Tracey Emin shares a graphic photo of a stoma to raise awareness of bladder cancer

Artist Tracey Emin posted a photo of her stoma to Instagram to raise awareness about living with bladder cancer

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Tracey Emin had half of her vagina removed to cure aggressive bladder cancer

Tracey Emin shared a vivid photo of her stoma to raise awareness of living with disabilities following her battle with cancer.

The 58-year-old artist shared a photo of her ostomy bag with her followers on Instagram on Wednesday.

She underwent a series of major surgeries in 2020 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer during lockdown.

Tracey had parts of her bladder, urethra, lymph nodes, intestines and vagina removed to stop the cancer from spreading.

The artist told Instagram fans that she has been fitted with an ostomy bag – which opens at the stomach – which allows urine to be drained from the body and disposed of via a urostomy bag.

Alongside the picture she posted to Instagram, Tracey wrote: “This is my stoma. Most people have never seen one. It’s something I’m supposed to hide forever.

“It’s part of my gut that’s attached to the outside of my body. Without it being there and functioning properly, I will die.”

She continued: “[It’s] living flesh. Fragile and delicate. Surrounded by scar tissue and swollen fatty flesh.

“I have almost total muscle wasting in my core abdomen, stomach. My body will never be the same again.

“To be honest, I find carrying the bag quite depressing. Nothing cool about lugging around a bag of p***.

“But it’s life.. my life now. Many disabilities you can’t see. But I thought I’d show you mine.”

Tracey announced last May that half of her vagina had to be removed in a brutal operation to cure her aggressive bladder cancer.

She appeared on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour with Emma Barnett as she described in detail what went on during the operation.

“It was amazing. It all happened within three weeks. All the finding out – the diagnosis, the prognosis and the surgery. It was pretty phenomenal,” she said.

The artist continued, “I had my bladder removed. I had my uterus removed. My fallopian tubes, my urethra, part of my intestines. My lymph nodes and half of my vagina.”

Tracey admitted she didn’t know how to react when the surgeon told her what she would have removed.

“It was pretty funny,” she told Emma. “When the surgeon told me what I was going to have removed and he said my urethra, I said, ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you? Please tell me there is nothing else’.

“And he says, ‘Actually, there is. your vagina’. And that was it, I actually laughed. But I think I put on a brave face back then.”

She added that she was “happy to have her life back” after the procedure.

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