Colitis patient hopes to make fitness history

A colitis patient who was nearly killed when childhood bullies stamped on her stoma is taking on a fitness challenge in the hope of inspiring others.

Lindsay Bowers, from Southampton, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis aged nine.

The 41-year-old hopes to become the first person with a stoma to complete the Spartan DEKA FIT Europe, which involves eleven 500m runs, interspersed with exercise activities.

She said: "People don't always see what you're dealing with but if I can show one person what's possible, then that's enough."

Ms Bowers first became unwell at age eight, and after experiencing severe stomach pain, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, rectal bleeding and weight loss, was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

She was bullied at school for needing a stoma bag and suffered a life-threatening attack on a bus, which left her in intensive care with a damaged stoma, broken jaw and cracked ribs.

Ms Bowers said: "My childhood bullies beat me up, stamped on my stoma so much that I nearly died.

"If they couldn't solve the surgery, it would have been murder at the end of the day – which is quite scary to think about.

"I'm proud to represent hidden disabilities."

She became the first child in the UK to undergo J-pouch surgery – a pioneering procedure performed by a US specialist.

It can reverse a stoma by connecting the newly created pouch, made from the small intestine to the anus, allowing waste to pass through the body naturally again.

The procedure, which gave her 20 years without a stoma bag, was filmed and is used as a medical teaching tool.

But in 2013 the J-pouch failed and she said she experienced a painful decade of ill-health.

In 2022, Ms Bowers had life-changing surgeries that saw her undergo a full hysterectomy and a "Barbie butt" procedure removing her anus and colon.

"I'm officially a Barbie, so I'll take that," she said.

"It's closure for me. I wouldn't want to leave it open and then get scans five years down the line and find I've got cancer."

Ms Bowers said she now wanted to inspire other stoma patients.

"There's nothing positive in the hospital discharge literature that says life can be normal," she said.

"It takes time but you can feel happy and healthy again."

Determined to show life with a stoma can be full and active, she began researching feats never attempted by someone with a stoma and discovered Spartan DEKA.

"A lot of my friends asked, 'Are you drunk? Are you sure you want to do this?'" she said. "But I was like, no – I'm doing it."

"I wanted to be able to say to other people with stomas: you can do this and this is what healthy feels like," she added.

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