Panel Discussion

A self-confessed couch potato, Caroline turned to sport after stoma surgery. Dispelling the medical profession's 'you can't do that' attitude, Caroline has completed two 24hr cycle events, including London to Paris, and now competes in all triathlon distances up to full lronman.
Caroline features in 'Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women' by former BBC Breakfast Presenter, Louise Minchin, who approached Caroline to have an adventure with her. She is also the Ostomy Expert for TV's Gregg Wallace.
Her story is the epitome of the self-belief that anything is possible and she has been inspiring others around the world.

Hi, my name is Shane, I was born in 1971, in Somerset and grew up in Glastonbury. I spent many a happy day up and around the Glastonbury tor, without a care in the world.

In May 2017 I had an emergency operation due to a perforated bowel, I tried for a reversal in the September of that year, but things didn’t go to plan so kept my ileostomy for a few more years. I used this time to create a support group and charity.

After some hard soul searching, I decided to have my stoma reversed, the decision wasn’t an easy one.

Luciana Podschun is a freelance consultant editor to StomaTips.  She started sharing her personal experiences as an ostomate with StomaTips from the very first editions and subsequently joined the team in April 2020 where she interacts and searches for inspiring stories from ostomates around the world.   

Luciana is originally from Brazil, loves travelling, and lived in California prior to moving to the UK in 2019. During her free time she enjoys taking her dog Eva for long walks and when the weather is good going on hikes around the UK.  She is passionate about promoting the positive influence of nutrition and exercise in the quality of life of ostomates.

Keeping a positive outlook on life despite the challenges of her ostomy has allowed Luciana to enjoy life to the fullest and take advantage of the many opportunities that life has to offer.