Valentine’s Day can be an anxiety-inducing holiday for many people. Especially for those of us living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). If we’re single, our minds might run wild about when we might meet that special someone. And if we’re in a relationship, we might worry about experiencing symptoms during a romantic moment.
But it’s important to remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day for us to fret over romance. It’s a day for us to celebrate all kinds of love: love for significant others, family, and friends. But most important, love for ourselves.
How can we make the most of Valentine’s Day? As someone who’s lived with IBD for many years, I’ve always struggled when receiving the yummiest of Valentine’s Day gifts, like wine and chocolate. For many of us IBDers, as much as we love alcohol and sugar, our diseases may get aggravated when we consume either or both. Given the dietary considerations that many of us have, it might be worth thinking outside the box when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts for the Crohn’s and colitis population.
For me, thoughtful gifts leave the most lasting impressions. Whether you’re looking to buy a gift for a special someone with IBD or to shower yourself with some extra love this V-Day, I rounded up some great gift ideas below.
Heart-Shaped Butt Cushion
I’m the type of IBD warrior who enjoys getting a good laugh out of my disease as a coping mechanism. To make my disease that much more pleasant to deal with, gifts I’ve really come to love include this hilarious butt cushion, or even a plush colon or rectum. Whether I’m lying on the couch watching a movie or sitting in bed engrossed in a novel, a plush colon is handy as a neck pillow and a butt cushion makes sitting that much more comfortable. The way I look at it is if I have to live without a colon or rectum, why not celebrate my survival and victory over my diseased organs with stuffed replacements?
KINDOYO Heart-Shaped Buttocks Pad, $26.46, Amazon.com
Bidet Toilet Seat
After we've used the bathroom for the umpteenth time, toilet paper can leave our skin feeling raw and irritated. Bidets make for a great gift because they’re an alternative to using toilet paper or baby wipes. So how do they work? Bidets spray water to our bottoms post potty use, keeping the area feeling naturally soft and clean. Their spraying technology often helps in soothing hemorrhoids along with easing IBD symptoms by keeping fistulae clean and preventing pruritus from worsening. If having a bidet built in to your toilet feels a little on the expensive side, there are more basic models, including handheld sprayers that also get the job done. It's not the sexiest of gifts, but it's certainly a practical form of self-care.
American Standard AquaWash Manual SpaLet Seat With Telescoping Lid, $125, Americanstandard-us.com
The Perfect Spa Day
For those who enjoy relaxation (because who doesn’t?), a gift card to the spa or a Himalayan salt cave is a great idea. I’m all about a gentle massage, an exfoliating facial, or soaking in the orangeish-pink hues of a salt cave to delight my olfactory senses. Plus, visiting the spa or a salt cave is something couples can easily do together or one can enjoy alone. For me, relaxation is key to managing my IBD, so these experiences make some of the best gifts.
A Sun-Filled Vacation
Relaxing vacations in the dead of the winter are often a wonderful way to soak in some vitamin D, which can help with IBD symptoms. For me, swimming and lying on the beach are some of the most therapeutic and rejuvenating ways to relax. Trips to Florida or the Caribbean are my favorite ways to de-stress, recharge, and distract myself from being chronically ill.
Ostomy-Related Gifts
For my fellow ostomates, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. Some gifts I love include the following:
A Teddy Bear Who Gets You
If you’re looking for your next cuddly stuffed animal, I’ve heard that Awesome Ollie teddy bear’s presence feels very comforting before and after ostomy surgery. I recently became acquainted with Ollie when my husband ordered him as a gift for me. With his very own miniature ostomy, Ollie helps me feel a little less alone on those days when I’m struggling to make it out of bed. As an ostomate myself, having a teddy bear that reflects my own image helps to normalize the concept of an ostomy for me.
Awesome Ollie Ostomy Teddy Bear, $26, Awesomeostomy.com
Stylish Ostomy Cover
I’m the type that likes to accessorize and have fun with what I’m wearing — this extends to my ostomy as well. Adding some pizzazz to the drab beige color of my ostomy pouching system splashes some color into the monotony of everyday life. These C&S Ostomy Covers come in a wide array of pouch covers with different colors and themes, so you can personalize in any way you want. Bonus: the pouch covers are a great way to hide the stoma and make my ostomy feel less like a medical device and more like me.
C&S Ostomy Pouch Covers, $14.95, Amazon.com
Lingerie That Makes Your Ostomy Sexy
Now, who can resist some lacy lingerie on Valentine’s Day? Ostomy Secrets offers an Illusion Wrap (a lacy tube top for your abdomen) for all the intimate moments you want to enjoy. My ostomy pouch tucks securely into a built-in pocket on the inside of the wrap, and voilà, suddenly I have no visible ostomy anymore. The wrap helps me feel attractive again after so many surgeries to the area. And the fun part is, it securely holds my ostomy in place even under a pair of jeans.
Ostomy Secrets Illusion Wrap, $39.99, Ostomysecrets.com
Most of all though, the gift that keeps on giving for me is spending quality time with my husband. Whether it’s enjoying a delicious meal together or cuddling up to a nice rom-com, time well spent in each other’s company is truly the most memorable way to celebrate love. And if a dozen roses are added to that picture, even better.
So, own your Crohn’s, own your ostomy, and make the beautiful moments in your life that much more enjoyable with thoughtful ways to celebrate the love, laughter, and joy of Valentine’s Day.
Tina Aswani Omprakash
Author
Tina Aswani Omprakash is a Crohn’s patient and health advocate for the chronically ill and disabled. Via her writing, social media advocacy, and public speaking engagements, she spearheads public health causes, including those proposing research for and creating awareness for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD: Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), life-saving ostomy surgery, gastroparesis, fistulizing disease, clinical trials, and initiatives supporting health concerns for women and racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities. Tina’s overarching mission is to normalize the rhetoric around chronic illnesses and disabilities in order to help patients own their ailments to live fuller, happier lives.
Tina used to work in finance on Wall Street as a legal and compliance officer both for equity research and later for fixed income sales and trading. After battling more than 20 surgeries and multiple near-death experiences, she has chosen to focus her attention on public health causes in her writing and speaking engagements.
In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has written for publications such as Thrive Global, Oshi Health, and The Mighty.