Hi! Welcome to My Website 🖤
My name is Iiris Linnea. I am a Finnish writer, speaker, artist and ostomate, passionate about nature and holistic wellbeing.
I fell ill with ulcerative colitis in 2015, and since 2022 I’ve had a permanent ileostomy. I’ve also been diagnosed with PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, after traumatic events that I experienced in hospital in 2017.
I create content about the ostomy, holistic wellbeing, and natural living on social media. I also share pictures of the art I create on my stoma bags.
This year I’m going to publish my first book: an empowering and beautiful collection of poetry. My book is especially aimed at those who struggle with illness and mental health.
My Story
I was twenty years old and had just started studying in university when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The sudden illness was a shock for me!
Even though I tried different kinds of medications and diets, my condition worsened quickly. When I finally caught salmonella sepsis due to my weakened immune system, the doctors found an operation to be the best and safest option for me.
I had surgery to remove my large bowel and create an ileostomy. Later I had two more operations to create a J-pouch (an internal pouch formed of the end of the small intestine) and to reverse my ostomy.
Trials, Trauma, Travel
Falling ill and going through several operations, recoveries and complications was extremely hard at times. Despite my natural optimism, I struggled with mental health and felt anxious, fearful, and even depressed.
I also experienced traumatic events in hospital in the spring 2017. After suffering from symptoms of trauma for over four years, I was finally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, in 2021.
While all my hardships felt overwhelming, the shocking events also helped me to steer toward my own true path. I made a big life change during 2017 – 2018: I started a blog and shared pictures of the art I designed on my stoma bags on social media. I also did public speaking and talked about the ostomy to the media.
Later, I moved out of my flat in the city, gave up most of the things that I owned and travelled to Ireland where I worked as a volunteer on organic farms. I also fulfilled my long-time dream of living in the Finnish Lapland.
Future Goals and a Permanent Ostomy
After Lapland I returned to my childhood home to temporarily live with my parents. I became clear about my future goals such as moving to the countryside and starting my own business. Already in 2018, I had begun to write poetry and committed to my dream of becoming an author.
In 2021, I came to a point where I couldn’t go forward with my future plans. I had chronic inflammation in my J-pouch and wasn’t healthy enough to work. I decided to have another operation – this time to remove my J-pouch and create a permanent ostomy.
I had surgery to create the ileostomy early in 2022. Afterwards, I needed to have another operation to fix the stoma. Eventually, I was able to return home to recover.
Winds of Change
This year, I’m going to publish my first book. It is a poetry book bringing inner peace and empowerment and aimed at those who have experienced illness and mental health issues. I am also in the process of starting a business to do writing, public speaking, and art as my main work.
My little ileostomy and I are feeling well. I keep sharing content on the stoma and holistic wellbeing on my social media accounts.
Thank you for reading my story. <3 Should you have any questions or feedback, I am happy to hear from you! You can contact me via my social media accounts (links below) or the contact form on my website.
Wishing you love,
Iiris Linnea
Meet me on social media!
YouTube: @iirislinnea
Facebook: @iirislinnea
Instagram: @iirislinnealight
Note: I am not a certified health care professional of any kind. On this website I only share my personal story and experiences.