Loneliness Awareness Week: “I’m Not Just Surviving… I’m Thriving”
16 June, 2026
Hi, I’m Georgie, and I live my life with a stoma – who I’ve named Stan.
If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be living life with a stoma, I never would have believed you. But now, honestly, it’s the thing that gave me my life back.
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2019 when I was 18 years old, but before that diagnosis, I was really struggling. I was constantly exhausted, losing blood in my stool, dealing with mouth ulcers, and my body was just shutting down. Eventually, I became so unwell that I was admitted to hospital, where I was finally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
Over the years, I tried countless medications. Some gave me remission for a while – two years here, four years there – but my body developed antibodies and the treatment stopped working. Then, in June last year, I was hit with one of the most severe flares I’d ever experienced. I ended up back in hospital, and this time, things were different. I had reached the point where there were no treatment options left and the doctors told me I would need stoma surgery.
Hearing the word “stoma” was terrifying.
As someone who dances, cheerleads, and performs in musical theatre, my mind immediately went to everything I thought I might lose. Would I still be able to dance? Move the same way? Perform? Would I ever feel confident in my body again?
After the surgery, I woke up in pain – but it was a different kind of pain. It wasn’t the relentless, draining colitis pain I’d lived with for years. It was surgical pain. And strangely, that felt like relief. For the first time in a long time, it felt like my body was healing, not fighting itself.
Now after having stoma surgery, I’ve realised just how much my illness had taken over my life. I had become so used to surviving every day that I forgot what it felt like to actually live. Now, I can do the things I love without fear, without constant pain, and without my illness controlling every decision I make.
I finally feel like myself again – the real Georgie. The one who can move, perform, laugh, and live without that constant weight holding her back.
The stoma community has also been incredible- full of people ready to support, share advice, or just have a chat. While I was in hospital, I spent hours searching online for dancers and cheerleaders with a stoma because I desperately needed reassurance that my life wasn’t over. I struggled to find people who reflected my experience, and although that scared me at the time, it also motivated me to become that representation for someone else.
I want people to know that a stoma does not define you. It is simply a part of your story – and sometimes, it can be the thing that gives you your life back. And now, I’m not just surviving…
I’m thriving.
For more support and advice please contact us on: 0800 328 4257 or visit our support page for more ways to get in touch: colostomyuk.org/support
