Adele Roberts has opened up about living with a stoma bag revealing she believes she has a ‘second chance at life’ after doctors operated on her colon cancer.
The TV star spoke to Mail columnist Bryony Gordon for the first episode of her new podcast series – The Life of Bryony.
Bryony, 44, founder of Mental Health Mates and a marathon runner, will welcome experts and guests for the new tell-all series.
Kicking off the series with an episode titled ‘Can you learn to love your body?’ Bryony was joined by Adele Roberts, where the pair discussed the radio host’s battle with bowel cancer, along with her surprise at having a stoma fitted.
After being asked by Bryony on when she first had the coloscopy bag fitted, Adele, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, explained that it’s an ‘improved’ method on how she now uses the toilet.
The first episode of the Bryony Gordon’s podcast series has launched today, delving into health and body positivity renowned BBC Radio One presenter Adele Roberts
Kicking off the series with an episode titled ‘Can you learn to love your body?’ Bryony was joined by Adele Roberts (pictured), where the pair discussed her battle with bowel cancer
She said: ‘So, my stoma is, I’ve been calling it a front bum recently, but it’s the way that I go to the toilet.
‘It’s the new improved way that I go to the toilet. So in 2021, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I had a really big tumour in my large colon. Luckily, the NHS could help me. I was treated and they removed that tumour.’
However, the radio presenter went on to explain that despite the surgery being successful, the incision had left a ‘massive gap’ near her colon, resulting in her small intestine being ‘poked out’ of her stomach to serve as a stoma.
She explained: ‘While it was healing, while they were fusing it back together, they gave me a little diversion, got my small intestine and poked it out the front of my stomach.
Adele added: ‘Lots of people have stomas, but my stoma is called an ileostomy because it’s formed from my small intestine, which now sits outside my body about two inches, if it’s behaving itself.
‘That’s where all the output of my food and drink now goes, rather than me going to the toilet.’
Bryony urged Adele to share why she had given her stoma a name, Audrey, and what inspired her to come up with the moniker.
Adele explained that the fitting of her stoma happened ‘very quickly’ and was surprised to wake up after surgery with one attached.
Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has revealed how she’s getting used to the stoma bag ‘that’s helped save my life’ following surgery to remove a tumour in her bowel
The broadcaster, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September, posted photos of stoma bags in different shades and asked her 154,000 followers on Instagram to pick their favourite
She said: ‘They didn’t know how big the tumour was, so it was a little surprise. They said it could happen, but I wasn’t sure. So when I woke up from the surgery, looked under the covers and saw that I had a stoma…’
Bryony asked: ‘But did they do a bit, like a, like an unveiling? They didn’t say to you, oh, by the way, Adele, when you lift up your covers, you will see that you’ve got a stoma.’
Adele replied: ‘When I woke up, I was alone. And so first of all, I was like, thank God I’m alive. And I made it through surgery, pulled back my covers, saw that I had a stoma.’
The radio host detailed her relief with having her cancer removed and how she now believes she’s been a ‘second chance at life.’
She said: ‘When I was diagnosed, there was this really sort of like, strange second where I felt like I had no life, and then the doctor said he could help me and it felt like I got my life back, and it was a massive defining moment in my life.
Adele Roberts, 42, gave fans an update on her heath after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour following her bowel cancer diagnosis
The radio host detailed her relief with having her cancer removed and how she now believes she’s been a ‘second chance at life.’
‘I just felt everything had gone and then everything had returned and even though I didn’t know when I went into that room that I was going to be told that coming out of the room, I was transformed forever in a lot of ways.
She added: ‘It was scary, but also in that moment, I was so grateful, Bryony, for a second chance at life, and that’s how it felt to me.
‘So when I got my stoma, I was just like, ‘This is the new me, the improved me,’ and what’s really strange is when I eventually was able to be well enough to go to the toilet to go and see the stoma, see myself stood up, it felt like I was finally complete and it was me, and I finally liked what my body looked like.’
Episode Two of The Life of Bryony will launch on Monday 23 September. Listen here for all episodes.
Meanwhile, Bryony Gordon reveals what her friendship with Prince Harry and Megan Markle is really like, including who has visited their home and who has been gifted a pot of homemade jam.
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