Never Let Your Ostomy Hold You Back

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 me, going to the airport and flying abroad on vacation is something my husband and I usually do 3 times a year.

Our first trip back

This time, however, feels extra special. It is our first trip abroad since the pandemic. We returned from Mauritius in March 2020, just days before the UK went into lockdown.

We have been on vacation since when the restrictions allowed. However, instead of packing that cabin case and heading for the airport, we packed up the automobile, headed to different parts of my beautiful country, and enjoyed some great staycations.

I truly loved the new experiences as someone who loves to cook. Cooking while away when restaurants were still closed was indeed a pleasure and not a chore.

However, it is not the same as getting on a plane and jetting somewhere to enjoy different cultures, tastes, and smells and to see other places. Travel really is the best education you will ever get, in my opinion.

Starting a new job

This vacation has additional importance. It is an important and necessary relaxing break before I return to start a new job.

I have been with my company for 16 years. For the last 8 years, I have been a part of the international team. My immediate team colleagues are more than colleagues. They are friends.

They were there by my side, supporting me during my bladder cancer diagnosis, treatment, and beyond. I have a supportive manager, who is also a friend.

Support from my team

When I returned to work after my surgery, I got more support than anyone could wish. I only took back part of my previous workload. About 6 months later, 9 months post-surgery, as I got stronger, the account went through a transition and grew into a new contract. It was like it was meant to be. I felt fully back into my job again, adding value.

Over time, as I knew the client, I could manage the customer well and with ease. Even when I had ostomy challenges, for the most part, I coped well. When I didn't, I could afford some time out to manage the situation without my work falling behind.

I have been in this comfortable position for about 3 years. Never did it cross my mind to look for a new job or that next step up. Why would I? I had a team by my side who supported me. A team I knew so well and enjoyed working with that held the understanding that sometimes I needed some time to sort things out.

I worked from home and did not worry about a daily commute with my urostomy, which is prone to leaks due to retraction.

Ready for a new challenge

As I have said often, for me, the recovery from my bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment has continued to evolve as the years go by.

Of course, there aren't the big changes and wins you experience in the initial months post-surgery. However, something happens now and then, and you realize once again you have recovered that bit more, and you can do something you wouldn't have done a year previously.

That's me right now. I feel ready for the new challenge.

Sharing highs and lows

It's without a doubt a bit emotional, as in a sense, I will leave the colleagues who have been my emotional crutch when needed. More poignantly, I am leaving a team that has truly been a family in many senses of the word.

As a team, we have shared many personal highs and lows. Not just work-wise but in our personal lives too.

I know the time is right. For the first time in almost 5 years since my diagnosis, I am making the right decision for myself and my career. A decision made without caveats or putting what I have been through or continue to manage first.

Liberating (and a little scary)

It feels liberating. It feels a little scary. Then again, who doesn't have a little apprehension when starting a new job?

I am so grateful to my "work family" for being there and supporting me every step of the way. So, you see, never say never. Don't let your ostomy hold you back. Let it allow you to take that next step, however small or a little bigger.

As R.S. Grey has famously said before, "She believed she could, so she did."