Stoma Stories

Holding my chin up with my guts out

Sonja Nye recalls how she has kept a positive attitude through her journey from ulcerative colitis to a permanent stoma

Be happy—I am

Yvonne Haines tells how getting a permanent colostomy and learning to irrigate has transformed her life for the better

Breaking up, an analogy

Luciana Podschun recalls the most difficult decision of her life

Pageantry with purpose: from stoma surgery to catwalk confidence

Jessica Mary Logan describes her challenging journey to a J-pouch that led her to establish a pageant to inspire body confidence in people with invisible illnesses

Not doubting Tomas: learning to laugh after challenging surgery

Clare Mee looks back on the complications, predicaments and valuable lessons she has shared with Tomas, her stoma

Bags for life: a remarkable recovery

Laura MacKenzie recalls the frightening illness that led to a rapid and successful recovery and two healthy stomas

Model mama

Rachael Kin describes how she got back up after a bolt from the blue and proved she could still be a model and take care of her daughter

Loving Lola

Alannah-Jayne Simpson talks about how she learned to live with, and eventually love, her stoma

Hitting reset

Luciana Podschun recounts how her colostomy has freed her from fearful risk, brought her closer to her family and hasn’t stopped them from travelling together

Tough stuff: fitness and fatherhood with a stoma

Alan Northey reveals how a barrage of bowel diseases couldn’t keep a new dad down

Happy days here again: why I chose to go permanent

After her temporary ileostomy was reconnected, Sue Taylor describes why she has no regrets about going back to having a stoma

Rocking 2 stomas: how I became a double bagger

Rachel Jury tells the often difficult story of how she became the proud owner of Bob the ileostomy and Squirt the urostomy