Shawna received compensation from Coloplast to provide this information. Each person’s situation is unique so your experience may not be the same.
My Name is Shawna, I'm 32 Years Old, and I Have Ulcerative Colitis.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 2011, and for over a decade, I tried every treatment available. Medications, biologics, you name it. After years of fighting, my body made the decision for me. In February 2022, I had a colectomy surgery and woke up with a stoma. My life changed forever.
From Worst Case Scenario to a New Beginning
When I was told I would need a stoma, my heart sank. For so long, this had felt like the worst possible outcome, something to be feared and avoided at all costs. I had spent years trying to prevent this moment.
But then something unexpected happened.
The early weeks were hard. Finding the right ostomy bag took time. There were leaks, skin irritations, and moments of real grief. After additional surgeries and complications, in March 2023 I underwent a proctocolectomy, meaning my stoma became permanent. That news was difficult to absorb.
And yet - slowly, quietly - something shifted.
For the first time in over a decade, I was no longer in constant pain. I wasn't planning my life around bathroom access or cancelling plans because my body wouldn't cooperate. I could breathe. I could move. I could live.
What I once thought was the worst case scenario turned out to be the thing that gave me my life back.
Yoga Gave Me My Body Back
Throughout all of this, yoga became my lifeline. Even during the hardest chapters of recovery, I kept coming back to my mat - and it showed me, over and over again, how strong my body truly is. That strength gave me the courage to complete my yoga teacher training. Today, I am a yoga and sound practitioner, and movement is at the heart of everything I do.
One of the things I love sharing is that life with a stoma doesn't have to hold you back, not even on the mat.
Coloplast products have been essential to feeling confident and secure during my practice, moving with me without getting in the way.
Moving Abroad with a Stoma. Nobody Talks About This.
On October 2025, I packed up my life in Germany and moved to Canada. It was exciting, but also genuinely daunting in ways I hadn't fully anticipated. Moving abroad with a disability means figuring out a new healthcare system, finding a new doctor, and knowing how to access your supplies in an unfamiliar country. It's the kind of challenge that doesn't come with a guide.
But it's also exactly the kind of thing I wish someone had spoken about openly when I was newly navigating ostomy life. So I will.
Why I'm Sharing My Story
I don't want to sugarcoat it. There are still days when it's hard - days when I feel scared about the future or the challenges ahead. That's real, and it deserves to be said.
But I also know this: I wouldn't be alive without my stoma. And I am so deeply grateful for it. When I was new to this life, seeing other people share their stories openly made me feel less alone.
Now I want to be that for someone else. Because one of the most important things I've learned is that finding the right bag changes everything. Every body is different, every lifestyle is different, and the right product can mean the difference between holding back and truly living. For me, finding the right Coloplast bag was the moment things started to feel possible again. It moved with me, held with me, and gave me back a confidence I didn't think I'd find.
I want to share that - the real life. The emotions. The freedom that comes when everything finally clicks into place.
Ostomy life is still a taboo topic. I'd like to help change that. One story at a time.
