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A Crohn's patient has raised awareness of the realities of living with the disease - including using a colostomy bag - by writing on Facebook about how people are insensitive towards those with the "invisible disease".
Ste Walker, 24, from Halifax, west Yorkshire, hit back at those who don't believe he as a "major illness", and urged people to be more understanding alongside a photo of his colostomy bag.
"I look like a normal guy [...] That's because I want you to view me like that [...] the next time someone says to me 'well you look perfectly fine, why you using that disabled toilet' [...] your conning the system [...]just stop and think maybe I just want TO BE FINE or to feel normal [...] think about the struggle I've gone through to get out of bed and get dressed and tried to look 'normal' [sic]," he wrote.
People are too quick to judge these days, just because I look normal and speak normal, that doesn't mean I don't have a...
Posted by Ste Walker on Sunday, 25 October 2015 So what is a colostomy bag, what is it used for, and how does it affect a patient’s life?
What is a colostomy?
A colostomy is a surgical procedure. During a colostomy, surgeons divert one end of the large intestine into a visible opening – known as a stoma – on the patient’s abdomen. A small pouch, or colostomy bag, is then placed over the stoma to collect waste products that would normally pass through a person's rectum and anus in the bathroom.
An ileostomy is a similar procedure that applies to the small, rather than the large, intestine.
When is a colostomy bag needed?
Colostomies - and resulting colostomy bags - are used to help patients who have problems with their colons.
Diseases which can lead to a person having a colostomy include bowel cancer, IBDs such as Crohn’s and colitis, and diverticulitis.
By diverting waste away, the colostomy bag can allow irritated or inflamed areas of the colon to heal.
“It’s worth nothing that Crohn’s doesn’t automatically mean a person must have a colostomy,“ David Barker, Chief Executive of Crohn's and Colitis UK, explained.
“There are 110,000 people with Crohn’s in the UK, and 50 per cent of people with Crohn’s disease may need surgery in the first ten years that they have the disease.”
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Are they permanent?
It depends on the patient. A colostomy can be permanent or temporary. The NHS estimates that around 6,400 permanent colostomies are carried out each year in the UK. At least 70,000 people are currently using a colostomy bag, according to the Colostomy Association.
What is it like to live with a colostomy bag?
Having the equipment can be different from person to person - both in how long it is needed and how it affects a person’s quality of life, Mr Barker explained.
“Some patients say [having a colostomy] was a very very tough decision, but say they feel they’ve got their life back because they’ve been so ill for so long. Others say “goodness me it has transformed my life because I don’t want to go out and talk to people, I worry about malfunctioning," said Mr Barker.
If you have a stoma and require support, call the 24-hour Colostomy Association helpine: 0800 328 4257
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