Hello ! I am a doctor in Mexico DF . Your story has been very useful for patients who have or are going through a surgery like yours. The first video I saw you, was the explanation of how to change the colostomy bag . You are a very brave young woman with a very positive attitude . THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL MY PATIENTS HAVE BENEFITED YOUR VIDEOS . A hug and move on.
I am 55 colostomy 18 months ago(rectal cancer). How could I feel sorry for myself, you are in the prime of your life and you deal with this. You inspire me when I am down 4 that I thank you! Great job on Tosh.O
Just saw your Tosh.0 and it was great. I developed ulcerative colitis in 1994 when I was 15. After a year fighting it unsuccessfully with drugs I had to opt for surgery. I had an ileoanal anastimosis performed in Sept 1995 by WH Schraut at UPMC. I have been living a happy and healthy life with it ever since. During the time of my recovery there was no RU-vid nor hardly the internet and so I very much felt all on my own. I'm very happy to see you doing these videos and outreach to help others know they are not alone. These diseases and procedures can lead to a lot of embarrassment and shame and it's through work by people like you that can make others feel strong and confident about their new "ostomized" life. I currently live in Sacramento, but used to live in Chicago for many years. Even tho I do not have an ostomy, I would love to attend one of your meet ups and share stories and meet others who also share a similar predicament. I'm subscribing to your channel and I would love to know how I could possibly be involved. Thank you, and love to your belly
Struggled with chrohns forever, finally got an il... Thinking about it again, now 15yrs later, but 42 now & scared to death. Not 25 anymore. Thank you, saw u on tosh, following u now. Shout out! Love u!
I just saw that you were on Tosh.O through Facebook as I haven't been paying attention to youtube lately. I can't watch it online because I'm in Canada but I think it's awesome that you did that. One part of bringing awareness to the world is to bring it in a more comical life so people can relate. It also makes it seem less "old people only have this" and we need to show that we can still dress pretty and have a good night on the town. I haven't commented on your youtube page before but I've been watching your videos for a year and a half now. I have a permanent ileostomy now and also had one when I was fifteen. I went on youtube this time to see if there were others fairly close to my age going through the same thing (I'm 32). I wish this kind of information had been available when I was fifteen because there were no younger people with ostomies where I lived. One of the best things I learned from your videos was the use of spanks to help keep things in place, and I wear them almost all the time now. I hope to see the Tosh.O video soon!
Thank you for your videos, I found them a few weeks ago when I got out of the hospital after getting my ostomy. They have been very helpful to me, it's nice to see life through the perspective of a another person with IBD, as I have many supportive people in my life but none of them have the problems I have. I went through many surgeries the past 6 years since being diagnosed with Crohn's, I just recently graduated with a BS in Nursing but have not been able to work, which is frustrating.
Just saw you on Tosh.0. It was hilarious!! I hope he was really nice about everything. He seemed genuinely interested. Way to go! Btw, I had a colectomy in November of 2012 and had an ostomy for four months... Your videos were so helpful when I was going through all of that. I have a jpouch now and am feeling very good! Hope you are well and healthy!
Hey Laura! My name is Marta and I'm from Portugal. I've already wrote you a comment but i didn't had any answer. I have an ileostomy since december 2012 and unfortunately in my country that is unusual so i don't have anyone to talk about it. I've learned a lot with your videos and it had helped me and gave me strenght. Thank you****
OMG! What leads us to have/had an ostomy is obviously a GREAT challenge! I had a rare cancer called Carcinoid with the primary tumor being in my rectum. My first surgery was in 2011 which resulted in an ileostomy for 11 months. I have been reversed for 11 months now, although I am sooo thankful to be cancer free, I still have hurdles everyday. I am 50 yrs old but this girls videos were life changing for me! I still watch them just about every day even thou I do not have an ostomy anymore!!
Like I've said before and I'll say it again, your one of the biggest inspirations I have seen. Your right, this is a really big life style change and it's frustrating at first, but once you find people who support you, it gets easier. Thank you very much for all you have done. You have done more than you think for many of us
You are an inspiration and very cute! I am a paraplegic and thinking about getting a colostomy. My bowl is very unpredictable and I have to spend hours sitting on the can, sometime 5 or 6 hours a day. Your videos are always informative, thank you. Craig from Canada
I understand this is not the worst condition out there, but it is a life altering one. I chose not to judge the severity of other's conditions. "Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle." It is not our responsibility to remind people that their struggles are not as hard as others. Each struggle is a difficult one, and people who suffer do more good by supporting, then condemning.
