We spoke to Diego to hear his advice about stomas in the workplace:
I’m Diego, a stage IV colorectal cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2018 at age 33. I became an ostomate after having part of my colon and rectum removed due to cancer.
"Did you have any worries about coming back to work after stoma surgery?"
I was anxious about coming back to work after the surgery, mostly due to fear of output leakage.
"What were your systems/solutions for these worries?"
I used to keep a change of clothes and my stoma kit with me everywhere I went. It took time for me to feel confident enough being an ostomate! I believe that having open communication is the key when accommodating a stoma in the workplace.
"Do you think social media could help bring awareness about stoma life into the
mainstream?"
Absolutely! Most of the things I’ve learned about how to deal with my stoma were through social media.
"What advice would you give to new ostomates?"
Do as much research as possible before becoming an ostomate. Speak with people that live with stomas. There are several videos about it, and they are a good source for the most part. Also, it is easier than it looks!