Beyond the Pouch
with Rachel & Louise
Beyond the Pouch Podcast: Inspiring stories about life with an ostomy
Welcome to Beyond the Pouch, the podcast that takes you on a captivating journey into the world of ostomy. Get ready to dive into open and honest conversations as we explore the inspiring lives of ostomates and uncover the incredible stories and experiences beyond the pouch.
Meet our hosts, Rachel and Louise
Rachel is from Wales and has a disease called Hirschsprung’s Disease, which her son Jake also inherited, and led to them both having a stoma bag. Rachel uses her platform to not only educate and share her life experience but to also celebrate what having a stoma means to her.
Louise is from Kent and has Crohn’s disease, which she has been living with for 20 years. She has had 3 stomas in total – her first was due to a bowel perforation during a C-section, her second and third were due to her perianal Crohn’s disease. Louise uses her platform to raise awareness and prove that you can continue to live life to the fullest with a stoma.
Our Episode Guide
E13 | Jennie’s Inspiring Pregnancy Journey with a Stoma
In this episode, Jennie shares her inspiring journey of navigating pregnancy with a stoma, managing the challenges of Crohn’s flare-ups, and advocating for herself throughout her stoma experience.
E12 | Poppy’s Inspiring New Outlook on Life After a Stoma
In this episode, Poppy shares her journey with Ulcerative Colitis, from her diagnosis to her emergency stoma surgery. She talks about the setbacks she faced, her shift in outlook, and the new life she’s embraced with a stoma.
E11 | Anna Opens up About Her Journey to a Reversal and Back to a Stoma
In this episode, Anna shares her story of being diagnosed with Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) as a newborn to undergoing emergency surgery for an ileostomy, then navigating a reversal and returning to life with a stoma.
E10 | Chris Opens Up About Mental Health & Relationships With A Stoma
In this episode, Chris opens up about mental health struggles and overcoming emotional challenges with a stoma. Not only this, Chris’ wife, Rachel, makes a special feature as she shares her experience taking care of a loved one with a stoma.
E9: Nikki Opens up About Adapting to Life as a New Ostomate
In this episode, Nikki shares her journey of adjusting to life as a new ostomate, discussing her challenges with mental health and the process of coming to terms with her stoma.
E8 | Jeremy Eakin on the Story of Eakin and the First Cohesive® Seal
In this episode, Jeremy Eakin, former CEO of Eakin Healthcare, shares the story of Eakin and how it started as a family-owned business. Alongside this, he also talks about the development of the first Cohesive® seal.
E7 | Summer on Barbie Butt Surgery, Relationships & Body Confidence with a Stoma
In this episode, Summer shares her experience of being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, undergoing stoma surgery, and Barbie butt surgery, all within a span of three years. She also talks about coping with relationships and body confidence with a stoma.
E6 | Keith Shares How He Maintains a Positive Attitude With a Stoma, Raising Awareness & His Diabetes Diagnosis
In this episode of Beyond the Pouch, Keith shares how he maintains a positive attitude while living with ulcerative colitis and a stoma, his keenness for raising awareness and his experience being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
E5 | Natalie Discusses Pregnancy, Contraceptives & Periods with Crohn’s Disease
In this episode of Beyond the Pouch, Natalie opens up about her experience with undiagnosed Crohn’s during pregnancy, the challenges she faced with contraceptives while having a stoma, experiencing a Crohn’s flare in the vagina, dealing with heavy periods and much more.
E4 | Ant’s Ulcerative Colitis Story & Greatest Moments with a Stoma
In this episode of Beyond the Pouch, Ant opens up about being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis during university, how he manages a prolapsed stoma and adapting to stoma life while maintaining a positive energy throughout. Ant also touches on how he doesn’t let his stoma hold him back — from becoming a ambassador for the ostomy community, to running his first London marathon with a stoma.
E3 | Mohammad’s Battle with Colon Cancer & Raising Awareness for Ethnic Minority Groups
In this episode of Beyond the Pouch, Mohammad opens up about his battle with colon cancer, along with having emergency stoma surgery after the tumour in his abdomen grew to the size of a watermelon. Mohammad also shares his passion for being an advocate for the cancer and stoma community, as well as raising awareness for ethnic minority groups in the stoma and medical field.
E2 | Phillipa Opens Up About Almost Losing Her Life
In this episode of Beyond the Pouch, Phillipa opens up about almost losing her life due to multiple organ failure whilst she was in a coma, as well as having sepsis, C.difficile and a perforation of her bowel. A month before this, Phillipa had a stoma formed after being diagnosed with both Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, but unfortunately due to the perforation of her bowel, she had to spend two and a half months in hospital – learning to walk and sit up again.
E1 | Navigating the Stoma World
In this episode, Rachel and Louise open up about their stoma stories, including navigating the ups and downs of life with an ostomy. Rachel discusses both her and her son living with a stoma as a result of Hirschsprung’s Disease, while Louise opens up about her Crohn’s journey, along with waking up to her first stoma as a result of a C-section.
