Keagan Lynggaard Making it easier… to be one of the girls

Content text“What will my friends think?” This was Keagan’s first thought as an ostomate. Having been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 15, Keagan was admitted to hospital with a perforated colon and quickly underwent ostomy surgery.

Like any teenager, being able to be ‘normal’ and to fit in is really important. Being able to do all the great stuff that life offers – just like everybody else, is also a real concern. Although these thoughts were a real worry at first, and even though it hasn’t been an easy journey for her, circumstances have changed for the better for Keagan.

Today, Keagan has established a good routine. Importantly, those around her are aware of her condition: “My stoma doesn’t define me. My friends know about it and they support me. I feel comfortable when we are hanging out.”

Keagan now helps other ostomates by raising awareness through education and personal testimony. Keagan herself only had a day and a half to think about getting a stoma before she went into surgery. After that, she was hospitalized for 8 months. In hospital, she got used to being able to talk about her ostomy and it felt just part of everyday life.
It was quite a change then, to come home to an environment where no one knew about her ostomy. Even though her family and friends were very supportive, they of course couldn’t relate or truly understand in the way that a nurse or a fellow ostomy patient would. That’s why Keagan regularly engages with other ostomates, sharing tips and tricks and keep herself updated.

Keagan