I’m on my latest holiday right now, on a voyage of discovery of the bag kind.
I ordered some trial samples of different tiny bags. I call these ones sunbathing bags. For the smallest covered area for maximum tanning. There’s a method in my mad pursuit of tiny bags. Because the more tanned you are the thinner you look...and as I’m having no luck with eating less I’m going to have to go for browner instead. Hahahahaha
The bag size of this brand was great. I didn’t much like the near see through-ness of them though and then after I had been wearing it a while it blew up like a balloon, bursting at the seams, Like myself it seems to have no filter at all hahahahaha. Once the air is in it stays in. Not much use to any one really so back to the drawing board. I will find the perfect tan bag but it might just take time. I also trialled an end cap bag again too, usually used for people who flush their stomas, it’s a very short term use bag as you can’t empty it but you do get great sun tanning, if you’re willing to change it frequently.
It was also a great opportunity to wear a few new outfits. Little gems of bargains.
This dress was bought from the online shop 10store, everything is £10 or less... :0
Dress From 10store, Shoes from Fendi, Bag from LV.
This dress cost the grand total of £8! Yes, you read that right £8!! It’s the second 10store dress I’ve purchased and I’m equally pleased with both. I did have to add a petticoat under it otherwise it’d be a very different prospect..all heads would turn and I dare say a fair few stomachs...hahahahaha
The dress below was another bargain. It’s a beach dress really, I wore a slip underneath and I’m good to go...wherever I fancy.
Dress from Next, Shoes from Levi’s.
I love this dress, it’s so easy to wear and comfy. Dress it up with shoes for dinner out or flip flops to the beach.
I love the fact that if I wear it to dinner the dress is loose enough to allow my bag to expand. Vital here at the moment, it’s expanding a lot, as am I!
Hahahahaha
The only struggle is the wind. :) I love my holidays here but it’s not ideal for blog photos to have a face full of hair, it gets fairly blustery later in the day.
We’ve been to the beach a few times too, and usually I’d have a paddle, possibly a deep paddle but not usually a swim, there’s a few reasons for this. 1, once the bags filter is wet it leaks smell, very upsetting. 2, I don’t want to go for Menu del dia with said smelly bag and 3, about 2 years ago I went swimming at my local gym and then the day after I was struck down by acute Labrynthitis, one of the most horrendous things I’ve ever had, it caused horrific vertigo, and physical instability (I fell over many times a day) and even to this day, some 2 years down the line I still get a bit wobbly and my pupils don’t match in size due to the infection causing Adie’s Pupil.
So in my mind I have associated it with swimming, I doubt it helped but I don’t really think it caused it, but suffice to say I do not ever want it to come back.
But on a scorching hot day in August in Spain there is no real alternative than to leap face first into the sea.
I’m so graceful, I’m such a natural in water, truly like a mermaid...hahahahaha
It took some guts (if you’ll pardon the pun) to go in the sea for a swim or even to the waters edge to be honest. Last time I did some people sat and rather obviously videoed and or photographed me, for what reason I do not know and it was exceptionally unnerving. But I really am in a **** it mood. Stare if you want, I’m too hot to care, it’s 34 degrees and I’m melting.
All that swimming made me hungry, oh who am I kidding, being awake makes me hungry...
I have found having my colostomy bag quite handy really, because before I was diagnosed with cancer I was ill for a very long time. Food would pretty much go in and then back out in quick succession. It gave no joy to eating. But now, now I get to eat what I like when I like, if it upsets my tummy well it’s not really an issue is it, it’s not like I have to run to the loo anymore, and boy do I intend on making the most of it! :)
Dress from French Connection, Shoes from Jimmy Choo.
As day follows night, dinner follows lunch...A shower, a hair wash, and a bag change later we’re good to go for dinner. Yep, it’s pretty lucky that all the clothes I buy have plenty of stretch in them.
Today Chris and I celebrated 25 of being together, (married for 22 and a half years now) we met and became boyfriend and girlfriend immediately, for me it was love at first sight, for him I had to wear him down and beg him to date me hahahahaha, no I’m kidding, it was a mutual attraction and adoration. We have barely been apart ever since, a few hospital stays, a couple of business trips and his ski holidays with our boys and that’s it.
We are incredibly blessed that our love and friendship has lasted this long and that each year just gets better and better. I count that as lucky and choosing wisely in equal measure, and that he has the patience of a saint helps too! ;)
We decided to treat ourselves to a day out and venture further afield with a drive to Alicante Old Town, it’s surprisingly beautiful and nice for a little mooch.
Days away from our villa can make me a little anxious, I still fret about where will I change my bag if needed etc. That aspect doesn’t get easier the further into colostomy-ing you get from my perspective. Mainly because I’m a lady (hard not to say that in the voice of David Williams in Little Britain) but I am a lady and the last thing I want to do is cause a public stink, so I’m always on the look out for places I could be willing to change. I know I’m lucky in this sense because colostomies are easier to change than ileostomies, so I am grateful for that and in awe of ileostomy wearers.
Dress from Tesco, Shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo, Bag from LV.
I sent these photos to my youngest son and he thought the building behind me looked like something in Petra, now how handy is that that I’ve saved all that money on the flights to Jordan. Hahahahaha
I view my bag in a very practical way. It is what it is, it was my life saver and it is my toilet. When I’m undressed you will see my bag and I’m completely fine with that. In no way am I ashamed or embarrassed, I will strut about the beach merrily with my bag on show, not out of some sort of exhibitionism, but simply that I don’t think of it as something to hide away.
But when I am dressed and going out, no, I absolutely do not want it to show through my clothes and I make my best efforts for it to be concealed.
I don’t like my underwear to show through so I’m hardly going to want the out line of my bag to penetrate a beautiful dress.
It’s not some dirty little secret (it’s the worst kept secret ever if it was seeing as I’ll tell anyone that’ll listen and even some that won’t hahahahaha) It’s just a case of liking smooth lines and tidy outfits.
