If you’ve been hanging around this site for awhile, you’ve probably heard me talk about the Gutbending Declaration, my project to show the world that living with an ostomy isn’t that bad–in fact, it’s better than living with disease! I’ve been asking lots of people for videos of themselves making the declaration and here’s the first one.
Many thanks goes out to Nadia and Erin for kickstarting this project. But it’s not over yet. If you’ve lived with an ostomy in the past or currently live with one, and you find that it isn’t so bad of a life, than make a video of yourself making the declaration and send it to me! Either email it to me or upload it to YouTube and tell me where to find it.
Do something positive and helpful for those considering surgery but worried about living with an ostomy.
Hey everybody, a few weeks back I started this new project called the Gutbending Declaration. The purpose of this project is to show those considering surgery that living with an ileostomy is better than living with ulcerative colitis.
The main expression of this project is a video series I hope to start soon. But I need your help! If you agree that living with an ileostomy is better than living with ulcerative colitis then make a short video of yourself telling this to the world and email it to me as soon as possible. I will take all the videos received and compile them together to show those who are considering surgery that they are not alone in this journey.
Keep your videos short and the file size small and they should send fine. Even if you only have a digital still camera it probably has the capabilities to make short videos and that works fine.
I currently have a couple videos from people who’ve made the declaration but I need more! Your help is vital to the success of this project.
This might be a tough message for some people to hear but I think they need to hear it. Some people delay or ignore the possibility of surgery because they are concerned with what their appearance will be post-surgery. They have a hard time accepting that they will be living with an ileostomy and have scars on their body.
While I acknowledge the concern, I don’t think it’s valid. Your health takes precedence over your personal appearance. It’s not worth it to let yourself get sicker and sicker just because your body will now look “less than perfect.”
As if living with colitis is an attractive alternative…
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Do you put too much concern into your appearance post-surgery? Reply to this post.
This video finishes the train of thought established in the first Ileostomy Forever video. Now that I have my j-pouch, I reflect on what it would mean to go back to having an ileostomy. Would I be okay with it after experiencing the luxuries of a j-pouch? Watch to find out!
And this Gutbending Declaration project is just getting underway, but I’d still like everybody who’s had an ostomy to consider making a short video making the Gutbending Declaration and send it to me! This will be a good project, just wait and see!
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: How would you feel if you lost your j-pouch and had to have an ileostomy again? Reply to this post!
Hey everybody, I’m starting a new project today and I need your help! As I’ve mentioned before, many of my visitors are people considering surgery and naturally, they have a lot of questions. For those who’ve had surgery, think back to your state of mind before surgery and you’ll remember you were probably in the same place. And this need for information is one of the reasons I started this vlog, and this quest for information drives the creation of many of my videos.
However, people have needs that extend beyond physical, beyond wanting to know simply how an ileostomy works or how a j-pouch works. They also have emotional needs. I’ve talked to many people who have told me that they have delayed surgery or ruled it out altogether because they are afraid to live with an ileostomy. For many people, an ileostomy is a death sentence and an end to their social life–or so they think. I’ve talked to many more people post-surgery who tell me that living with an ileostomy is not as bad as they thought, and that living with an ileostomy is better than living with colitis.
So this is where the new project comes in. For everybody who has had surgery, please visit the Gutbending Declaration and help me tell the world that life doesn’t end with an ileostomy! It doesn’t matter if you currently live with an ileostomy, colostomy, or j-pouch. Everybody who has had any of these surgeries is compelled to participate.
Basically, if you agree with me that living with an ileostomy is better than living with ulcerative colitis then make the Gutbending Declaration to the world! At the very least comment on the Gutbending page and tell the world that life is better. And if you have the means, make a short video of yourself making the Gutbending Declaration and email it to me. I will collect all the videos submitted and string them together so that we can show those who are considering surgery that life does not end with an ileostomy!
And since this is a vlog there are videos that go along with this project. Today I’m reposting a video I made six months ago that first got me thinking about this topic. For the next two weeks I will release more videos about the benefits and joys of ileostomy surgery.
Many of us have ostomies only temporarily. And many people around the world are in need of supplies. So if you have any extra unused, new, and clean supplies, send them our way!
We are collecting supplies to send to Haiti with a medical team!
Current progress:
1114 bags and flanges
2108 medical supplies
