Professional football player with colostomy

As a person with a colostomy procedure, I never expected to be able to make it to the NFL, but here we are. I began my football career in junior high. I was in the seventh grade, and all my friends were going to play. They asked me to try out as well, even though they knew I had very little football experience. I was surprised when I made the team; they don’t take everyone. Some of my friends who have been playing for a few years did not make it, yet I did. Thoes few friends who did not make the team were proud of me but also quite jealous. I was excited that i made the team and was looking forward to my future in football. 

I fell in love with football and i knew i wanted to play in college and professional if I could make it. My life changed one day in highschool after a game. After this game I was undressing when i felt a pain in my abdomen. I told my parents about the pain i was feeling and they scheduled a doctores appointment immediately. On the day of my appointment i was kind of nervous because my stomach was still hurting. I told the doctor what was going on and he wanted to get an Xray. 

Following my xray the doctor told me that i needed to get a colostomy procedure. I was devastated. I thought my football career was going to end here and now. I asked my doctor if I could still play, he told me that so long as I do not wear my bag when i play i should be alright. After my procedure I was asking countless questions regarding my new situation. I was relieved to hear i could sill play football. I made a pact with myself that no matter what i would not let this hold me back from making it to the NFL someday. 

I continued to play football even after my procedure but i need to be careful. I need to ensure i do not wear my bag during games and i need to apply a custom made metla plate that keeps my stoma protected. When I got approached by a recsruter for college football i was ecstatic. I played through college with a full ride scholarship and eventually was getting scouted by some of my favorite teams. After a while i got approached by one and we set up a  contract. I told them about my situation. They were very understanding and accepting of it. They too were suprides that someone with my condition has made it this far in a rough sport like football. 

Being a football player in the NFL with an ostomy is an odd situation to say the least. Any time i tell people that i have an ostomy they are surprised. I cant say i blme them either, doctors generly tell people like me to not play physical contact sports but so long as you take the proper precautions and protect yourself. I am glad to be where i am today as i can stand as an example for others like me to show that no matter what it is you can do what ever you want. 

Starting an ostomy company

If I were tasked with the job of creating a company to help ostomy patients, I think this is how I would do it. I first would want to talk to the young adults and children who have ostomy bags and see what flaws their pouches in hopes of designing a new kind of bag better suited for them. Secondly, I would want to try and make it more discrete as I personally find it kind of gross how they need to be emptied. Finally, I would set up a support group in my building for anyone who is suffering from bullying or mental health regarding their ostomy pouch. 

As someone who does not have a need for an ostomy bag, I do not think I am the most qualified person to start up a business in this regard, but I know I would do my best to help any patients. I want to make a more comfortable bag. I would make a bag that, when it is on it does not feel like it. I would make it, so the skin side of the bag is an excellent push material infused with a soothing lotion. This would be good as it would be comfortable, and the infused cream would provide comfort to the skin under the bag. This would also protect the skin from eroding away under the pouch and help promote healthy skin. 

To make the pouch more user-friendly, first, I would want to talk to the patients and tell them my vision. I would make the bag have two compartments. One big one for holding the discharge and another long shoot separated by a clip. This clip will need to be removed, so it allows the discharge to go down it and into a toilet. This would be a long piece so the bag can remain attached but still be drained in a simple way. 

Finally, I would like to set up a support group that helps anyone suffering from mental instability or bullying due to the surgery they had to get to save their life. Not having an ostomy bag growing up, I would not know what it is like for them, but I have been bullied before, so I can at the least relate to them in that aspect. I am sure it is not easy growing up having an ostomy bag, especially in these times in the schools. It has been my experience, and opinion kids nowadays are nasty to one another. Some of the things they say to one another baffle me from time to time. 

I believe that this is an excellent start to building up a company specifically for ostomy patients. I want to help them live a better, more comfortable life and provide a safe environment for them if they need it. With a new ostomy pouch that is created for comfort and convenience would be a significant improvement to some of their lives. The support group would be something that meets in person; the hope is they all bond and can grow together. In today’s world, people can be cruel to one another without getting to know one another. I believe that it is vital to be kind to everyone you meet regardless of what is going on in their life.