Your Mentor

Hi, I’m Dominic King THE OSTOMY COACH.

At the beginning of 2005 I started to experience symptoms of ulcerative colitis which gradually worsened until I was forced into a traumatic 5 week stay in hospital, which led to surgery and a my new addiction - an Ileostomy bag. I had the bag over a two year period before having an internal J Pouch surgery and the eventual take down surgery a few months later. 

It all sounds so straightforward and easy to write it down so quickly, but as most of you will appreciate, the reality is so much more impactful. During that period I suffered physical pain, what seemed like mental torture, I had complications such as blockages and blood clots that led to emergency surgery. That’s not to mention the sleepless nights, the hospital food, the smells, the deaths, a patient jumping out of an upstairs window - oh, and did I mention about the surgeon dropping me? Well that’s a story for another day. The point is, it was an enormously difficult period in my life that many of you will relate to. But I’m sure you have your own crazy story to tell. Don’t underestimate how powerful this experience can be for you and how it can help your future.