In this episode I chat to Angelina, founder of Aura clothing – a brand that focuses on creating custom garments and that is motivated by the women and men who struggle to wear everyday clothing due to their ostomy, tubes, scars, hernias, stretch marks or even those who are uncomfortable with their abdominal region. The garments are created and developed through Angelina’s passions and personal experiences having lived with an ileostomy since the age of 13. 

Angelina, is someone that I’m constantly in awe of for all that she does and how amazing she is at making people just feel good – I really could chat to her for hours! In this episode we discuss all things business, education and ostomy.
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I really hope that you enjoyed and took something from it. If so, please do leave it a review or find it on socials; @insideoutbyamber

Find out more about Angelina and Aura Clothing here; https://www.aura.clothing/ or alternatively, follow @auraclothing on socials.

Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for supporting this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

Something that strikes me about Alex, is her body acceptance and positivity particularly over the last year or so having undergone stoma surgery while very much being in front of an audience as an adult content creator and sex worker. In this episode, we cover all bases from discussing young diagnosis to body image, Mental health and careers.

Instead of taking a step back from sex work post surgery, Alex has done her best to embrace her stoma and encourage representation and acceptance within her industry. So, in this episode, we chat about her journey with bowel disease as well as her experiences of working in the sex industry while managing these things.

I’d just like to highlight that Alex and I are speaking from experience and as discussed in last week’s episode with Ruth, a stoma care nurse, it’s always important to discuss your own personal scenario with your healthcare team with regards to things such as intimacy post-surgery.

Apologies for the episodes intermittent audio in parts but nevertheless, I really hope you enjoy and took something from it. If so, please do leave it a review or find it on socials; @insideoutbyamber

Find Alex here; https://twitter.com/GoAskAlexMFC

Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for supporting this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

In this episode, I chat to ruth jones, a stoma care nurse of over 25 years. We chat a little bit about current affairs and their impacts on the ostomy community before moving on to discuss a bunch of your guys questions including topics of exercise, intimacy and pregnancy. So, on that note, a big thank you to all who sent questions, we try and cover as many as possible in the episode and I must say that ruth answers them brilliantly with some great advice. I know first hand that asking some of these questions can be pretty daunting but, equally, it can be difficult to identify what information is legitimate on places like the internet so, if I can help be the middle man in asking and bringing light to some of these topics then I’m more than happy to do so. Enjoy!


Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for supporting this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

 
Be sure not to miss an episode and subscribe to the podcast as well as follow on socials to keep up to date and get involved @insideoutbyamber

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting to the character that is Keith Thomas. Keith, is a fifty something year old award winning bus driver from South Wales who really has taken life post surgery & illness by the horns embracing every opportunity and sharing his journey with others to help uplift and, inspire demonstrating that no matter what age you are, it's not too late to make the most, fulfil and achieve whatever it is that you set out to with a thankful and positive attitude. As we discuss in the episode, if my dad or, grandad even were to go through something similar, I'd really love to know that they had someone like Keith to turn to. He really is so uplifting and is one of those people who just makes you smile and see the best in things. So, please share with anybody who you think would benefit from hearing it and as always, enjoy.



Follow Keith on Twitter at; https://twitter.com/keiththom2014

Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for sponsoring this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

 
Be sure not to miss an episode and subscribe to the podcast as well as follow on socials to keep up to date and get involved @insideoutbyamber

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

In this episode I chat to the wonderful Zoe Wright about all parts of her journey and life with IBD from stoma surgery to stepping on stage in a bikini as a fitness model as well as her more recent surgeries to reverse her stoma and what might be a shift in focus for her in moving forward.

*Since Zoe and I recorded this episode, there has been an article in the news with regards to a patient’s right to die over living with a stoma. My thoughts go out to that particular man and his family as well as anybody who is feeling similarly. Although I always aim to show a full and happy life with a stoma, there’s no doubt that there are challenging times and it's important that we don’t shy away from discussing these too for a number of reasons. So, I wanted to warn that although this episode is mostly upbeat, we discuss our journeys which inevitably entail some more difficult times and trickier discussions. As always, I feel like these are important conversations to be had and to share and think they will be helpful for the most part. But, if these are conversations that you feel you might find triggering or unsettling then I advise that you maybe skip the episode however, please do remember that as cliché as it sounds, you are not alone and its always important to speak to someone.


