Down One Colon, Up a Ton of Body Positivity: #GoingThroughIt...

Down One Colon, Up a Ton of Body Positivity: #GoingThroughIt with @colonlessfemale

This is the first post of our new series #GoingThroughIt, which highlights young people creating amazing communities of support on Instagram. To keep up with Amanda’s colonless journey and her body-positivity mission, follow @colonlessfemale.

A year ago, Amanda (@colonlessfemale) didn’t realize that losing her colon would be one of the best things that ever happened to her. But for her, #GoingThroughIt meant understanding body positivity in a whole new light.

Instagram: What’s the story that you share on your Instagram account?

Amanda: I got sick a year ago, and I didn’t know why, and the doctors weren’t telling me what I could do to help my body go back to normal. They just kept giving me a bunch of medicine that wasn’t working, and I just kept getting sicker and sicker.

After three months, I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was super draining so I ended up getting my colon removed and having a colostomy bag. I was actually supposed to get rid of my colostomy bag, but I’m really comfortable with it so I decided to keep it. And with that it was a mixture of anger and, also, wanting to show people that this is what’s happening in the world with the food industries, and that’s why I got sick.

Instagram: Is there a specific point in the last year that you knew you could get through losing your colon?

Amanda: I think one of the hardest times was after I was supposed to have my bag removed. It was a three-stage surgery, and after the second stage of the surgery I had a complication where blood wouldn’t stop coming out and I passed out.

I remember being in the hospital and wanting to fall asleep, but I was in so much pain. That was a hump for me where it was just like, “Damn, I never want to go through this again, so I’m going to take care of my body and I’m going to help other people take care of their bodies,” because I don’t feel like anyone should have to go through this.

Instagram: What advice would you give to someone who is experiencing body image issues — whether it’s from just being a regular person or feeling it as a result of a medical problem?

Amanda: Owning your body and owning your sexuality is really important. We always look at these people on billboards or people that have time to do their makeup for an hour every day, and it’s just so unrealistic and so impossible. Most people don’t have time to go to the gym every day. Most people don’t have time to put on (or can’t even afford) makeup. It’s really ridiculous to be looking at all these people that are highlighted on social media and off the social media because we all have different body types.

We’re all different ethnicities. We’re all different races. There’s not just one form of perfect — so I think I’m perfect. But I think I’m perfect because I’m not perfect. I’ve been through many things in my life, and I have scars and a poop bag. To me, healthy body image is about owning yourself and being like, “OK, this isn’t perfect, but I’m going to make it look cool.” I make my bag look cool. I own it. I’m just like, “This is what I have, and this is what it is — and it’s not changing because I don’t want it to change.” I don’t care how much that looks normal to one person or not. I think it’s rad, and I think it’s cool, so I’m going to keep it, and I’m going to work with it.

Like fat, scars, stretch marks? All that is beautiful. Not perfect white skin. Freckles. Wrinkles. Burns. Everything is cute if you make it cute. If you own it and you’re like, “I look perfect like this,” people are going to be like, “Oh, my god, they’re so pretty.”

by via Instagram Blog