The Best Restaurant in the World Is Central in Lima
The best restaurant in the world is Central, in Lima. The dynamic tasting menu restaurant from chef Virgilio
2023-06-21 05:45
Pastrami vs. Corned Beef: What's the Difference?
The two brined meats are both delicious, but they're prepared in very different ways.
2023-08-29 01:25
Mum with stoma bag shares bikini pictures to celebrate ‘second chance at life’ after cancer scare
A mum who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged 13 and had to have her colon removed eleven years later as it became pre-cancerous, giving her a “second chance at life”, is now an influencer bearing all to show it is possible to “live a beautiful, normal, happy life” with a stoma bag. Meghan Cary Brown, 31, a stay-at-home mum and content creator, from Charlottesville, Virginia, in the US, spent most of her teenage years in “so much pain” and had to “deal with bullying as well as being sick”. At 24, the mum of two, to Cora, three, and 23-month-old Colin, was told her colon was precancerous, causing her to “collapse on the floor crying”, just eight months after she had married Thomas Brown, now 31, a project manager. Meghan was in a “very dark place” and was “overcome with sadness” at the thought of getting cancer, so with some encouragement from her doctor, had her colon removed and had a stoma bag fitted. One year later she created an Instagram page, and more recently a TikTok, to share her story and raise awareness about life with a stoma bag with thousands of followers. Her postings include an open discussion of her experience, sharing bikini pictures and openly explaining she has worn “beautiful lacy wraps” for stoma bags in intimate moments with her partner, and it has “served as a healing mechanism” to make her realise she needs to “stop worrying so much” about the opinions of others. “I started posting as I wanted people to see that you can live this beautiful, normal, happy life with an ostomy bag, and when I was researching it I couldn’t see anyone my age talking about it,” she told PA Real Life “But the other reason was that it almost served as a healing mechanism for me – I think it was really powerful to just put myself out there on the internet. “Like, this year at the beach for the first time I wore a bikini with my bag on show and it felt amazing – I just thought life is too short.” After Meghan was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease she had to be home-schooled for a year because she “could not even get out of bed”. Meghan said: “My parents would find me lying on the bathroom floor because I could not get up and walk to the bed, I was in so much pain, and I had so much fatigue. “But it was also hard because since I was home-schooled, we didn’t have social media or anything, so no-one knew where I was, and there were lots of rumours spread about me – I had to deal with bullying as well as being sick.” Meghan was put on lots of different medications and had to deal with their side effects, such as giving her a “big moon face” as she retained water. She said: “I can remember having to get clothes three times my size and just breaking down crying. “That’s really difficult when you’re a teenage girl.” One year later Meghan was “in remission” for Crohn’s and was able to return to school. She continued taking “maintenance medication” which kept her symptoms at bay but, when she was in her first year of university, she began getting sick again. She explained: “I fell out of remission and it turned out I formed antibodies towards the drug I was taking so it was no longer working. “I had to inject myself at home while in college so it was really difficult.” Meghan also had to have regular hospital visits and aged 24, eight months after getting married, a routine colonoscopy showed that her colon was pre-cancerous. She said: “When they told me I had high-grade dysplasia deep within the tissue of my colon, and it was pre-cancerous, I was heartbroken. “I can remember standing in the kitchen when my doctor told me this over the phone, and it made me collapse on the floor crying because when you hear that word, cancerous, all you can think is that you’re going to die. “It was terrifying.” At the follow-up appointment Meghan was told she could have routine checks to make sure the cancer was not progressing or have her colon removed. She said: “I was adamant that I wasn’t going to have my colon removed – I thought my life would be over if I had that done. “I was in a very dark place and I was overcome with sadness. “But when I told my doctor my decision, he explained that I could have it removed now, or in a few years’ time I could be a mum with young children and have cancer. “That just put things into perspective for me – it made me realise it’s not just about me, so I decided to have it