I am doing a series called Ten Challenges with an Ostomy! Four challenges completed so far! Four videos available. If I succeed with a challenge, I have to donate to the colorectal cancer alliance. Join me and root for me!
It’s a reminder to talk about something many people avoid: what can increase the risk of colon cancer.
Risk factors can include: • Diets high in processed or red meat • Low fiber intake • Smoking • Heavy alcohol use • Physical inactivity • Obesity • Family history and genetics
Not everyone with these risks will develop colon cancer. But awareness helps us make better choices.
This month is about prevention, early detection, and screening.
Eat more plants. Move your body. Know your family history. And get screened when it’s time.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet too many cases are caught late. Screening saves lives. Listening to your body matters. Speaking up about symptoms matters.
If you have symptoms like persistent changes in bowel habits, blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, or ongoing abdominal pain, talk to your doctor about screening.
Early detection = more treatment options and better outcomes.
Let’s break the stigma. Share the knowledge. Save lives. 💙
Spending some time today watching another ostomy creator’s videos and just feeling grateful for this whole corner of the internet.
Every story shared, every tip, every honest moment makes the road a little less lonely and a lot more possible. We learn from each other. We borrow courage from each other. We pass it on.
Proud to be part of a community that keeps showing up, teaching, laughing, and living full.
Some days, I feel self-conscious out in public with a full ostomy bag. Warm weather can make it even harder with less clothing, more movement, and more awareness. You notice the bag shifting, the outline under clothes, or the way it moves when you walk. And yes, it can make you feel exposed or different.
That feeling is real, and it’s okay. You’re allowed to notice it without letting it define you.
Here’s what helps me cope:
Prepare: A supportive wrap or discreet clothing can help the bag feel more secure and less noticeable.
Breathe: Pause and remind yourself this bag doesn’t change who you are. You’re still living full.
Shift focus outward: Engage in your surroundings or conversation instead of obsessing over the bag.
Normalize it: Most people aren’t paying attention; even if they are, it’s your body, your life.
Self-conscious moments will happen. The key is acknowledging them, but not letting them stop you from going out, moving, and living full, even in warmer weather.
Living fully with an ostomy doesn’t mean starting over. It means continuing your life, just in a different form.
Your “new” life is still your life. The same goals, the same personality, the same dreams. It may look different now and it may feel different, but it’s still yours. An ostomy doesn’t erase who you were, it simply changes how you move through the world.
Living fully means learning your body’s new rhythm, preparing when you need to, and trusting yourself again. It means accepting that some days will feel easy and some days won’t, and both can exist without taking your joy.
This life isn’t smaller. It’s adjusted. And with time, confidence, and compassion for yourself, it can still be full.
Not every bag change is smooth. Some days the skin is irritated. Some days there’s a leak waiting to happen. Some days your hands are steady and some days they’re not.
Difficult bag changes don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They mean you’re living in a body that’s healing, adjusting, and responding to a lot.
I’ve had changes where the skin burns, the seal won’t cooperate, and patience feels thin. Those moments can feel heavy, frustrating, even defeating. But they’re part of ostomy life, not a failure within it.
If today’s change was hard, you’re not alone. Take your time. Be gentle with yourself. The next bag change might be easier. And even when it’s not, you’re still doing the work.
With an ileostomy, I empty my bag about 5–7 times a day. That’s normal for me.
Ileostomies tend to be more active because the output is liquid and moves through faster. For me, emptying regularly helps prevent leaks, discomfort, and overfilling.
That said, everyone’s body is different. Your routine might look nothing like mine, and that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Output frequency can depend on your body, what you eat, how much you drink, your type of ostomy, and even the time of day.
There’s no one “right” number. There’s only what works for you.
If you’re new to ostomy life or still figuring out your rhythm, give yourself grace. You’ll find your flow.
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
I am doing a series called Ten Challenges with an Ostomy! Four challenges completed so far! Four videos available. If I succeed with a challenge, I have to donate to the colorectal cancer alliance. Join me and root for me!
6 days ago | [YT] | 12
View 3 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. 🔵
It’s a reminder to talk about something many people avoid: what can increase the risk of colon cancer.
