Guest Writer - Sadie

Hi, my name is Sadie and I have Crohn’s Disease.

I was delighted that ‘Me and IBD’ asked me to write a guest post on their blog as, after starting my own blog around my story and struggles, I am hooked!

IBD isn’t a very glamorous disease and I think some sufferers are reluctant to share their experience as it can be embarrassing. This, accompanied with the confusion between IBD and IBS, means that not a lot of people are aware of the severity of the disease, or fully understand how it can affect us!

I hope that by sharing my story and experience with the condition I can not only help others through hard times, but educate and raise awareness of the disease.

First of all, I will start off with life before my diagnosis. For me, and for lots of other people with IBD, it takes a long time to get diagnosed. I experienced extreme fatigue, bloating and urgent diarrhoea before I was diagnosed with Pernicious Anaemia and IBS by my GP. It was really tough going through school and college with these horrible symptoms and no medication that seemed to work for me. I was embarrassed to use the toilet anywhere other than my house, but sometimes I had to. My constant fatigue meant my exams were a struggle. But after I while I got used to it and thought that this was something I just had to put up with.

I managed to pass my GCSE’s and A Level and get a place doing Drama and English at Hull University. In my second year there, is when I really started to experience problems. My symptoms just seemed to get worse and worse until one day I rushed to hospital with severe stomach cramps and vomiting. It turned out I had an abscess and severe inflammation in the ileum of my bowel. This was when I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Since then I have been battling this disease head on. It was kind of a relief getting a diagnosis; I could now get treatment instead of being told I had to just get on with things. But it was a bit of a shock. I didn't realise how serious it was at first and just shrugged it off thinking I’d be fine and back to normal by September, when I started my third and final year at uni. But it didn’t…

I know I am lucky in some respects because my disease is in no way as bad as what others have experienced. It is classified as moderate- severe but thankfully I have not had to have surgery (yet) or be hospitalized for longer than a week! (I think this is mostly due to my moaning when I am in there, I am so stubborn even though the doctors and nurses are helping me, and I cannot stand to be told what to do. So being told I can't leave really grinds me gears :P)

I have tried several different medications and therapies since I was diagnosed. You can head over to my blog to hear my experience with each medication but remember everyone is different, so what works for me might not work for you or vice-versa :) 

Although I have only been diagnosed for 9 months, my journey so far has been a whirlwind. I think I have finally come to terms with it now. Having a chronic illness is tough and it has affected my life a lot, even without me or other people realising. It has affected university, my job, my social life; my relationships, my self-esteem, and even my fitness and hobbies.

BUT I always try and stay positive no matter what because I know there are people who are going through 100% worse. Now and then I even joke about it :) I don’t want to complain and I don’t want attention, I just want to try and live as normal a life as I can.

I’ve had so much help from my IBD team and am so thankful for the NHS. My friends and family; especially my mum and my boyfriend Sean have been there for me whenever I need help or support. The online community and social networking sites have enabled me to talk to other people in the same situation as me and help me realise I am not suffering alone.

IBD may not be life threatening but it definitely is life altering. I know I am a better person since I was diagnosed. I have learnt to appreciate the little things like being able to go out with friends and even eat! Happiness is a healer and although I have missed a lot of opportunities because of being ill; I know I will succeed not despite of it, but because of the person it has and will make me! 

I also hope I can help and offer advice to people who are going through similar things to me :) So feel free to message or comment on my blog for any advice or support! 

Confessions of a Crohnie