A brave gran has recounted the moment she burst into tears when her stoma bag tore open, causing a leak while she was out in public. Anne Inch from Netherburn, South Lanarkshire, was shopping in Glasgow with a friend when the bag detached “due to the force of waste being discharged” from her body.
The incident left her feeling isolated on the train journey home as fellow passengers moved away because of the odour, leading to her having a panic attack, reports Glasgow Live. She told our sister title: “We had to get the train home, and it was standing room only. People were moving away from me because of the smell.
“The waste was all over me and I had taken my coat off and put it over the top to try and hold the odour in, because it doesn’t smell good. I was having a panic attack, and it was horrific, it brought me to tears.”
Anne needed ostomy surgery after suffering from sepsis and now lives with a stoma bag that requires regular emptying and changing. Stoma bags are crucial for individuals dealing with various health conditions such as certain cancers, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Diverticular Disease, and can be life-saving post-sepsis.
Her late husband Iain also experienced the distress of a leaking stoma bag, enduring nine leaks in a single day while in hospital. She said: “He was very, very embarrassed while he was in the hospital, because it was just leak after leak.
“One day he had had a heart scan, and the consultant had come in to let him know that there wasn’t anything more they could do for him. We left the hospital, and he turned to me and said, ‘I think I’ve got a leak’ and I just couldn’t believe it. I thought, this is all this man’s worried about, he’s just been told that’s it and this leak was his biggest concern.”
Moved by her husband’s distress, the skilled seamstress invented an innovative device aptly named ConfiPlus, using a sewing machine tucked away in their attic. The device not only contains stoma bag leaks but also wicks moisture away from the skin, thus offering users time to change their bag discreetly while protecting them from potential skin issues caused by recurrent leakage.
She said: “I came home, and I devised something, and I took it up to him, and it worked. Then other people in the ward asked if I could make it for them. It did make a big difference to our lives, and Iain felt more confident, so we started to go back out.
“He wouldn’t go to a restaurant, he wouldn’t go out, and we started to go back out again. That made all the difference to him, and it gave him a wee bit of ordinary life, instead of sitting on the couch watching the television every day, because that’s all he did.”
After founding Confidence Plus, the company recently triumphed at this year’s Scottish Edge award, securing its place as a leading business in Scotland. Their product, proudly manufactured and sold within the UK, is set to break into the international market with a launch in the USA come December 2024.
Anne also expressed gratitude to Coronation Street scriptwriters for bringing attention to an issue that impacts many in the UK. An episode on Wednesday November 6 will feature a poignant moment for Bethany Platt, portrayed by Lucy Fallon, when she faces embarrassment after her stoma bag leaks in the pub – a consequence of a failed cosmetic surgery abroad which resulted in sepsis.
The grandmother commented: “It’s a silent problem so it’s a great thing that Coronation Street is raising awareness of this, it means people seeing it will feel they’re not the only one suffering.”
Lucy shared with Inside Soap magazine the encouraging responses she’s received from viewers with stoma bags, saying: “I’ve mainly had messages from people who have stoma bags just to say they’re happy it’s being represented on something like Coronation Street, it makes people feel seen.”
Lisa Crombie, managing director of Confidence Plus Ltd, the company behind the ConfiPlus device, praised the popular soap for tackling a sensitive health issue. She said: “Having a show like Coronation Street address such a common but unspoken problem like stoma bag leakage and the lifestyle challenges that come with it is great to see.
“To get people talking and not feeling like it’s a taboo subject is wonderful, and we commend ITV for portraying the issue in such a sensitive manner. While individuals are encouraged to lead a normal life, leaks from bags are common leading to embarrassment and a loss of confidence and dignity.
“Just the fear of an embarrassing leakage can prevent stoma bag users from going out in public so it can be very isolating.”
The ConfiPlus device is currently undergoing trials by a distributor for NHS England but is also available for purchase online.
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