Risk factors can include:
• Diets high in processed or red meat
• Low fiber intake
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol use
• Physical inactivity
• Obesity
• Family history and genetics
Not everyone with these risks will develop colon cancer. But awareness helps us make better choices.
This month is about prevention, early detection, and screening.
Eat more plants. Move your body. Know your family history. And get screened when it’s time.
1 week ago | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month đź’™
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet too many cases are caught late. Screening saves lives. Listening to your body matters. Speaking up about symptoms matters.
If you have symptoms like persistent changes in bowel habits, blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, or ongoing abdominal pain, talk to your doctor about screening.
Early detection = more treatment options and better outcomes.
Let’s break the stigma. Share the knowledge. Save lives. 💙
1 week ago | [YT] | 9
View 0 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Check out ‪@SandraJames-LivingIt‬.
Spending some time today watching another ostomy creator’s videos and just feeling grateful for this whole corner of the internet.
Every story shared, every tip, every honest moment makes the road a little less lonely and a lot more possible. We learn from each other. We borrow courage from each other. We pass it on.
Proud to be part of a community that keeps showing up, teaching, laughing, and living full.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 10
View 13 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Some days, I feel self-conscious out in public with a full ostomy bag. Warm weather can make it even harder with less clothing, more movement, and more awareness. You notice the bag shifting, the outline under clothes, or the way it moves when you walk. And yes, it can make you feel exposed or different.
That feeling is real, and it’s okay. You’re allowed to notice it without letting it define you.
Here’s what helps me cope:
Prepare: A supportive wrap or discreet clothing can help the bag feel more secure and less noticeable.
Breathe: Pause and remind yourself this bag doesn’t change who you are. You’re still living full.
Shift focus outward: Engage in your surroundings or conversation instead of obsessing over the bag.
Normalize it: Most people aren’t paying attention; even if they are, it’s your body, your life.
Self-conscious moments will happen. The key is acknowledging them, but not letting them stop you from going out, moving, and living full, even in warmer weather.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 14
View 3 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Living fully with an ostomy doesn’t mean starting over.
It means continuing your life, just in a different form.
Your “new” life is still your life. The same goals, the same personality, the same dreams. It may look different now and it may feel different, but it’s still yours. An ostomy doesn’t erase who you were, it simply changes how you move through the world.
Living fully means learning your body’s new rhythm, preparing when you need to, and trusting yourself again. It means accepting that some days will feel easy and some days won’t, and both can exist without taking your joy.
This life isn’t smaller. It’s adjusted. And with time, confidence, and compassion for yourself, it can still be full.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 13
View 5 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Not every bag change is smooth. Some days the skin is irritated. Some days there’s a leak waiting to happen. Some days your hands are steady and some days they’re not.
Difficult bag changes don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They mean you’re living in a body that’s healing, adjusting, and responding to a lot.
I’ve had changes where the skin burns, the seal won’t cooperate, and patience feels thin. Those moments can feel heavy, frustrating, even defeating. But they’re part of ostomy life, not a failure within it.
If today’s change was hard, you’re not alone. Take your time. Be gentle with yourself. The next bag change might be easier. And even when it’s not, you’re still doing the work.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 14
View 2 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
With an ileostomy, I empty my bag about 5–7 times a day.
That’s normal for me.
Ileostomies tend to be more active because the output is liquid and moves through faster. For me, emptying regularly helps prevent leaks, discomfort, and overfilling.
That said, everyone’s body is different.
Your routine might look nothing like mine, and that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Output frequency can depend on your body, what you eat, how much you drink, your type of ostomy, and even the time of day.
There’s no one “right” number.
There’s only what works for you.
If you’re new to ostomy life or still figuring out your rhythm, give yourself grace. You’ll find your flow.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
View 2 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Hey! The Live is starting now! youtube.com/live/1ATPsJoAnII?si=YaduA9u_rWMnjhrb
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Living Full: My Gutless Journey
Hi đź‘‹!
Tomorrow (Sunday 2/8), I will be holding my first Live at 2:00p EST.
The topic question is the following: If You Could Tell Your Pre-Surgery Self One Thing, What Would It Be?”
I hope to see you there!
Much love ❤️
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 8
View 4 replies
Load more