This Morning with Philip and Holly… And So Bad Ass

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Yesterday was a whirlwind of awesome! I appeared on ITV’s morning show This Morning and got to meet the very wonderful Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby and talk about my all time favourite subject, poo!

I was invited on by TV and radio personality Judi Spiers, who along with her husband, invented a product to help people to change ostomy bags.  I reviewed the Riksack for them last month and they had been invited onto the couch for National Bowel Month and asked me to go with them.  Hooray!!

The researchers got in touch and had seen my blog and thought I would be great on TV, which was a huge compliment, almost as exciting as when they told me that Philip had been reading my blog and loved it! Arghhh!!!! So, if you are reading this now Mr Schofield, hiiiiiiii you are a living legend and a total fox!

I got the train down to London the night before after a traumatic decision over what to wear on the telly box.  I asked my awesome followers on Facebook for advice and advise they did… Over 300 of them, though unfortunately all saying different things!! In the end I went for a flowery dress by Lindy Bop which I felt comfortable in and also felt fab in.  Of course, I also wore my sparkly, gold boots.

What do I wear on the telly box?! Excuse my wind swept hair and grey socks! ?

A photo posted by So Bad Ass (@samcleasby) on

I got picked up in a car from my hotel and taken to the studios, hilariously there were some paparazzi hanging out and they got excited as I pulled up.  Unfortunately they were super disappointed when I got out of the car, I still waved and smiled just in case! (HA!)

The staff at This Morning were all lovely, very welcoming and trying to put you at ease, there were drinks and pastries and snacks but I didn’t eat as I didn’t want my stoma farting and bag filling up on live TV.  I went into hair and makeup where I was attended to by #MrFaceMaker and then back to the Green Room I went.

In hair and makeup with #mrfacemaker at #thismorning ??

A photo posted by So Bad Ass (@samcleasby) on

I filmed a pre recorded piece where I changed my ostomy bag using the Riksack, I was hoping to be the first stoma on live TV but alas, they cut that part out of the live show.  It was a bit odd to change my bag in front of strangers, the team were very sensitive though and made sure it was just a producer and a cameraman.  After changing my bag, I asked the producer what she thought, she admitted that she had been concerned as she was squeamish and was worried that it was going to be difficult to watch, but she was amazed that my stoma was so small and not nearly as terrifying as she had imagined.

This is why I do all the things I do, to change perceptions and break those taboos.

#thismorning

A photo posted by So Bad Ass (@samcleasby) on

So we then went onto set (which is much smaller than you imagine and all in one room) and I met the King and Queen of daytime TV, Philip and Holly.  Philip came over and kissed me and welcomed me to the show and I went over to Holly… and curtsied.

WTF? Whyyyyyy would I do a curtsy?? I was just a bit star struck and then I laughed and said “Oh.  I just curtsied” THEN CURTSIED AGAIN!!!

This is why I shouldn’t be allowed out in public.

Anyway, they had a laugh at my weirdness and then we sat on the sofa, I was with Judi and surgeon Mr Ian Daniels and off we went…

The interview went quicker than you think it will, it seemed to be over in a flash and then we were done! I wish I had said more but the slot was about the Riksack product and about signs and symptoms of bowel disease and bowel cancer and so it was important to get that info out.

I loved every minute of it and would love to do more TV as though it is terrifying before, it is so enjoyable once you are there doing it.  It is hard to get a lot of info into a 7 minute slot, especially when there are three people being interviewed it is nigh on impossible to say everything you want.  So apologies for not getting a bit more So Bad Assness out there!

Arrrgghhhhhhhh they were so lovely!!! Hope I did you all proud!!!!

A photo posted by So Bad Ass (@samcleasby) on

Holly is as beautiful in real life as she is on TV.  Seriously, I was a bit in awe of her and she was really sweet and lovely.  She was very friendly and complimented my dress and they both congratulated me on this blog and my work in disability.  Philip is a total fox.  I loved him in the early 90s with Gordon the Gopher and can’t believe I got to meet such a famous celeb.  He was really friendly and put you right at ease.  People have asked me to dish some dirt on the two of them, but I cant! They were just lovely!

I am really proud of myself.  The past few years have been hellish and there were times when I was in HDU or crying in pain in bed or leaking and feeling like a monster when I felt so low that I couldn’t imagine going on.  So to be on live TV four months after my last surgery was a HUGE milestone.

I do what I do to make others understand what life with an illness or disability is like, I do it to break taboos, to educate, inform, support and inspire.  I do it to make a difference.  I do it because I need a reason that I have had to go through all this.

