If I haven't said it to you before...don't get a bag...

     I joke with Stephanie probably too much about this but what an adjustment to life if you plan to keep as active as possible.  It gets in the way.  It dicatates the type of clothes you wear.  It is another chore to do weekly or less depending on your activity level.  It is a process that not cared for properly can lead to skin breakouts and breakdowns.  It is something that you either tell people about when the unexpected happens, or you say nothing about and try to "muffle" the sound, or you laugh it off but I haven't been successful with any of those solutions.  I am more comfortable around family and they sure have given me a lot of grace.  I can't seem to laugh about it.  I live with it and sometimes wish I had a third hand just for muffling purposes.  Am I getting a little to personal here?

     This is what I wear.  I use the two piece system.  The flange is like a big super sticky band-aid that I relish taking off if only for a couple minutes in a week's time.  The picture doesn't show the elastic belt that goes with it.  So I have a bra strap that just rides a bit lower.  It requires shaving that area of my stomach and application of powder and film barrier to protect my skin.  Even with a perfect fit and no problems with output, my skin can breakdown because of the band-aid adhesive away from the stoma.  So life is more than just having a stoma, it includes dealing with skin management.

     What can I say on the positive side?  Digestive health surely is the key to this process.  Making sure you are putting into your body only things that God has made is so important.  My trek in this has now stretched since January of 2012 of consuming no animal products other than honey.  I back up to the time of surgery in July of 2011 and consuming no red meats and eliminating man made ingredients or additives.  October of 2011 starting the juicing phase and now we have a Vita-mix that is getting a workout everyday.  I have made some radical changes to my life but they have been worth it by the numbers but this blog post is about the bag and I am sure I would be in worse shape if I didn't follow this path with "that" appendage strapped to me.

     I have seen it in the past and in other areas of my life that God uses those experiences to help others so I am just waiting for God to use the "bag" for His good.  I guess I need to get myself ready to be used that way.  Happy Friday all.

Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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