Daily life with an ostomy
Life with an ostomy can be full and active. Eating out, work, clothes, intimacy, travel, sleep and exercise, one everyday moment at a time.
Start here
The guide most people read first in this section.
Guide 1Eating normally again
Reintroducing foods step by step after surgery.
Read the guide →For the moments that feel hardest
Written from 14 years of conversations with people who have been there.
Lying awake afraid of a leak?
Small steps toward calmer nights and a full night of sleep.
Read the guide →Feeling like a stranger in your body
Why confidence comes before acceptance, and steps to feel at home again.
Read the guide →Dating with an ostomy, and when to tell
When and how to tell someone new, what to say, and ways to feel desirable again.
Read the guide →Feeling like yourself at the wedding
What to wear, plus food, photos, dancing and hugs, so you stay present.
Read the guide →Nervous about your first flight?
Airport screening, what to pack in your carry-on, and calm steps on board.
Read the guide →Ready to leave the house again?
Build an outing ladder, pack a go-kit and take one small, calm step at a time.
Read the guide →Your first support group meeting
What a first meeting is like, and how to find a group near you or online.
Read the guide →Missing the water? Swimming with an ostomy
Steps for your wafer, your swimsuit and a calm first swim back.
Read the guide →
Every guide in this section
Work through them in order, or jump to what you need today.
- 2
Back to work with an ostomy
What to say, what to pack and how to plan your workday.
Read the guide → - 3
Dressing with an ostomy
Clothes that fit, flatter and keep your pouch discreet.
Read the guide → - 4
Intimacy after ostomy surgery
Talking with a partner and feeling confident again.
Read the guide → - 5
Traveling with an ostomy
Flights, road trips and what to pack.
Read the guide → - 6
Gifts for someone with an ostomy
Thoughtful, private gift ideas, plus a 2-step Gift Finder.
Read the guide → - 7
Sleeping with an ostomy
How to sleep comfortably and stop wondering about leaks at night.
Read the guide → - 8
Exercise after ostomy surgery
A 12-week plan to return to exercise safely.
Read the guide → - 9
Stoma noise in meetings
How to handle stoma sounds in meetings and quiet rooms.
Read the guide →
Rather have it all in one plan?
My Ostomy Blueprint brings the guides that fit you into one calm plan, written from your own story.
Explore the rest of the library
Every section has its own set of guides.
