Why do this? I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1999 and three years later was medically discharged from the Army.  Early in 2004 I became critically ill and required life saving surgery.  My large bowel was completely removed I had to adjust to life with an ileostomy and bag on my abdomen.
After all the pain and fear of enduring serious illness, discovering you will need major treatment and then recovering from surgery, you have to adjust to some lifestyle changes.  You wonder how it will affect your work, your personal life and relationships.  Combined with the stigma associated with the subject it is not surprising that many in this situation have a very hard time coping. After I recovered from the first operation I began to rebuild my strength and get my life in order. I became more active; I started swimming and cycling again, as well as rekindling my passion for sailing.
I met my partner and we have since married.  I discovered new interests in sustainability and the countryside that led me to begin studying and venturing in a new direction that I might otherwise not have taken.

I later had two further operations - the last one in December 2005 when I had part of my small bowel reconstructed to form an internal pouch.  I am now in a position to look to the future feeling fitter, healthier and happier than I can ever recall.  Although a part of me will never forget the challeneges, the whole experience is now only a vague memory which serves to spur me on with the rest of my life. Overall I have found the experience to be positive - but I am one of the lucky ones.  Many people suffer unbearably for years.  Now I have the opportunity to do something useful, and to raise the profile of stoma surgery, so that others will see that it does not change anything.

In this day and age we should be more aware of our own health and the risks we face.  There are 36,000 new cases of colorectal cancer every year, and as many as 20,000 people are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's Disease.  Then there are all the other cancers affecting the bowel and bladder, hereditary or congenital conditions and trauma (injury). If everyone understood the causes and outcomes of conditions like cancer and inflamatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and other conditions, then whenever someone is affected it should not be a barrier to leading as full and active a life as they ever did before. A stoma is an artificial opening of the intestine or urinary tract formed during surgery for these conditions. Thank you.

Contact me: sailingfornacc@yahoo.co.uk

In 2007 I set up Ostomy Lifestyle - a charity providing a helpline service for anyone affected by stoma surgery in any way. You can contact Ostomy Lifestyle for advice, information and support on a range of ostomy issues.