Zoe's channels;
Instagram;  https://www.instagram.com/zoeywrightfitness/ Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/Zoeywrightfitness

Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for sponsoring this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

 
Be sure not to miss an episode and subscribe to the podcast as well as follow on socials to keep up to date and get involved @insideoutbyamber

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

I’m excited to start the series off by discussing a highly requested topic area; sex & relationships. It’s not surprising that these are such highly demanded topic areas for discussion and areas of such uncertainty and concern... I can guarantee that absolutely everyone has unmet questions when it comes to these pretty significant things however, throw illness, surgery or disability into the mix and everything can feel even more unclear and even further heightened!

There is no manual when it comes to these things and it really doesn’t help when what feels like everywhere you look for answers or information simply suggests that perhaps you just speak to your partner about sex?

So, I figured, who better to chat to to get this started than a partner. Not just any partner but, in this episode, I chat to my partner, Dan. Before we met, Dan had no real knowledge or experience of bowel disease, chronic illness or stomas. In this conversation, we delve into how we met, the perspectives and experiences of both being that someone with an illness and a stoma in a relationship as well as the flipside of being the partner of that someone and of course, including some of the highs, the lows and the in-betweens. 

This conversation may not be PG but, I feel that it’s an important one to be had and to share. I really hope you find some sort of comfort, reassurance or insight in our experiences.

I must note, that we are by no means relationship or, medical professionals. Although we can speak from experience, it’s important to always seek medical advice where necessary. 

A big thanks to all that sent questions for this episode. I just want to say that even if we don’t cover them all, I resonated with them all so much. Dating & relationships are scary concepts and everybody’s circumstances are so different.

Another big thanks to Pelican & Respond Healthcare for sponsoring this episode. You can find out more about them here; https://www.pelicanhealthcare.co.uk/ // https://www.respond.co.uk/

For any further advice or support, please contact your healthcare professional(s) or, see to one of these wonderful charities; 

Crohn’s & Colitis UK; 

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Ileostomy & internal Pouch Association;

https://iasupport.org/

Colostomy UK;

http://www.colostomyuk.org/

BowelCancer UK;

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

 
Be sure not to miss an episode and to subscribe to the podcast as well as follow on Instagram to keep up to date and get involved @insideoutbyamber

*All music paid for via EpidemicSound subscription*

I'd like to introduce you to my podcast, it's called, Inside Out by Amber and its where I have the absolute pleasure of uncovering life when something like a chronic illness is thrown into the mix with a variety of guests.

As someone with experience of living with chronic, invisible illness and a permanent stoma, as if living some of these things isn't stigmatised enough at times, many topic areas and questions to do with normal daily living are often unspoken of or, difficult to resonate with sometimes making things feel even more confusing, overwhelming and isolating. Not just for those of us going through whatever it may be but, for those around us too. 

Everybody, should feel empowered, included and represented through the information and sources available to them. So, throughout this podcast, I get to delve into some really interesting topic areas to do with life when something like a stoma, bowel condition or, wider disability / illness are thrown into the mix through having conversations with some pretty fascinating people; from patients, to partners and athletes to healthcare professionals - I can't wait to share them with you! 

Whether you're a patient, a loved one or simply here to learn and find out more, I'd like to welcome you to this podcast as a little safe space where you're all invited. As the saying goes, there really is no such thing as a stupid question and in fact here, no question, thought or topic is off limits. I hope the podcast brings you a little bit of joy, insight or helps in some way shape or form whether thats by answering an unmet question or by helping you feel less alone. Be sure not to miss an episode and subscribe to the podcast as well as follow on socials to keep up to date and get involved @insideoutbyamber