Self-love & acceptance with a stoma
Would I say I love my stoma? No. Would I say I am happy I had to get a stoma in the first place? No. But have I accepted that my stoma is now a part of me and learnt to be content with having it? Yes! And through acceptance I have found happiness and learnt to love myself just as I am!
My journey to acceptance
My stoma surgery has taught me one of life’s biggest lessons. Something I have let control a lot of decisions I have made and how I have lived my life from my teenage years up until this point, and that is, what others think of me is none of my business! Finding love for yourself and being content with how you look brings great satisfaction.
Throughout this journey I have learnt not only to accept my stoma bag but also myself as it is: scars, stretchmarks and lump and bumps and to be proud of everything my body has been through and survived.
When I first came around from my surgery and looked at my appliance alongside the staples that lined my tummy, I was horrified. I felt sick and automatically thought to myself what would everyone else think. I felt like I would never be able to accept this as part of me. I hated it. But through time, self-love and a lot of work mentally I now accept that this is a part of me, and I am still me!
By showing my unfiltered body just as it is, I feel it has helped a lot when it comes to self-love, confidence, and acceptance not only for myself but also for those with similar bodies that struggle with self-love and acceptance, especially when we are programmed to think that the slender flawless body is ‘normal’ when in reality, it’s not normal for everyone. I think it’s important to show bodies like mine with a stoma bag etc to break the taboo to show others that may be struggling and also just to normalise the fact that for a lot of people this is normal, and no one should ever be ashamed of their body and stoma bag and learn to accept it and be content with it.