Staying active and going on holidays – A chat with Beka

My gym routine hasn’t really changed

I was worried if I would be able to exercise after my stoma. My gym routine hasn’t really changed. I have a hernia, so I need to be careful with some exercises and weights, but it doesn’t stop me from doing the exercises I want to. I have recently lost some weight and my hernia as a result has also got smaller, which is great.

Wearing swimwear on holiday

I was conscious about wearing a bikini or swimwear with a bag. Thoughts like would people notice a ball through my swimsuit, or see the outline of my bag, would cross my mind. All of this was more in my head. People don’t really care. Most people know what a stoma bag is and if they ask, I tell them more about it.

I recently went to Turkey with the kids and all my family, and it was great.

I have had situations when my bag has leaked

I was out shopping with my baby, when he was little, and my bag came off and leaked everywhere, down my trousers into my boots in New Look. It was so embarrassing. I was in the changing rooms and asked one of the staff if they could give me a new pair of leggings and I would pay for it. Explained I had a stoma. She was so helpful and didn’t even ask a lot of questions. I got changed, and it was completely fine.

I got back and laughed about it. I thought it was so funny, she would have probably never seen something like this before. It must have made her day.

My bag has also leaked at night in bed and gone all over Michael’s back. But he has always been so supportive, it is funny as he will just let me change the sheets from under him while he is asleep.