removed.” From that moment on, Meghan decided to live her life to the full. She said: “I decided I was going to look at this as my second chance at life – I had already been incredibly sick for 10 years – I told myself I was going to look at this as a positive thing. “Before, there were so many things I couldn’t do, like I had so much anxiety riding in a car because I couldn’t control my bowels and I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a bathroom.” It took Meghan a few months to get used to having a stoma bag, and she explained what it is like day-to-day: “I change the whole system appliance every three to four days, and throughout the day I have no feeling. “I don’t have the urge to go to the bathroom, it just happens. “Throughout the day I’ll just go to the bathroom and empty my bag – I do this around six to eight times a day.” Meghan also had to adjust to having a stoma bag while being intimate with her husband. She said: “I wore beautiful lacy wraps made for people with bags, with a pocket to tuck it in, as it helped my body image because I felt pretty. “But honestly, now I’ve had my ostomy bag for almost seven years, we’re so comfortable with one another – if anything ever happens during intimacy, we just can laugh it off and move on.” One year after having her bag fitted she decided to create an Instagram account to share her story, where she now has more than 14,100 followers, and a further 19,400 followers on TikTok. Meghan said: “It really puts life into perspective and really made me realise life is so short. “I need to stop worrying so much about the opinions of others, or what other people are going to think – making my Instagram account made me realise this too. “I’m just so happy to be happy and healthy.” Read More Charlotte Dawson gives birth to her and Matt Sarsfield’s ‘rainbow baby’ How to sleep during hot weather, according to experts How to keep your pet safe and healthy during a heatwave Charlotte Dawson gives birth to her and Matt Sarsfield’s ‘rainbow baby’ How to sleep during hot weather, according to experts How to keep your pet safe and healthy during a heatwave
2023-07-31 17:20
IKEA bets on remote interior design as AI changes sales strategy
By Helen Reid LONDON IKEA is training call centre workers to become interior design advisers as the Swedish
2023-06-13 13:26
10 of the best cryptocurrency courses you can take for free
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2023-06-08 11:48
How to Play Retro Games on Your Modern Mac With OpenEmu
As companies move away from older consoles and new operating systems render many games unplayable,
2023-11-23 03:49
Beyond Barbiecore Pink: Where To Shop Margot Robbie’s Style In Barbie
Margot Robbie as a Barbie can fly down the stairs and walk on water, as she appears to be going through a very relatable girlhood-to-womanhood identity crisis. A world of pink, pastels, and hard, shiny plastic packed with painstaking attention to detail. We’re calling it: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is set to be the biggest film event of the year (sorry to all the Oppenheimer truthers out there).
2023-07-08 05:16
Secure lifetime access to CompTIA and IT study guides for under £25
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to the 2023 CompTIA and IT Exam Study Guide is on
2023-08-20 12:49
I’ve Used Nuuly For Two Years & I’m Not Stopping Any Time Soon — Here’s Why
Just over two years ago on my birthday, my sister surprised me with a gift that I wasn’t too sure about. In my inbox was a year long subscription to Nuuly — a sustainable clothing rental service — but at the time, I really hated clothes. Due to the perfect storm of a wildly fluctuating weight, a meager paycheck, and a long bout of untreated depression, I’d stopped shopping completely and let my entire closet become a few oversized sweaters and threadbare leggings. My sister thought a monthly clothing rental subscription would be a fun, no-strings way to try out some new styles and refresh my closet. But I wasn’t too sure. Still, I charged forward, figuring after I hit my year mark, I’d phase Nuuly out and start purchasing more permanent items for my wardrobe — or I’d be able to go back to my well-loved leggings and sweaters. Well, I just reached year two with Nuuly, and I’m still faithfully renewing my subscription with no end in sight — and here’s why.
2023-10-31 04:56
Biostar B760A-Silver Review
It's been a while (2017, precisely), since we've taken a deep look at a Biostar
2023-09-11 00:59
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for September 30
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The
2023-09-30 10:15
A Week In Bay Area, CA, On A $72,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
2023-09-09 00:16
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