World Ostomy Day 2018 is Saturday October 6. The best way to participate in World Ostomy Day is by spreading positive ostomy awareness in any way you know how.

Some people feel uncomfortable talking about bodily functions (I know I did…), and because of this, having an ostomy can feel isolating. Here’s the thing though, when we keep silent, we miss out on the camaraderie of a shared experience. It’s a steep learning curve, and hiking that mountain is a lot easier with hiking poles. When we speak out about living with an ostomy, we provide hiking poles for other people’s journeys.

One of the reasons I think I had such a positive experience of adapting to and accepting my ostomy (aside from being grateful that it meant I wasn’t living on the toilet with Ulcerative Colitis anymore!), was the willingness of other ostomates to speak out. In the hospital, at a pivotal point of my decision making, not one, but two ostomates showed up in my life, in the flesh and were happy to answer my questions. Seeing them and hearing their stories about being able to live their lives with an ostomy was really inspirational for me and helped to give me the confidence that I would also be able to thrive.

Speaking out is my way of paying it forward and giving back to the ostomy community. I spread positive ostomy awareness by holding a safe space on my website, facebook and instagram accounts where people can ask questions and interact about living with an ostomy. I provide resources about how ostomies work, ostomy lifestyle, and coping with a big life change.

In addition to online resources and support, I meet with future and new ostomates in person, with a positive attitude and willingness to answer questions honestly and listen to their concerns.  I also share about having an ostomy with friends and acquaintances when it is relevant to a conversation I’m having. I do this for two reasons:

• The more people who know what an ostomy is and know I have one, the higher the likelihood that they’ll be able to offer positive support and encouragement if someone they know finds themselves facing ostomy surgery.
• While having an ostomy does not define who I am, it is still a part of my life and I choose to embrace it.

I know I’ve said this before, but I think it’s such a pivotal idea to recognize. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you’re from, what you believe, how you act, how much money you have, or what your favorite color is; ostomies don’t discriminate. In some ways this is a blessing in disguise. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day we are all human. It encourages us to put our differences aside to work together raising awareness and advocating for our rights as ostomy patients all over the world.

World Ostomy Day is celebrated every three years and is sponsored by the International Ostomy Association. The last World Ostomy Day was in 2015 and so much of what I posted then remains true now.  In the years that World Ostomy Day is not celebrated, Ostomy Awareness Day is celebrated instead. Both ostomy awareness days are celebrated on the first Saturday in October.

Each year, the United Ostomy Association of America has a theme for Ostomy Awareness Day. The World Ostomy Day 2018 theme is “Speaking Out Changes Lives” and this year’s hashtag is #OstomyDayUSA.  Visit the UOAA World Ostomy Day page to see more ways you can spread ostomy awareness this year.

I’ve shared about how others speaking out changed my life, and how I strive to do the same. Now it’s your turn to share.

How has speaking out about your ostomy made a difference for you or for others? Drop a story in the comments!