Nepal is a very different country from the USA. I don't think people here understand too much about intestinal disease or about ostomy. We had an opportunity to change that while we were trekking the other day. One of the other trekkers who has an ostomy, she needed to empty her pouch and we were nowhere near a bathroom. She had to do it trailside. One of our guides noticed her doing her pouch empty and reacted with surprise. So I decided to show him what was going on and lifted my shirt to expose my colostomy.

This guide didn't speak English very well. So through a lot of pointing at my rear and then my ostomy, I was able to explain to him what this whole thing meant. After a while, the guide came back, lifted my shirt, pulled out my pants and then looked at me in amazement. We shared an understanding laugh and then I was able to further explain what was going on through another guide who spoke better English. A lot of other ostomates may not be too comfortable with what happened on the trail that day. I'm OK with it though. The way I see it, by me showing what was going on for me and the other trekker, I was able to educate someone who may never have another opportunity to learn about ostomy. And that's a very good thing.

Tony Bell