Meet Carter

Carter was diagnosed with Ulcerative Pancolitis in 2016 after years of digestive issues and anxiety. He spent the next 2 years on and off of steroids while trying various other medications, but was unable to enter remission without them. This led to a decision by him and his doctors to remove his colon in the fall of 2018. Carter chose to have an ileostomy because he liked the thought of not having to be anxious anymore about going to the bathroom. Since this was the biggest source of anxiety, Carter chose to make his ileostomy permanent in 2019 and it absolutely changed his life.

In his personal life he has been able to change people’s perspectives about ostomies. A lot of people seem to only remember ostomies from 20+ years ago and I hope to educate more people on the technological advancements that have made them much more consistent and user friendly.

Carter’s favorite tip to give new ostomates is to ask a lot of questions in the community. When he first started out, he used the products that his nurse used and he assumed that’s all they had. After asking in some communities online, he realized there are so many good products and tips out there. He learned that asking questions is a great way to help tailor a routine to your ostomy so you can get consistent and pleasing results

Interests/ Involvement

• Involved in online ostomy support groups
• Connects with friends online who have Ulcerative Colitis
• Intervention facilitator/ research projects to help with mental health studies