#thismorning

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I didn’t plan for my life to be a series of battles, of medication, surgery, illness, pain and suffering.  But this is the hand I was dealt and so I will use every single one of these things to help others and make a difference in the world.

You can view the interview below, thanks for all the lovely messages on Facebook and Twitter, they mean everything.

Sam xx

Why I show off my ostomy bag 

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I’d like this post to just say ‘BECAUSE FUCK YOU!”
but I’m going to try and be a little more level headed. Which is difficult when I’ve just read a post on mumsnet by a charming person called Frikkadilla…

I should probably pop a warning in here to say this post is ever so sweary! If you’re offended by f-bombs, you should probably step away now.

Still here? Then let the rant commence.
Ohhhh FrikkaDilla… How I’d like to really show you my bag. Close up. Rammed in your face.
Let’s go through the points.
“Those Facebook photos with Stoma pictures. Am I wrong to really not want to see this?” 
Well, no. We have a choice in what we view on social media. If you don’t want to see these images, turn off your fucking computer.
In life, unless you wish to walk around with a bag over your head, then you will see people with disabilities, people who have medical devices that are part of their lives, people who are different to you. If you don’t wish to see people with medical problems, I’d suggest you fuck off and live in a cave.

sam cleasby body positive plus size ostomy
I have family and a friend who needs this piece of medical help however I keep being surprised (no…shocked) when I see people posting photos of themselves showing their bag off.
‘I’m not racist because I have this one black pal…’ Oh sorry! I thought we were all giving ourselves shitty excuses to say terrible things!
I’m sure your family member and friend must feel so supported by you and your desire to get people with an ostomy to hide away!
Your “surprise” and “shock” make me howl, you have the whole of the Internet at your fingertips and a photo of a woman in a bikini with an ostomy bag have affected you this much? Blimey! Let me send you a few links to some really shocking stuff. There’s this one video, at band camp…

stoma ileostomy bag woman junk food ulcerative colitis crowns ibd
I’ve even seen a woman on the beach in a bikini showing one off (Facebook photo)
How very fucking dare she? A woman went on holiday and wore a bikini??? No way!
You get that we can’t take the ostomy bag off right? That it’s something worn all day every day, it’s not a fashion statement, it’s a health device that allows us to still be alive!
People with an ostomy are like anyone else, they go on holiday, they wear human clothes, they own cameras and they are allowed on Facebook…

ileostomy bag bikini swimwear beachwear holiday

I just don’t understand this need to show it off. Why are they doing it?
Firstly, it’s none of your god damned business what other people choose to do.
Secondly, people are ‘showing it off’ because it is a part of their body, a device that can’t be removed and so most people are just trying to live their lives without embarrassment or fear of nasty, small minded bigots like you. They are sharing a photo of them, in their full glory.
Would you like all people with a disability to hide away? What about those attention grabbing amputees showing off with their missing limbs? They need to wipe their Facebook photo albums, right? Or even worse, those drama queens in wheelchairs!! All their photos are just chair, chair, chair!!!!
That was all sarcasm, in case you didn’t get it. As you don’t seem to get much do you Frikkadilla.

stoma ostomy ileostomy colostomy ibd ulcerative colitis photo shoot

Those of us who do show off our bags, and I’m talking about myself here do it for many reasons. I can’t speak for others but I’ll share just a few of mine.
• I want to raise awareness of something that affects over 100,000 people in the UK alone.
• Any illness to do with poo tends to be seen as embarrassing and taboo. This makes sufferers feel ashamed, isolated and depressed. I want to help end this taboo.
• I find it helps my recovery to share my story including photos of myself. I feel like I’m regaining control of my life after 13 years of illness, medication and surgeries.
• I am proud of my body and myself. I’ve been through hell and I refuse to let people like you body shame me.
• I want to show my kids that whatever humans look like, they are awesome. That I’m not ashamed of my imperfect body, because it’s perfect to me and they should love themselves no matter what society tells them.
• I make a difference to people’s lives by doing what I do. I get 50,000 views a month on this website! And I get hundreds of messages every month of people telling me that I am helping them through their journey. Who have you helped today Frikkadilla?
• Because I look fucking amazing! My size 16, scarred body with an ostomy may not to be your liking, but I think I look shit hot! (No pun intended!)
• I own my body, I don’t have to live by anyone else’s rules. I have full ownership and if I wish to share photos of it, I will without shame, bullying or fear.
• Because fuck you.

stoma ileostomy femininity black and white photography creative shoot

Thanks to everyone else on that mumsnet thread (that admin decided to pull because it was so shitty) who told Frikkadilla alllllllll the reasons why she was wrong/stupid/ablist/a cotton headed ninny muggins.

