I have heard more and more about how comedians, podcasters, tv shows and films make out that ostomies are the worst thing that could happen, or how they make jokes and say they are disgusting. This is starting to get on my nerves and make me a bit upset. Unless you have one yourself, don’t joke about it in a mean way or call it disgusting. If you have a close relationship with someone who has one, and who jokes about it then ok, joke with them. I for one am that person who jokes about, for instance not being able to fart, and finds it funny if a friend does it and says “haha I bet you miss that”. That is ok, because it is something I have spoken about and joked about too, and invited you to join in on.  I also realise that a lot of people who end up with an ostomy may struggle, and may not be happy with it or the situation. They may also not feel like they can be open about it. I also realise that it isn’t all easy. But please please please stop making it feel like the worst case scenario. For me, and several others, the worst case scenario would be death. Yes, thats right, death, because if I hadn’t have had surgery, and if I hadn’t have gotten my ostomy, Stevie the stoma, yes, I would have been dead. To me, that death, at the age of 27 would have been the worst case scenario, not the fact of getting an ostomy. I and I know other ostomates feel the same,  we are grateful for our ostomies. Grateful for a second chance to life. Grateful for a second chance of living, experiencing and growing. Yes there are struggles, yes there are less flattering sides to having an ostomy and yes, it can be problematic and traumatic at times too. However, my way of life and living before Stevie was far from glamorous. Accidents far from toilets, breaking down my confidence. Constantly looking out for toilets when out, and checking the queues. Planing trips out and away from toilets. Struggles with eating. Bleeding, pain, fatigue and anxiety. That was not a fun way of living, and I would take the life I have now, with Stevie the Stoma, and the worries and insecurities I have now, any day over how my life was before I got Stevie. Many of us have fought a war. A war within our body’s. An invisible battle, a battle where our cells are fighting eachother, breaking us down, so we don’t need you to break us down from the outside too.  These are our battle wounds. These are our victory scars. These are our reminders about how precious life really is. So we need to help raise awareness, support eachother and end the stigma surrounding ostomies!