You know what, the more I live the more I love this life.
Just simple things bring me so much joy.
I wore jeans the other day.
(Yes, I’m claiming that as a simple joy. You might take it for granted that you can just slip on a pair and go about your day. But for me it takes a bit of additional planning.
Anything tight or restrictive can lead to leaking (pancaking - where the poo leaks under the adhesive patch) or filter failure).
Anything restrictive can lead to poo backing up causing constipation.
So for all of the above reasons if I choose to wear a pair I have to really think about it. Really really.
But I just fancied wearing some the other day, so I did.
Fortunately I had no major mishaps. No minor ones come to that. But it’s always on my mind while I’m out and about. It’s a fear, a dread. But I can overcome it if I put my mind to it.
I just want to enjoy myself. But there are times when I am nervous, even now, 12 years on from surgery.
My plan worked. I felt good in them.
I am very careful to take them off and swap them for something more forgiving when I got home.
And as an added precaution I wear a dress the following day, just to make sure output flows better.
If I intend to wear jeans away from the house I always make sure I take plenty of stoma supplies with me.
I don’t mind living dangerously every now and then but I’d be a fool to not take anything to change my bag with.
Friday night was fantastic. We saw my cousin and her husband that we’ve not seen since February 2020.
We had such a fun night, and an amazing meal.
I am very lucky that I have a colostomy. There is very little I can’t eat.
I avoid sweet corn and peppers, because I’m not a very good chewer (gluttons very rarely are).
But there is nothing I can’t eat.
Which comes in very handy as Chris and I are addicted to curry.
Friday night’s curry was incredible. I had a broccoli dish, which brings together two of my favourite things in life - broccoli and spices.
Heaven, absolute heaven.
We had such a lovely evening. We walked to and from the restaurant. Mainly because Emma and I firmly suggested it. Chris is not a stroll after dinner kind of guy.
I wouldn’t mind but it was Em and I in the high heels, we were doing the hard part. :)
Saturday Chris and I decided to use the day to firstly go and see the finished store at work. If you live near a Neptune I strongly suggest a visit.
The new season colour is amazing! I have bought a tin of it for the feature wall in the dining room. Just waiting for the hint to be taken now. ;)
It’s super luxurious and classy. Such a perfect autumnal colour.
Chris loved it as much as I do. So watch this space.
We then headed to Saffron Walden, to visit Audley End House. It’s one of our favourites.
In the 29 years Chris and I have been together we have so many memories there.
We packed a rug and some drinks and just chilled out in the sunshine.
My favourite resting place since 1993. He will forever be my favourite too.
Sunday was such a great day.
In celebration of being together for 29 years I agreed to go to the cinema. I absolutely hate the cinema.
The sweets are nasty. And someone always does something weird.
We both wanted to see Top-gun. And as it’s now available on Sky I thought the cinema would be empty…and clearly so did loads of other people.
Including the person with a really bad cold I could hear coughing and sneezing the whole way through.
Honestly, paying £180 for a private screening is becoming more and more appealing to me.
It’s always nerve racking being in public in quiet places with my stoma.
Mine, a colostomy, acts at will, with no notice or warning. It often makes loud fart noises. Which make me soooo very distressed.
You probably think cinemas are noisy places. You have no idea of how quiet the quiet moments on screen are until your stoma farts without warning. Loudly.
Even with Tom flying at Mach 10 there will be moments of silence that allow my force 9 gales to be heard.
I find it so hard. I know I shouldn’t let it bother me. But it does. It’s just something I’ve never gotten used to.
It’s as mortifying now as it was in the beginning.
I’m lucky, because I’m still here to get embarrassed. That is the definition of toxic positivity. But for me it helps to believe I’m lucky. It spurs me on to live life to the full.
Even if it’s scary. And there is always the option to stay home. So a scary life is preferable to an empty one.
He takes me to all the best places, and sometimes to Cineworld Braintree. Hahahah
It was a day of two halves. I went to the cinema for him.
…and he drove us to Harrods after for…(me, let’s face it).
He bought me a lipstick, it’s beautiful ~ It’s spectacular.
I don’t even wear lipstick that much but I love that it’s fully customisable.
How that makes a difference to lip colour I’m not sure. But it’s gorgeous to look at.
Anyway, we finished up in there and headed over to Chelsea to meet our friends for dinner.
Stopping for drinks in the sunshine on the way.
It was such a lovely day. We adore spending time in London with friends, we have the best people around us.
We drive up as we find it so much easier than the train from Braintree. Which costs a fortune and is slow A-F.
Monday was a bank holiday here. So we spent it wandering round Lakeside shopping centre, and let me assure you right now I will never be doing that again.
We came out of one shop and could hear a commotion, we then came across two women being dragged apart, screaming at each other.
One of the other people on the escalator quipped “welcome to Lakeside”…
And that was my cue to leave.
I’m still waiting to see the photos from the photo shoot last week.
I’m very nervous but excited. If they look good then believe me you will be seeing them…a lot!!! A lot a lot!!
If I look like a right old dog, we won’t be discussing it ever again! Hahaha
I’m sure they’re fine really. And they were for a company I really believe in. So whatever they look like it’s irrelevant because I wanted to support the team at Ostique any way I can.
Have a happy weekend. See you next week. xx