So this post was definitely going to be about knickers, I promised my readers and Facebook followers it would be and I don’t like to disappoint. I am sure there is many a person eagerly anticipating what exactly it is I have to say about knickers 😉 but I must keep you guessing for another day or two!

For today, more great awareness of Ostomies has occurred. Unless you live on a desert island then you will have heard/seen all the fantastic publicity around Bethany and THAT pic of her in her bikini and today she was on This Morning talking about her Colostomy.

I have to admit, I am a teeny bit jealous, you see I have always wanted to appear on ‘This Morning’ ever since the Richard and Judy days, in fact, when they left I had a little protest and decided I couldn’t possibly go on the show unless it was with those two, of course I wasn’t even in the position of turning them down but a girl can dream 😉 My sister and I have watched ‘This Morning’ ever since it started (yes ok, so there may be better achievements but I am still proud), we remember the original cast – Denise Roberts would always advise you to “write a letter”, Brian the chef would cook a stew and Dr Chris Steele would always be the first to do a ‘live’ examination of something! But over time, Phil and Fern and then Phil and Holly took us into their hearts and my ambition to appear has remained the same (it’s the little things).

Over the years and in my vivid imagination my appearances would range from my sister and I nominating our Mum for a make-over to my supreme knowledge on, well, something knowledgeable!

But then, in 2011 I got my Ostomy, and I made my mum take pics of me in hospital in case I should want to share them with ‘Take a Break’ Magazine, (they always have hospital pictures, I’ve never understood how people always happened to have pre/post-surgery pictures, then I cottoned on!!), and that was it, decision made, I would appear on ‘This Morning’ alongside Dr Chris and talk openly about my Ostomy and how I wish to reduce the Stigma (after my article in ‘Take a Break’ of course!).

However, I have been pipped to the post and someone else got in with Phil and Holly instead, but she was fantastic and Bethany gave a great interview. The best thing was hearing that girls and boys as young as 12 who were facing surgery and a bag felt so much more empowered and confident thanks to her interview. Whatever your age, any publicity that helps your confidence is a good thing but it is so much better when you hear it helps such young people.

Bethany did mention that there had been lots of pictures before her, thanks in part to a campaign called #GetYourBellyOut where 4 lovely women created a campaign to encourage people suffering with IBD to post pictures of their bellies, whether with a bag or not, to raise awareness. This campaign has gone viral and been adopted by Crohns and Colitis UK (http://goo.gl/0S6bpB

) and it is inspiring people everywhere to take a picture of their bellies, you can find them here http://goo.gl/fHJp3n  and here http://goo.gl/Hs63Pw  and Lorna’s blog here http://goo.gl/WmAvgI

So it is fantastic (as I seem to have been saying lots lately) how there is so much awareness now getting out there and how having an Ostomy is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. So many of us are campaigning to reduce this stigma and talking about our own experiences that I am quite sure there will come a time when it is almost ‘normal’!
And as for my ‘This Morning’ debut, maybe I will have to go back to a make-over for mum after all!!
Oh and here is my bikini pic, would be rude not to!!