To move forward we need only look at our past

I've been thinking about my next blog today  Had a few ideas what to post next. A review of Nuts my most recent race. A reflection on Lactic Rush perhaps(my first obstacle race).
I Have also been playing with an entry that trys to break down my workouts. 10 months ago I thought a clean and press was something you did to a shirt, not with a kettle bell ; )

Then I started thinking, why did I start this blog? Why did I even start this journey at all? One aim was obviously to improve my overall fitness. But the journey really hit another gear when my changing body shape began to cause issues with my stoma bag. Then I began to think this whole journey over the last 6 years. Recent months were about my mental 'battle' with Cancer and the physical challenges a stoma presented. Ultimately how it stops me in reality doing very little , well apart from farting. But thats a different story ; )

Then I realised everyone knows what cancer is. Its a term we hear in our everyday life. However, my journey also included the alien concept of a stoma. Over the last 6 years I have been very open about my ileo. I never wanted the subjest of my illness and op to be taboo. It was at this stage I realised. The biggest thing I have encountered in the last 6 years was ignorance. Not intentionally or vicously but like me 7 years ago a compete ignorance on what a stoma, ostomy or ileo even was!

I think it may be people feel afraid to ask and therefore make assumptions. So I have decided that my next post I will try and explain what a stoma actually is  Hopefully for you following this blog (and I hope there are at least a couple of you) an understanding of a stoma may help you understand the challenges in my journey. Perhaps even understand more about a stoma may help to understand why certain posts are relevant to an ostomist (someone with a stoma).

Ive read that the NHS for various reasons perform over 9, 000 stoma surgeries a year. So the chance of meeting a fellow brown bagger increases every year. We dont want pity but an understanidng of the challenges a stoma presents will hopefully be useful??

So my next post (without any gory pics) I will try to explain what a stoma actually is....