How Soft Convexity Changed My Life

Victoria Danson, the founder of Crohn’s & Colitis Support Group Lancashire, struggled with her ileostomy bag for years. Her discovery of soft convex ostomy products helped restore her confidence, and enhanced her ability to be an active and worry-free mother, business professional, and fashion-enthusiast. 

Learn how soft convexity helped Victoria live her life to the fullest.

I have Crohn’s disease, and in 2014 I had emergency ostomy surgery. I had an undiagnosed abscess in my small bowel and had 18 inches removed whilst battling a sepsis infection. Stoma surgery is life-changing on so many levels and I found it really hard to get used to having an ileostomy bag. 

At first, my pouch leaked a lot, and this massively affected my confidence and restricted what I could wear. I have always been into fashion, and I spent hours searching for clothes that I would be comfortable in and that would hide the bag. 

In addition, fulfilling my duties as a mother became increasingly difficult as I was having daily pouch leaks. This increased my anxiety about socialising and I became obsessed with where the nearest toilet was. Despite this, I still put myself out of my comfort zone. I took my son to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort for his fifth birthday and, anticipating leaks, took plenty of spare bags with me.  

The queues for the rides were approximately 90 minutes long (the park had recently reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic) and I could see how disappointed my son was every time we had to leave the queue to change my bag and then rejoin at the back. By the sixth leak, and with only one spare pouch left, I was in a state of sheer panic. The rest of my bags were back at the hotel 20 minutes away and I didn't want to waste any more of my son's birthday dealing with this issue. 

I couldn't relax so I rang a contact I had from Dansac, as I knew they had an office in London. Within 20 minutes a nurse arrived with a plastic bag full of their Dansac brand ostomy supplies – it felt like Christmas Day! She said she was sorry that she only had convex stoma pouches, but I didn't care. I was just happy for the supply of bags! 

Prior to this I had only used stoma bags with flat skin barriers. The Dansac NovaLife TRE™ soft convex ostomy pouch changed my life! It really helps prevent leakage. Not only did it allow me to enjoy that day at LEGOLAND with my son, but my confidence has soared in all areas of my life. I can do my job as a hairdresser without worrying that I will need to rush to the toilet. I confidently wear tight fitting outfits in the gym without fear of stoma fluid leaking through my clothes. I can be an active mum with my son without worrying I that I might need to stop our activity due to leaking. Also, the skin around my stoma is so much healthier now. I can wear my stoma bag longer, and that is better for the environment since I do not have to change it as much. 

Finding the right bag has really helped me accept my stoma and support others on the same journey. The organization I founded, Crohn’s & Colitis Support Group Lancashire, offers workshops and online education to help reduce the isolation and increase the confidence of people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Knowing you’re not alone can make all the difference in the world.
 
 
 

To learn more about Victoria and how she inspires others with her positive outlook, read “Empowering You to Own Your Journey”.

People who provided testimonials received compensation from Hollister Incorporated. The testimonials, statements, and opinions presented are applicable to the people depicted. These testimonials are representative of their experience, but the exact results and experience will be unique and individual to each person.