Meet our Face of Connect, Phillipa
Hi, I’m Phillipa I am 26 from Merseyside in the UK! I have Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative colitis and I have an ileostomy. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 9 back in 2006 and at the age of 14 back in 2011. I was then also diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis.
My story
I’ve been in and out of hospital the majority of my childhood, teenage years and my early adulthood. The start of last year, 2021, was possibly the worst time of my life as I almost lost my life to multiple organ failure whilst I was in a coma as well as having Sepsis, C.difficile and a perforation of my bowel. I had my stoma formed a month before this had happened but unfortunately had the perforation and then spent 2 and a half months in hospital were I had to learn to walk and sit up again.
As well as that, I had lost so much weight due to malnutrition and weighed around 4 stone so I had to get that back to normal as well as getting my strength back. Luckily I was sent home after the 2 and a half months and I carried on my recovery at home and made that my main priority for a good year.
Living my best life
Fast forward to now and I am currently in the best health I’ve been in in a long time I’m living my best life with a stoma bag and have had the most amazing experiences and opportunities the past year. I have met so many other ostomates and others with IBD who I can now call my friends for life! I got to go to the big Respond Get Together which was brilliant and meet all of the fabulous team and fellow ostomates, what an amazing start this was to 2022 for me!
I then got the opportunity this year to be chosen as one of the open casting ladies to be apart of Montana Browns Swimwear Brand Swim Society to be in their latest photo shoot for their Campaign! It was one of the most empowering experiences I have ever had and all of the girls were super lovely and made me feel confident as ever!
I am now currently at my best weight yet around 9st and am loving my curves and scars and obviously my stoma bag!
I have just been on an amazing holiday to Mexico with my partner which has been my first holiday in 3 years and my first one with Seb the Stoma. It has been so amazing! I haven’t had to worry what so ever about my bag leaking or being on show or going into the pool or the ocean or people having a look, I’ve just embraced it and I think that’s thanks to my confidence now!
I also emptied my bag at 38000 feet on an airplane for the first time – what a wild experience!
But I can’t forget the most amazing news that I need to share with you all…. I GOT ENGAGED!! I am a fiancé and I have a fiancé!! It was honestly the best day of my life and what a way to finish off this fantastic year! I currently feel like I’m in a dream but an amazing one!
I would just love to go and back and tell 2021 Phillipa what is about to happen in her life as I know I wouldn’t believe all that has gone on and what amazing things have happened!
But for anyone that is going through it at the moment or is going through something similar to what I did last year, just know it will pass soon and you will be the best version of yourself in no time! You’ve got this!!
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