In your interview with Tracey Emin about A Second Life, her forthcoming major exhibition at Tate Modern, and other matters (‘Regrets? Number one: smoking. Number two: taking it up the wrong hole’: Tracey Emin on reputation, radical honesty – and Reform, 14 February), she comments on the difficulties in her life now that she is living without a bladder.
While data is patchy, about 100 people a week undergo this surgery in the UK, commonly known as a urostomy. For all those people waiting to have this surgery it is a traumatic time, and I think it’s important to point out that this often life-saving surgery usually has much a much better outcome than Tracey has had.
People get back to living full and active lives, doing whatever they did before surgery. While the first few weeks after surgery are a steep learning curve, most of us settle into just a slightly different routine.
This includes needing to go to the loo just every couple of hours or so, and having the benefit of never needing to go to the loo during the night, which many older men in particular see as a positive boon!
Nick Berry
Gloucestershire Urostomy Group
I am writing not to contradict Tracey Emin’s account of her stoma problems. We all have our own cancer and stoma journeys. I just want to add another perspective.
I had a very similar operation, at about the same time, and have been living with a urinary stoma bag. Luckily for me, it has had little impact on my life. I find I empty it every two-and-a-half to four hours, rarely have trouble with leakage, and I don’t need to use my night bag during the day. I travel widely.
I am not boasting – I just want to put another experience down in case accounts are being read by someone contemplating a stoma operation.
Celia Murray
Leicester
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