Louise Thompson’s Devastating Stoma Leak Leaves Her in Tears During London Outing

Louise Thompson frankly shared her experience of dealing with a distressing, highly incapacitating stoma leak that occurred during her time in central London on a Tuesday morning.

Previously known for her role on Made in Chelsea, the 30-year-old woman, who came close to death during childbirth in 2021, disclosed in April that she underwent a stoma placement following years of dealing with ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis refers to a persistent intestinal disorder characterized by inflammation in the colon and rectum, leading to the formation of tiny sores or ulcers on the colon’s inner surface that may cause bleeding.

As a dedicated admirer, I’d like to shed light on something extraordinary – the stoma. This marvel is a carefully crafted opening, strategically placed on one’s abdomen during surgery. Its purpose? To redirect the natural flow of our bodily waste into a life-saving medical gadget that we can then effortlessly empty.

After receiving her diagnosis, Louise has persistently advocated for understanding and even humorously displays her ostomy bag, affectionately referred to as “Winnie”, in a playful nod to Winnie the Pooh.

In my latest social media update, I shared that I experienced an unexpected incident the previous day – a leak that brought tears to my eyes and led me to seek some personal space for reflection.

Instead of saying “She explained that she went with her fiancé Ryan Libbey to Marylebone on his motorbike for an appointment and coffee, followed by recording a podcast,” you could say “She shared they had ridden to Marylebone with her partner Ryan Libbey on his bike, met for an appointment and coffee, then recorded a podcast.

Yet, Louise clarified that even though they had a promising beginning, it turned out that her stoma bag unexpectedly leaked, causing her to urgently seek medical supplies at the closest hospital.

Yesterday, I discovered myself in a truly disheartening predicament. On our bike adventure, I had been posting multiple snapshots with Ryan, but…

Or,

Yesterday, I found myself in an extremely unfortunate circumstance. While we were on our bicycle trip, I had shared numerous selfies with Ryan, but…

Today got off to a fantastic start for me. I had an early-morning medical check-up at AvENUES Life, where I met up with Ryan. To beat the traffic, we opted to bike instead of driving, which trimmed approximately 20 minutes off our travel time.

Later, I headed out to record a podcast with two close companions whom I’ve been looking forward to seeing for quite some time. After a tough week filled with poor health, I was brimming with enthusiasm.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I hopped off my bike in Marylebone, brimming with joy, and made my way to @watchhouse for some delightful coffee and cookies before our recording session. However, I found myself running a bit ahead of schedule, so we decided to enjoy our treats early. But then, I felt a slight dampness in my pocket. Upon inspection, I was faced with the unfortunate incident of a stoma leak – an experience that left me feeling quite uncomfortable and disheartened.

She shared that she was so overpowered by the situation that she couldn’t articulate it properly, but Ryan intervened. Meanwhile, she found herself in a restroom for about an hour, hoping the staff could find replacement stoma bags, all the while being in quite a state of disarray.

Louise mentioned that she had to limp to the closest, albeit private, hospital, which made the situation somewhat uncomfortable. In truth, when we arrived at reception, she was so overpowered by emotions that she couldn’t utter a word. Fortunately, Ryan, who was with her, capably took care of things for her.

After that, I found myself waiting, confined in a restroom for about an hour, seated on the toilet and quite messy, as they searched for stoma bags for any of their hospitalized patients.

She posted a picture of the bag she’d discovered, detailing how she’d torn apart her previous one and trimmed her new gadget, all while her aid hurriedly purchased her replacement pants, and she was left grappling to compose herself.

or simply:

She uploaded a photo of the bag she found, describing how she had to tear apart her old one and trim her new device, as her assistant rushed off to buy new pants for her, leaving her struggling to regain her composure.

As a die-hard fan, I found myself tearing off a limb of mine, painfully, without any anti-adhesive spray, when Ryan unveiled this masterpiece.

In the meantime, my helpful aide was compelled to venture out onto the main shopping district to procure a pair of jeans from Sezanne for me. Unfortunately, they were a full 10 inches too long.

In an attempt to gather myself, I tidied up around the sink, needed scissors to trim something to the proper length (with my small intestine exposed through a large opening in my stomach), attached an unfamiliar device using glue onto my body, and slipped on some new, clean, but lengthy pants.

Throughout, I believed that I could continue with the podcast recording as I am quite tenacious and have grown accustomed to such unexpected events by now.

Four members of my team decided to head downtown to join in the fun or offer their support, so I was eager to ensure a great experience for all of us.

After the ordeal, it became clear that she couldn’t carry on with her job duties due to the need to focus on her mental well-being. She eventually succumbed, realizing this was necessary.

Louise confessed, “Upon leaving, I chanced upon a mirror reflection that triggered an overwhelming sense of pity towards myself, causing me to break into tears.

I reached out to Ryan on the phone, asked him to meet up, and confided that I was feeling overwhelmed and couldn’t continue. Initially, I thought sharing this experience might make for an interesting tale, but in reality, I found myself unable to do it.

