Main content

How a stoma changed my life

We speak to three women who have had operations to fit a stoma bag on the surface of their tummy to talk about how it affects their relationship with food.

Thinking about how food passes through your body may not be something that crosses your mind, but for people who have had stoma surgery, they鈥檙e aware of it at every meal.
Tamasin Ford explores what it鈥檚 like to live with a stoma bag and how it redefines your relationship with food.
We speak to three women who have had lifesaving operations to have a stoma bag fitted. The surgery tends to involve either the small or large intestine, with a stoma creating an opening on the skin of the abdomen to bypass the normal digestion process. Instead digested content is diverted to a pouch, worn on the outside of your body.
We find out how they learned to eat again after having surgery, what they're doing to fight the stigma around stomas, and how they鈥檙e embracing their new lives with stoma bags. Joining us are Aisha Islam in Saudi Arabia, Alisa Kuivasto in Finland and Gill Castle in the United Kingdom.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Woman with stoma bag. Credit: Getty/大象传媒)

Producer: Sarah Stolarz
Presenter: Tamasin Ford

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 22 May 2022 07:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 19 May 2022 03:32GMT
  • Thu 19 May 2022 04:32GMT
  • Thu 19 May 2022 10:32GMT
  • Thu 19 May 2022 21:32GMT
  • Thu 19 May 2022 22:32GMT
  • Sun 22 May 2022 07:32GMT

Food Chain highlights

Tea, coffee, spices, chillies ... snack on a selection of programme highlights

Podcast