Keith Woan suffered from ulcerative colitis for 10 years before having surgery to create an ileostomy.

That was over 30 years ago and Keith now says “I don’t feel any different to anyone else and often forget that I have an ileostomy. Living with my stoma has given me a much better standard of life. I am able to do whatever I want, when I want and lead a more active life than many who haven’t had to have surgery.”

Keith got invaluable support from his local Ileostomy Association support group and thanks to their mentors he felt well prepared for his operation. To repay his gratitude and extend the same support to others Keith has now been a committee member for the group for over 20 years. This same motivation is behind Keith joining the Advocate team- “to assure people facing surgery, and those recently post-operative, that quality of life can be, and usually is, very good.”

Keith is now in his 70s and enjoys a number of hobbies, including being the secretary of a wine circle, chair of a natural history society, treasurer of a local support group for a leisure facility, supporting his local rugby union team and maintaining his large garden. Keith has found that using ConvaTec’s Natura® drainable two piece system gives him the comfort and versatility he needs to enjoy life.