Tag Archives: outdoors

How to select ostomy pouch styles for the outdoors

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

Last weekend I was reminded why I love using closed-end ostomy pouches on hikes and climbs. I was up on a long ridge between between Loveland Pass and Mt. Sniktau in Colorado. Though it was a gorgeous 75-degree day down … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking and backpacking, Products, Tips and Tricks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Searching for the hopeful Heidi

Posted on December 13, 2012 by

It  has been a hard couple of days. I wish I could find my usually positive and hopeful self right now, but the only emotion I seem to be capable of summoning up is dread. I spent several hours last … Continue reading →

Posted in Avascular Necrosis, Remicade and other medications | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

No Slowing Down for My Ostomy

Posted on July 1, 2012 by

Here are some clues that my schedule has become crazy busy lately: This morning I tried to brush my teeth and put my socks on at the same time. It didn’t go well. Dust bunnies are currently breeding out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Exercise, Running, Swimming, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Trading disappointment for delight at the Bolder Boulder 10K

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

Disappointment is one of the emotions I have the hardest time dealing with. As I was standing at the start line of the Bolder Boulder 10K on Monday waiting for the gun to go off, I wasn’t sure how to … Continue reading →

Posted in Exercise, Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Drawing my way out of the doldrums

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

My first mainly sedentary week has been hard mentally. I wish so much that I could go for a hike or run, but just walking around the grocery store makes my hip throb with pain, so that is not going … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature and recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Craving normalcy (feat. new video)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

In the initial months after ileostomy surgery, all I craved was normalcy. Life as I knew it had completely disappeared. Gone were the days of getting up and going to the office to work on a variety of enjoyable challenges … Continue reading →

Posted in Snowboarding, Surgery recovery, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A dot marks the spot

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

It was a gorgeously sunny October day last year when I packed up my harness and backpack and headed out the door. No, I wasn’t going on a hike or climb. In fact, the place I was traveling to wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Hiking and backpacking, My favorite posts, Stoma, Surgery decisions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The long haul (feat. new video)

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

When I first got out of the hospital around Thanksgiving in 2010, I was overwhelmed with my ostomy appliance. I remember calling Doug on the phone in tears the first time I tried to change it on my own. Output … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking and backpacking, Surgery recovery, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Memories of harder times

Posted on September 15, 2011 by

Last year at this time, I was just beginning my downward spiral into my final severe Ulcerative Colitis flare. Each day of the next few months will be an anniversary of something UC-related, and the flashbacks to those harder times … Continue reading →

Posted in Surgery recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Dealing with Output on the Trail (feat. new video)

Posted on September 3, 2011 by

Many new ostomates wonder how to deal with their output on hikes, as we usually have to empty our appliances every 4-6 hours. The answer is to dig a “cathole.” This is the term commonly used by backpackers for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking and backpacking, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments