Sometimes I struggle

SOMETIMES I STRUGGLE.

Sometimes I struggle with my stoma,
not with shit or the aroma
but with my thoughts and feelings which
become a sort of nasty itch.

Whilst contemplating what I do
in managing my wayward pooh,
I can’t help thinking that it’s not 
the sort of life I wished I’d got.

I know that locigally it is
what prevents me coming amiss
yet, nonetheless, some doubts arise
within this personal enterprise.

The drudgery of stoma life 
can sometimes feel like it is strife,
which is reluctantly endured
without much hope of being cured.

With stomas, I think it’s a must
that folks with these just must adjust,
for if they don’t, or won’t, or can’t,
it can, their whole world, disenchant.

Whilst, in the main, I feel adjusted,
sometimes my confidence is busted
and I become melancholic 
feeling life is diabolic.

These feelings are not constant, but
there are times when in a rut
with stoma management routine
this is the way I tend to lean.

It’s times like these I’m grateful for
all the support and so much more
that people on the internet 
will always give, yet also get. 

                                                B. Withers 2024

Many days the disenchantment takes hold, and it is sometimes hard to release it and get a grip… I miss the B.S. (Before Stoma) days in my life and my inability to return to total normality. That is when I say to myself, “Self, in your normal life (BS) you had a difficult time going pooh anywhere but at home. Now you can go shopping and pooh at the same time; this is definitely a plus… Also, you can and will pooh anywhere, including home now - whether you want to or not!!!”

🥴😏🤪. An ostomate always needs to try and look on the bright side of life even when it involves, you know, pooh…….jb

I love this one, Bill. Some days do indeed challenge your ability to stay positive. Take yesterday, for instance... we were at the 70th birthday party of a good friend, held in a pub. After the buffet dinner, we had been sitting at a table for an hour or so when it was announced that the birthday cake was being served. Can't miss that! I got up to go fetch a piece, only to get that tugging feeling and discovered immediately that my pouch was full, and I mean full! Change of plans! I grabbed my purse and headed for the washroom, and it took me a while. By the time I got back, the cake was gone! Turns out they had ordered a bigger cake, but a mistake was made and they had to make do with a smaller one. Silver lining, my waistline is thanking me!

Terry