Occasionally, I may find myself overwhelmed and recognize that I’m not invincible. In such moments, I must practice self-compassion, step back, and prioritize my wellbeing over work. While work usually takes precedence, this time it was necessary to take a break. As a result, I decided to cancel all my commitments.

With unwavering optimism, I pondered over my challenging journey, and shared how I chose to spend this day basking under the warm sun, engrossed in the pages of a captivating book.

She expressed: ‘The life-saving stoma bag is so frustrating. The thought of a reversal has crossed my mind more frequently, but think about it – if I had an accident and soiled myself from below, people would know immediately what that was. It would be more visually disturbing. At least when I have an accident from my hip, it just looks like I’ve spilled something.’

In a relaxed manner, I soaked up the sun for several hours while engrossed in ‘Option B’ by Sheryl Sandberg, a book that seemed to offer some relief. It’s been quite some time since I last indulged in such a leisurely activity; perhaps it was during my vacation in St Lucia back in 2023 when I had an hour of solitude by the pool.

After a whole year, I’ve made it through 100 pages of the book “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt. What a formidable author she is!

Wow, let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the relief of taking antibiotics! They have this magical ability to make my restroom visits completely scentless – it’s almost as if they’ve erased any trace of… shall we say, aroma? It’s truly astounding. Sometimes, it seems life hands us lemons, but in this case, I’m grateful for the antibiotics that turn those lemons into a fresh breeze! Every cloud, indeed!

In her recent Daily Mail article, Louise shared insights into her choice to have a stoma and the events preceding her operation, expressing: ‘My stoma marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in my life.’

She explained that her symptoms of ulcerative colitis had significantly intensified to such an extent that during a journey to the Alps, she found herself needing to use the restroom as many as fifteen times daily and was frequently losing substantial amounts of blood from her rectum with each bowel movement.

She continued by detailing how matters worsened significantly during a getaway with her family in Antigua, stating: ‘I found myself frequently needing the restroom, I’d collapse on the beach, and there was blood coming from my rear end. To make things worse, I also experienced a rectal prolapse.’

While attempting to take care of Leo, I was also pretending to enjoy myself, ensuring that Ryan, my father, and his companion had a delightful vacation. Simultaneously, I was experiencing intense pain and constantly trying to keep a prolapse in place within my lower body.

Louise and Ryan chose to end their vacation early and head back home. As she reminisced, she shared: ‘I spent much of the flight in the airplane bathroom – and by the time we reached a taxi in London (with me wearing diapers), I was experiencing an upset stomach.’

Straight to the hospital, she confessed her condition was “extremely weak and drained,” adding that, despite doctors’ efforts to provide medication, it felt like a persistent, unyielding slide towards despair.

She remembered: “I found myself visiting the bathroom over 20 times daily, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I would rejoice at any point if I had a two-hour stretch without experiencing heavy bleeding. At that time, my life seemed almost completely stalled.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d express it this way: “After a week, they suggested a stoma, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Yes, it might seem like an unexpected turn of events, considering the idea of having part of my colon removed and relying on a bag for elimination may sound bizarre. But, in my case, it felt like a step towards regaining control over my life.

However, for me, it seemed there was no other option remaining. It served as an avenue to flee from the agony. I was depleted and beyond my limits. I couldn’t bear to continue living in such a manner anymore. This wasn’t existence; this was merely surviving.

My loved ones reacted differently, leaving them utterly heartbroken. However, no experience could possibly compare to the emotional turmoil I’ve endured since giving birth.

Louise confessed: ‘To be honest, when I first saw the stoma itself, it really took me aback. Without the ileostomy bag connected, it appears quite startling, similar to a large sea anemone. At that moment, I wasn’t even sure if I could muster up the courage to touch it.’

Yet, she firmly maintained that she eventually viewed her stoma as a source of freedom and an ending to her struggles. Only her three-year-old son, Leo, perceived it.

Louise mentioned that her recuperation at home occurred swiftly, which seemed surprising or concerning to those around her. Their thoughts were along the lines of: “Louise seems to be in such a difficult situation with that bag connected to her abdomen. It’s hard to imagine how she can carry on like that.

For me, it’s always been different. I don’t view my stoma as a restriction or disability; instead, I consider it liberation, an escape from pain and distress.

Changing my bag requires just two minutes, twice daily, which is seldom a significant hassle; usually it’s barely noticeable. My stoma marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in my life.

Ryan has consistently shown great respect towards the circumstances, as he’s never had a direct encounter with the stoma. This isn’t due to any disgust on his part, but simply because I’ve never found it necessary to expose him to it. There’s no compelling reason for him to witness it.

To be honest, it’s not something that invites a romantic shared moment, given their appearance isn’t particularly appealing. I prefer not to burden Ryan’s mind with such an image.

To clarify, only Leo has witnessed this occurrence. This unsuspecting child has observed me switching a bag I call Winnie – reminiscent of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’. He understands that waste is produced by the body and finds it completely ordinary.

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2025-04-30 15:06