebound for the most part, as there was a real risk of falling as a result of my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. My asthma was also horrendous, and I struggled daily with being out of breath. Although I felt guilty for my son being so confined in our home, we were fortunate, and were moved into a new, all ground-level adapted property when my second son was 2 months old.
I did many bag changes during my second pregnancy. My oldest son often joined in, and found it funny to point at my stoma and call it a strawberry! I decided that even though I’ve had my stoma for over 9 years, it was time to change it. I chose to do this in honour of my son, who, like my stoma, has also saved me in so many ways.
A few years later, my oldest absolutely adores his baby brother, and we still do my bag changes together. Now, he is potty training, he understands pee and poop and knows exactly what my strawberry does. It’s been hard having two boys aged between 7 months and 3 years old.
Sometimes my bag leaks and there’s no chance of me getting the time to change it. So, often, I find myself with burning and sore skin because I must juggle the needs of my baby against my immediate needs as an ostomate.
Some days are tough, but other days are great. The best days are when I manage to get into a good routine of
care.