Men face particular challenges when it comes to their health. Looking at health statistics in the United States, men are less likely to have health insurance than women. They’re also more likely to have high blood pressure, smoke, and drink alcohol. Men also see a doctor less often than women. There are a variety of reasons for these disparities but the end result is that men might face more health problems.
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Ostomy surgery can improve quality of life for people with IBD but it is still not discussed often enough, or early enough, in the disease process. This leaves patients to cope with the surgery and the acceptance of an ostomy during a time when they are already critically ill. For Austin Powers, who goes by The Ostomy Guy, he exhausted all his possibilities to treat complications from Crohn’s disease before having surgery to place an ostomy. It was several more years before a quick encounter with another ostomate set him on the journey of acceptance. Today, Austin runs a podcast and has written a book about his experiences, The Ostomy Guy Story: Memoirs of a Bagman, which is available on Amazon. Listen all the way to end to hear one of the many letters Austin receives from his readers, who are inspired by his story.
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