I love how you express yourself. You're actually very eloquent. You may not feel you convey your thoughts and feelings as well as you'd like...but you got my attention. You're a great fucking girl. *subscribed*
Just wanted to post, love your videos, your video was the first I saw after researching about ostomies when I learned I needed surgery, really put some of my fears to rest, but not all. Thank you for your help, I wish I could share my story with you sometime. Biggest question I have for you, why your decision on a ostomy and not a J-pouch?
Pfew! I'm glad to hear it went well with Tosh.0. Will and I watched some of his stuff online and I was really concerned that they would be disrespectful of your dignity or degrade you in the name of entertainment. So I'm glad you had a good time and feel good about it. Hopefully they keep it respectful when they have the final thing to air, because things can be funny while still staying respectful. :) Take care.
I think your awesome for doing what you are doing. I saw you on tosh.o and at first I thought it was gross and unnecessarily. Then I saw the whole video and understood why. I hope your successful in all your endeavors. Stay strong and keep being the awesome person you are. :)
I am sorry, but your other videos were not posted in my search. I did not wish to slam you or your cause. As a somewhat older person, I just feel that endless chatter is more self-servinng than educational. And I now realize that you are probably helping many people who might not have access to one on one therapy after such traumatic surgery. Guess it's time for me to shut my mouth
Don't let anyone get you down about your Tosh appearance. I usually can't stand him and change the channel quickly, when turning off my DVR and his show is on Comedy Channel. However, tonight, your piece was on and I actually watch his show for the first time. I found that it was funny, intresting and I wanted to learn more about the condition. I dont think his jokes were insulting, I think he genuinely cared, which showed through and surprised me. If it wasn't entertaining, just some boring public announcement / science channel piece, you wouldn't be breaking down barriers, you would just be singing to choir. Instead you took a risk and it will pay off dividends in outreach that most causes have to pay for to even get that kind of exposure. Better yet, for me, you put a face on a medical condition that I thought only affects the elderly. Anyway, I'm sending a donation to the foundation that you put in the video description area. So, one down, millions more to go. Good luck in your efforts towards a cure, every bit helps, no matter what negative ppl might have to say.
Tosh makes fun of everything, but sometimes that isn't such a bad thing. He treats you the same as everybody else, and that somewhat shows that you don't need to be babied or treated that differently. He doesn't shy away in the least which is a good example really, showing it's not this thing to fear or hide from (Which you do all the time but it's good to see an outsider do it too). He also even makes fun of himself and admits to embarrassing things so it's not as if he only makes fun of other people. Being on his show really opened this up to a lot of people who wouldn't normally have known much about it and was a good idea. A great many people who never would have heard about this became educated about it. Great job.
Her channel is not intended as a professional source, but more of a support for others with the same or similar conditions, so I'd say personal chatter is permissible here. Having IBD's and ostomy affects pretty much ALL areas of our lives, so I don't see why her videos should only focus on the illness and surgery itself, this pretty much showing that despite her condition and her surgery she has a life like anyone else.
and to add to this, I agree with Nora. What made us need ostomies was and is extremely difficult. Don't judge what you don't know. You don't know my story, you don't know others'. I don't care if you're "old," and that's why you find this "self serving," that is an extremely close minded attitude. I am helping people by doing this, and your comments spread negativity to this channel
some of my other videos are informative, but this is an update on MY life, because this channel is ostoMYstory. What are you doing to help people with ostomies? I'm putting myself out there for the whole world to see to help people not feel alone, and to feel like they have a friend that has a similar condition. If you think I'm boring unsubscribe. I am not doing this for people with bad attitudes. Thanks.
YES PERSONAL ACCOUNT. PLEASE NOW. YOU'RE NOT VAIN. You are *right* about who you are. (I feel bad. I don't go on Twitter. I'm gonna. But a personal blog is a great idea)
Don't know anything about ostoMYstory, and I did not subscribe. Just went on utube and found a blerb on ostomies. I'm sorry if I offended you. It was not intended. I was looking for technical guidance, not chit chat. I am sure you are helpful to those who are looking for that kind of support. Dealing with an ostomy is very difficult , but there are many other conditions that pose even greater challenges. Just keep that in prospective. Thanks for sharing
jacquelin bautista There are a few reasons an ostomy may be necessary including: Colon Cancer, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or Diverticulitis, which are Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Damage to the bowel from any number of non disease related events that can cause Blockage/Obstruction, Perforation, Trauma (ie Gunshot or Stab Wound) to name a few. There are other diseases though Cancer and IBD's seem to be the most common, mine is due to Crohn's Disease. Generally it is near the end of the line by way of treatment options but having said that creating an ostomy is very much a go to life saving operation in many cases. Hope this helps a bit!
