Laura MacKenzie

Hi again. I am back to look at another couple of additional ostomy products that may help you on your journey. Some people need support in the early days while...

Surgery day was approaching. On October 31st, 2017, I was admitted to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow, Scotland, for my total pelvic exenteration surgery scheduled for the next day. Confirmation...

The New Year means different things to different people. I live in Scotland. December 31 is known as Hogmanay. Historically Christmas day wasn't even a holiday in Scotland; however, New...

"All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth," sang Alvin and the Chipmunks, but what do we all really want for Christmas? Well, you could ask thousands of...

Today is a good day. No, today is a great day! This evening, I will head to Glasgow Airport, Scotland, and board a plane to Portugal. For anyone who knows...

It's Monday Morning. Back at work after two days away from my day job. E-mails to catch up on. Busy? Yes, however, I am buzzing from my trip during my...

For most people, the words urostomy, stoma, ostomy, and ileal conduit are all foreign unless, of course, you have one or know someone who does. I readily admit that the...

Most humans put others before themselves. It is in our nature and part of our makeup. Many people find this very difficult when we are presented with a situation where...

The sun setting as we took off from Faro Airport in Portugal was a sight to behold. The sun was also setting on our first holiday abroad since the pandemic...

Do I consider myself a survivor? Yes, I do. Per the definition of a survivor by the Oxford dictionary, "A person who survives, especially a person remaining alive after an event...

Do you know what an ostomy is or what to expect when living with one? Most people don't know too much about it unless they or someone close to them...

I am 4 and a half years after the surgery that changed and saved my life. This operation was for stage 4 bladder cancer and included removing my bladder and...

Bladder cancer, like any cancer, is a rollercoaster of a ride. Regardless of an individual's sex, religious beliefs, medical history, and more - it is a difficult journey to follow...

If you are reading this, you may already be an ostomate – someone who wears an ostomy bag following bladder removal surgery. You may be early on your journey or...

It's a tough world to live in and comprehend at times. The Covid-19 Pandemic was a universal challenge and a difficult time in many ways. For many people, and in...

Four and a half years after my bladder cancer surgery, I have started to reflect a lot on all I have gone through in the last few years. I feel...

Ostomy surgery is a major life change. Initially, people rightly focus on recovering from the surgery. It is important you take things easy and listen to your body. Everyone recovers...

The scan, the scope, the test, the X-ray. Each and every one of us on our bladder cancer journey has waited for a test or investigation of some sort. Each...

As I write this, I am 4 months away from my 5th "stomaversary," the anniversary of my stomas and a key milestone in my prognosis. As I reach this milestone...

I am a very positive person and like to think for the most part - I cope with living with life after bladder cancer and living with two ostomies. When...