Ever get butterflies in your stomach?
Ever get butterflies in your stomach? Did you know that some people can actually physically see them? I’ve been thinking about our blog on the gut-brain axis and heard a fabulous podcast recently that bought this concept to life.
Let me explain…
As a runner, I enjoy listening to The Running Channel podcast. It’s my weekly injection of running science and useless banter. The pod recently interviewed Adele Roberts after she successfully set a new Guinness World Record at the 2023 London Marathon. Less than a year after going through chemotherapy treatment for bowel cancer, Adele ran the fastest marathon with a colostomy bag in a time of 3:30:22.
For the uninitiated, this is a spectacular time. For context, the average marathon finishing time is 4 hours and 32 minutes. But as the meme goes, there is no average time because average people don’t run marathons. But back to the gut-brain axis…
What is extraordinary about Adele’s story is hearing her describe Audrey – the affectionate pet name she has for her stoma.
BTW - a stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste products to exit the body. It's typically formed when part of the intestine or bladder needs to be diverted through the abdominal wall, either temporarily or permanently. Stomas are often necessary for individuals whose normal bowel or bladder function is compromised, providing them with a means to manage their bodily waste efficiently.
Adele can physically see the gut-brain axis in action because her stoma Audrey moves. To music. And to emotions.
Adele says:
“So gut reaction is definitely real. I know that now I can see my emotions in motion. So, you know, when you get butterflies, I can see butterflies now”.
Fascinating! Audrey actually moves! And she goes on to say:
“If I like a song, Audrey moves… you can actually see your intestines and how they react to things”.
So when people say that have “butterflies in their stomach”, they’re not just describing an emotion but also a sensation that is communicated via the gut-brain axis. And if we too had a stoma, like Adele, we’d be able to physically see our butterflies in action. Wow!
Here are 5 interesting facts about stomas that you might not know:
1. There are 46,000 Australians living with a temporary or permanent stoma'.
2. Stoma' comes from a Greek word which means 'opening' or 'mouth'.
3. People living with a stoma are called ostomates.
4. A stoma can change in size and shape over time, depending on weight fluctuations.
5. The global gender split for stoma patients is approximately 55% male | 45% female.
If you want to hear more about Adele’s world record attempt, watch it on Youtube here. Or revisit the science behind the term gut-brain axis here.
Written by Josephine Muir , PhD - Noisy Guts co-founder, IBS warrior and mum to 2 teens + 3 pets. Fodmap-trained by Monash University. Read more about Noisy Guts here 👉🏽