"Johnny"

The ileostomy bag was the one thing about this surgery I feared the most. To be honest though it was not a big deal.

Before I went in for surgery, a friend of the family who has a permanent ileostomy talked with me. He showed me the bags and explained how they worked. My WOC nurse also did this when I went to get marked before the first surgery, but it was more comforting coming from a friend who lived with it every day.

He gave me tips such as always having a bag with spare clothes in his car and always having his ostomy supplies with him. He kept a spare ostomy bag and cleaning materials in his desk at work, in his car, and in his gym locker. That way if there was ever a leak, he could clean up, change the bag, and change his clothes if necessary. I simply began carrying a bigger purse with a wash clothe, a clean ostomy bag, a ziploc bag (to throw the dirty bag in), the powder, and the tube of adhesive paste. I never needed to use my emergency supply but better safe than sorry.

I often thought of this friend during my eight weeks with my stoma. Every time I started to feel bad for myself I just thought of him. He is the most optimistic individual I know. He is extremely active, biking and swimming regularly. He is always out socializing with friends and will be the first to admit that he eats whatever he wants. His surgery was emergent and he was not given the option of a resection due to his condition. He helped me remember that having an ileostomy was not that bad.

He reminded me that I may not always be able to control the situation, but I could control how I reacted to the situation. I could allow myself to be overcome with self-pity, with helplessness, with hopelessness. Or I could conquer the challenge with a positive attitude.

Johnny's optimism became my optimism.

Thank you Johnny.