ABOUT OH! POO
Long story short - I developed ulcerative colitis in my late teens and as a result, surgically removed my entire colon. Ever since, I empty my bowels in an external pouch through a stubby spout we all know and love as a stoma. Rather than wearing a plain medical applicance around (which all ostomates have to wear), I created a unique garment that I wear on my pouch wherever I go. This went on to become OH! POO, and recieved fantastic feedback from peers with or without the 'pouch.' Naturally, having a great looking pouch on the outside made me feel even more confident on the inside, a feeling I want everyone who has a secret little friend on their belly to experience.
A Little Story About me - Essam Rashad
I was diagnosed with colitis when I was just seventeen-years-young, after what I thought was a case of indigestion due to by my overindulgence of cheeseburgers. The good news is, I was wrong about the cheeseburgers. The bad news is, I discovered a disease that threatened to turn my life up side down and inside out before you can say “diarrhea!”
As I was growing up, I noticed that I was frequently falling sick, feeling tired, and unable to put on weight, despite the cheeseburgers. In fact, I also failed to hand in my chemistry assignments. It was only in my senior year that I was enlightened by the gloomy fact that I was carrying a chronic disease. If only I can explain that to my chemistry professor.
Naturally, the discovery was a shock. After all, I was applying for college, I was sitting exams, and I was also the student body president, which was a pain in the butt itself! Despite my condition, I was accepted at the University of Manchester as a chemical engineering student. However, only a few weeks after the start of the new term, I was also accepted at the hospital as an inpatient.
In November of 2008, I underwent a major operation in which we removed my entire colon and created a diversion in my digestive tract in the form of a stoma. We named the little guy, Lee. You can view photos of my new life and of course, new body, here.
I was very fortunate to have a great surgeon, excellent nurses, and fantastic friends and family that were always by my side.
Through their support, plus my determination to improve my quality of life, OH! POO was born. Please visit the OH! POO shop here.
Thanks to something called the Internet, I can now share this handmade product with everyone who wishes to express themselves, stand out from the crowd, and be proud to have a stoma.
Besides, I believe if we can have two butt holes, then we have the right to don two pairs of undergarments!