Crohn’s adn Colitis Ireland to Host World Stoma Day Event
Approximately 50,000 people in Ireland live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis being the most prevalent.
To commemorate World Stoma day this saturday, October 4th, Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland will host an online event titled “Breaking Barriers: Real Talk On Living With A Stoma,” running from 12pm to 1pm.
The event will feature insights from health psychologist Aideen Stack, who will share advice on maintaining emotional wellbeing, and Eileen Lim Joon, a clinical nurse specialist with Coloplast, focusing on the practical aspects of stoma care. A comprehensive guide offering further advice is also available.
Terri Brannigan,diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 15,will share her personal experience living with a stoma.
Registration is now open at www.crohnscolitis.ie/members/events.
IBD encompasses several chronic conditions, with crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis being the most common. Both involve the immune system malfunctioning and attacking the body, leading to ulcers, swelling, and gut inflammation. crohn’s can affect any part of the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis specifically impacts the large bowel or colon.
A meaningful number of individuals with IBD will require a stoma – a surgical opening created during an ostomy procedure to allow waste to exit the body – at least temporarily after surgery.
Common IBD symptoms include urgent and frequent bowel motions, sometimes with blood, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, reduced appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, eye inflammation, and painful joints and skin rashes.
While IBD is a lifelong and unpredictable condition with no current cure,early diagnosis and treatment can help stabilize the disease and enable a normal quality of life.
For Aideen Stack, living with a stoma is a journey that extends beyond the physical.
“When it comes to a stoma, there are the visible changes to a person’s body, but we cannot underestimate the psychological and mental impact too,” she explains. “From worries about how to manage a stoma bag, to changes in body image, to intimacy concerns, we wonder what the future will look like.Acknowledging and taking care of one’s mental health when living with a stoma is so significant for wellbeing.”
“this seminar promises a safe space for open and honest conversations about what it means to have a stoma, and there’ll be lots of tips and advice to support people’s mental health through this life change.”
Victoria Spillane, Chief Operations Officer with Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland, emphasizes that World Stoma Day is an possibility to demonstrate that individuals with a stoma can live fulfilling lives.
“Life is fragile. So,it’s really important for all of us to be able to…