“Your illness is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.”
This is Aimee Rouski, a 19-year-old from Liverpool, England, who has Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the digestive system.
Crohn's is an incurable disease which causes inflammation of the lining of any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It can cause abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition — which can become life-threatening.
Many people with Crohn's will have at least one surgery as part of treatment, either to widen a part of the intestine or to remove portions of the intestines or the colon and/or rectum.
Aimee Rouski / Via facebook.com
Rouski recently posted a few selfies with her ostomy bag and surgical scars to Facebook, and the post is going viral.
"I've wanted to do this for a while because I always see body posi posts for weight, but not many for disabilities/invisible illnesses," she writes.
"I've always been okay with the stuff that has happened to me, but some people have real difficulties accepting these things so I just want to say this. No one will know unless you tell them. People who know will still love you and still find you beautiful. Your illness is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about."
Aimee Rouski / Via Facebook: aimee.rouski
Rouski told BuzzFeed Health she was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2008, and since then she's had several surgeries, including ones to remove her large intestine, colon, rectum, and anus.
One of the most invasive surgeries was to remove her inner thigh muscles, which were used to reconstruct the severe wounds left on her backside after the ileostomy (removal of the large intestine).
However, Rouski remains incredibly positive and says her walking is fine aside from a little difficulty walking downhill.
Aimee Rouski / Via facebook.com
"You don't always know what's going on in people's lives, so don't be so quick to judge, and always keep an open mind," Rouski said.
"I nearly died because of my Crohn's, but I still have people saying 'it's just a stomachache,'" she said.
As her pictures show, it's usually impossible to tell that Rouski is even wearing an ostomy bag.
Aimee Rouski / Via facebook.com