MY STOMA: A SECOND WIND, MY NEW LIFE
Hi, I’m Genevieve and I’m 46 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 5 years old. Being an only child living with an abused mother and an abusive father, from stomach aches to gastroenteritis, my disease became my partner, almost my “friend”.
My primary education was dotted with numerous visits to the hospital, including three surgeries where I had to take strong medication. I was taking between six to eight cortisone tablets every day. Because I was taking such medication, I was fairly unrecognizable. I had a really round face and my entire body was swollen! Let’s just say it wasn’t the time to hit on boys.
I suffered from an important growth delay. During my first year of high school, specialists decided to feed me before adolescence, to try and give me a growth “boost”. Basically, they inserted a plastic tube in my nose and down into my stomach to feed me 24 hours a day to help my growth. I had to entirely stop eating for a year to allow my bowel to rest, and to absorb as many proteins as possible. They were basically fattening me like a pig! It worked however, and I went for 4’ tall to 4’11 tall (and if I stretch, I’m almost 5’ tall) and from 75 lbs to 90 lbs. I had to go through this again in my third year of high school, but only for six months.
I could drink water, and my daily reward was a few bright, small candies. God did I enjoy them! I obviously spent a lot of time watching tv. Did you know there are at least 20 ads for food in a 30 minutes tv show? I know, I counted them, and I knew them all by heart! You’re not hungry when you’re being fed, but you still want to taste food, you want to chew and feel the different textures of every food!
And finally, college life was here! My new life in my apartment was almost quiet. My stomach aches were still there. Eventually, I got five kidney stones in 30 days. I will never be able to have children, but they say that pain from kidney stones is as bad as childbirth… At least I’ve experienced that!
Finally, in 1992, I left for Toronto to work as a nanny and there, I found myself. I first stayed with an incredible family where the mother was incredibly proud of her three children and where the father was so kind. I finally found peace there! Despite all those nice moments, I was still sick. I decided to undergo a permanent ileostomy in 1995.
A second breath, a new life… I finally had the freedom to walk for hours, to swim, to travel to Italy, to Cuba, and to Paris in September!
If I was able to pass on some wisdom, some light or some inspiration to you through my story, I will be proud. I can confirm that the expression “having a taste for life” now takes on its full meaning for me!
See you soon!
Your friend,