"Colon cancer - stoma bag"

I was told I had cancer as a direct result of having returned the NHs cancer bowel screening pack. This all felt like a huge mistake as I felt exceptionally well. 

Ok - briefly. I met the stoma nurse (Karen) before my surgery and she immediately put me at ease. That helped. So I was delighted to see her just after my surgery and she talked me through my first change. It was upsetting and despite her kindness I wasn’t sure I’d be able to cope. But a week after surgery I’m changing them easily and don’t think I’d have coped without the lovely team.  

They team never make you feel a bit dim for not remembering something from yesterday and they gave me great tips as well as practical information. They are also very humorous - so I had a lot of laughs with them. I definitely never thought I’d say that. They’re very efficient too. They very quickly assess the situation sort it out.  I found the experience very enriching and found it particularly important when one reminded me that I had the stoma bag instead of cancer! And it’s only temporary! 

Just to sum it up. Getting a stoma bag feels like the worst thing ever. These lovely nurses made it feel a good deal easier. They gave me confidence.