I have two stoma bags – here’s what Coronation Street got wrong with their ‘ridiculous’ Bethany Platt storyline
BETHANY Platt’s nightmare surgery ordeal recently took a twist that Coronation Street viewers have been less than happy with.
The soap recently followed the story of the teen as she took off to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
Sadly it all went badly wrong and Bethany ended up being rushed to hospital after the botched procedure.
She was left fighting for her life against sepsis, and although she eventually recovered, the operation caused irreversible damage to her bowels which left her with a stoma bag.
Although Coronation Street writers consulted with Colostomy UK while writing these recent episodes, they caused some controversy with soap fans.
In particular, Brits who actually have a stoma bag have hit out at the soap’s portrayal of what it is like to have one.
Scottish running champion Siobhan Coleman spoke out about the reasons why she believes Bethany Platt’s storyline is insensitive.
The athlete has two stoma bags herself, which have been part of her journey to recovery from cervical cancer.
She thinks that what happened to Bethany was “far-fetched and ridiculous”, adding that she would rather not see a character with a stoma portrayed on screen at all than see it done badly.
Siobhan told the Sun: “I feel the storyline they chose was very disingenuous and unreflective of real life with a stoma.
“While I’m not saying that someone having botched plastic surgery can’t end up with a stoma bag, that storyline is so far-fetched and ridiculous that that’s actually not helpful as someone who has two stomas to see that on screen.
“If someone is due to have a stoma surgery and they see that on screen – I wouldn’t even want to have thought what I would be thinking at that stage in the build up to having my surgery.
“I almost felt that it was such an injustice when I got mine for cervical cancer.
“I don’t want people to think I’m sanctimonious. But actually, I think when you have been so unwell, that you are going to die, and this has saved your life, you don’t need it being dramatized in that fashion.
“I feel like they absolutely could have a storyline around her having some sort of pelvic cancer, because that’s why you would typically have a bag.
“Or colitis or Crohn’s type IBD or even a birth trauma. Like these stories are much more relevant, I feel as a double bagger, to portray people having normal lives in the real world.
“There’s definitely been an adversity element to it rather than, like, I’m going for some plastic surgery in a country that is not being portrayed well at the moment in the media.
Why would you need a stoma bag?
A COLOSTOMY is an operation on the colon – a part of the bowel.
It diverts one end of the colon through an opening in the tummy, known as the stoma.
This means that the person can no longer pass poo.
The poo is instead collected in a stoma bag, which is placed over the opening.
Many people have to undergo a colostomy due to illness.
These can include:
- bowel cancer and other forms of cancer
- ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- diverticulitis
A stoma may also be necessary due to genetic disorders, birth abnormalities, after trauma to the abdomen, and following radiotherapy.
“I think that was just quite a low thing to do. I think that’s why people have gotten quite angry about it.”
Siobhan also took issue with a scene where Bethany had a meltdown because she realised Daniel had seen her stoma bag for the first time.
She added: “I’m not saying it’s all sugar and roses either, because it’s certainly not.
“But this whole screaming I’m hideous and don’t look at me, that does nothing for people who already have body dysmorphia issues before you then add potentially a bag situation to their life.
“I just think it could have been tackled so much better.”
Other soap fans on shared similar views on social media, with one querying: “I get the sentiment but would it not have been better if the reason was a long term condition or bowel cancer rather than a cosmetic procedure gone wrong?
“It would be more true to life and those conditions give the writers opportunity to explore the ongoing battle that people can and do survive.”
Another agreed: “If you’re going to do a storyline about an ostomate, I’d personally much prefer it explore an individual suffering with a condition like IBD or cancer, rather than a shock value story about someone getting a stoma as a result of a dodgy Turkish liposuction.”
That said, Siobhan does have some positive words for the ITV production team.
She praised the costume choices made for Bethany, saying: “The one thing I would commend them on is the fact they actually showed the bag on camera.
“I think that’s a huge barrier to have been broken.
“And she was wearing cool hip clothes. That to me is a good thing.”