Occupational Therapist Charlotte Speakman is using her own experience of stoma surgery to help raise awareness of what life can be like with a stoma – and to show that it is still possible to live an active and fulfilling life.
Charlotte, who works with the Keswick and Solway Integrated Care Community (ICC) and is based at Wigton Community Hospital, needed an emergency ileostomy following complications after knee replacement surgery in 2025.
At first, she found it difficult to talk about her experience and was unsure about telling people that she had a stoma.
“I had some dark moments in hospital. Unless you experience life with a stoma, you can't know what it's like.
“I've had to change my diet to avoid foods like vegetables, fruit and nuts that I cannot process. At first, I didn't want to mention anything about the stoma, but slowly I began to tell select people. I was scared, but I'm determined not to be overcome by this.”