I read the post and was fuming but the responses reminded me that most people are awesome and just a few in this world who are dicks.
Sam xx

Fake Poo Pourri recipe 

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As you may know, I love Poo Pourri, it is a ‘before you go’ toilet spray that gets rid of the smell of poo…  I have written about it before and I am a big fan.  To buy your own now, head over and buy the real thing here.

This is the bloody wonderful advert here…

 

It is quite pricy though, especially if like me, you crap a lot…  And so I came across a poo pourri recipe that I thought I would share with you all.

How to make your own poo pourri type toilet spray.

  1. Get a small 2 oz spray bottle.
  2. Combine 10 drops of Essential Oils and 1 tablespoon of Rubbing Alcohol
  3. Shake to mix thoroughly.
  4. Add water, enough to almost reach the rim.
  5. Shake extremely well till all the ingredients are mixed well.

Distilled water is apparently the best as tap water has minerals that could affect the recipe but you can buy distilled water very cheaply.

Instead of rubbing alcohol, you can use vodka.  It’s purpose is to help the water and oil mix.

You should use 100% natural essential oils, don’t be tempted to use the cheaper synthetic blends.

ibd blogger office loo toilet ulcerative colitis

You can add more drops of oil, it is totally up to your own preferences.  You can use different scents and combinations.  Some nice mixes are;

Orange and Peppermint

Lavender, Lemon and Rosemary

Lemon, Grapefruit and Lime

Bergamot, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang

But you can try whichever you like best.

Be aware that essential oils are strong and concentrated, and they can be poisonous in large doses. They can also cause allergic reactions in some individuals, and some can even react badly with people who have certain medical conditions or who are on certain medications, so do be wary.

If you want to be able to see the barrier in the toilet bowl, you can add a couple of drops of food colouring to the mix, but this isn’t necessary.

 

So there you go, I haven’t tried this yet, but will be doing it this week and see how it goes.

Good luck!

 

Sam x

The #GetYourBellyOut birthday ball 

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I was super excited to be invited by Crohns and Colitis UK to attend the #GetYourBellyOut 2nd birthday ball with them.  As it was Timm’s birthday, he came along too!

#GetYourBellyOut is a great group who raise money for CCUK and awareness of life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  To join in the campaign, all you have to do is upload a picture of your belly to your chosen social media accounts using the hashtag #GetYourBellyOut! You DO NOT have to have IBD to join in the campaign, just a willingness to help raise awareness!

You can also make a donation by sending the text IBDA99 and your donation amount E.g. ‘IBDA99 £3’ to 70070 (UK mobiles only) or you can donate to the JustGiving page online here. ALL donations go to Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

The event was held at the National Motorcycle museum in Solihull and it was an absolute blast! It was amazing to be in a room filled with so many inspirational and wonderful people, stories were shared and the drinks flowed as people talked about their own IBD journeys and the difference that the campaign has made to their life.

IBD is known as an embarrassing illness and it can be hard for people to speak out about their illnesses and how it affects their lives.  So to be at this event where everyone is speaking openly (I was going to say ‘poo was on everyone’s lips’ but that sounds very, very wrong!) was just brilliant.

#GetYourBellyOut is doing amazing work and I was so chuffed to be invited, here are some of the photos from the night.  I’d highly recommend you head over and check out their work.  Someone asked me if I felt in competition with the group and with other IBD bloggers, and I can wholeheartedly say NO!  I think we are all on the same team and we all do what we do to try and make the lives of other people better.  I happily promote and share the work of other bloggers because I want to get everyone talking about their health, it is all about raising awareness and the more voices out there, the better.

When I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2003, there was so little support, the internet and social media have brought together so many people who are willing to speak out and to offer help to others and that is just so special.  I started this blog in early 2013 when I couldn’t find much info and support in the UK, nowadays there are so many more blogs, websites and support groups and this can only be a good thing.

Let’s celebrate all those who work hard in tough circumstances to shout out, to stop poo being taboo, to raise awareness, raise money and work to find a cure.  The Get Your Belly Out birthday ball was certainly a celebration of all those things.


Thank you guys for all your fantastic work!

I suppose it is only right that I get my belly out for this event, so here you go!

 

Sam xx

Riksack review – ostomy products

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I reviewed the Riksack recently for Stomaworks, it’s a product to help users change an ostomy bag with less mess and more ease.

Take a look…

 

 

Sam xx

 

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review but did receive the product for free.