Unwanted Baggage: A Comprehensive Introduction Surgical Ostomies

One in every two hundred and fifty people face life with an ostomy bag(pouch). Until now, there has been a lack of information written by people with personal experience of this life-changing condition. This book provides over four hundred pages packed with detailed information on resources, help with appliance choices and many solutions to life with a bag (pouch).

From the latest in applicable benefits to travelling with a bag. From such things as intimacy to dealing with paediatric ostomates, workplace and school's legal obigations, specialised clothing,coping with depression and body image - every imaginable topic is covered. Three hundred wesbites and contact details are listed.

The author's husband, Philip has also contributed essential information for Carers. This is a "Must-Have" addition for any colostomate,ileostomate or urostomate, those new to life with a bag, their families and carers. Even the seasoned ostomate may find something they did not know!

The book also provides an introduction to a new website : wwww.thebowelmovement.co.uk that will include regular updates for the book, newsletters, unusual stoma products and a forum for children, teens and for adult ostomates to meet others. .

My husband I have lived varied lives that brought us to this book. We were floundering in the dark when we could not find the essential information we needed when I became an ostomate without warning and so we wrote the book, using our knowledge from a lives writing professionally for a living (magazines, media, government report writing, books (under pen names) etc,) and also spending both  time helping others through volunteer work in many other countries provided us with a base on which to build this new venture. We have now begun a new chapter in our own lives by introducing through the book - the Gastronauts, a series of ostomy puppets that live adventures for child ostomates. These are videos on our website that also serves as a mechanism to update the book so that it never grows outdated. The puppets experience real life hospital encouters and ask gastroenterologists the questions we have all wanted to. Our senior ostomate puppets  poke fun at their situation and learn from encouters about diet and fun. This bag is really for life you can track down the updates through thebowelmovement.
From retirement, running a farm to a sudden chronic illness, both the authors realised that this was something catharic to help them recover from the sudden, unexpected operation  resulting in an ostomy, from active physical activity to one becoming bed bound due to complications under surgery so it is personal experience upon which this was written, but it is not a "My Story" platitude. This is the beginning of a series of articles about ostomate life that have been expanded on in such national ostomy magazines as "The Phoenix" (UOAA) and "Ostomy Australia" for whom they write. The cartoons in the book were drawn by their son who has also looked at their situation from the outside and helped them to see the amusing side of ostmical living.