“We know It Takes Guts to talk about Crohn’s and Colitis. This World IBD Day, we are supporting people to start conversations that really matter. Crohn’s and Colitis are invisible illnesses and because of the stigma that surrounds them, thousands of people are suffering in silence. It’s time to speak up.” – Crohn’s and Colitis UK This year, Crohn’s and Colitis UK have launched a new website –…
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Post Surgery Check Up
The waiting game Travelled to Stamford this morning to check in with my surgeon following my operation, six weeks and five days ago. I can hardly believe its the middle of May, let alone comprehend that it’s been that long since my surgery back in late March. I have seen my consultant since being discharge from hospital and we regularly email about my symptoms and progress. Despite that interaction, it’s…
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Surgery Anniversary
I’ve been thinking alot lately about surgery and it’s sometimes negative reputation and impact on the chronically ill. When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and we were discussing treatment options for controlling it, I was positive that I could fight this without the need of surgery. I remained feeling that particular way for many years, even as I went on and came off several medications – noted…
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Post Operative Blues: The Emotional Highs & Lows after Discharge from Hospital
It has been six weeks since my surgery and officially met a huge scheduled landmark in recovery: “expect to feel recovered and back to almost ‘normal’ after six to eight weeks.” It’s standard procedure to feel better after this long; wounds would have healed by then, the likelihood of any complications decreases with time, and the body would be back into a homeostasis – a relatively stable equilibrium – stance. That being…
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One Month Post Surgery
Four weeks, twenty-eight days. Admittedly, I did write my last update – you can read it here – abit later than I’d originally planned but still, to think it’s been a month since surgery is just mind blowing. During these last two weeks I learnt a heck of alot more! Some brief highlights: I got myself off the Oxycodene after fourteen days. Big win moment. I was sleeping in a more regular pattern…
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Life Lately | Wound Care
DISCLAIMER: This post discusses the care of surgical wounds. No photos of any wounds are present in this post. The thing with surgery is you are left with scars. Scars mean wounds. And wounds mean wound care. For each of my bowel surgeries, I’ve been left with wound in the immediate post op period. My Right Hemicolectomy left me with four laparoscopic wounds, one of which was in my belly…
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Two Weeks Post Surgery
Seems like only yesterday I was counting backwards from four to be put under for my Proctectomy. But here we are, fourteen days post op and it’s been a weird and wonderful ride. I spent eight days on the ward, learning to manage my pain and my wounds. I am very grateful for my stoma being created at a different time, I doubt I would have been so able to…
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What’s in my Hospital Bag?
It’s been almost three years since I had a planned admission to hospital, and a little over a year that I’ve had without an admission at all. So, planning and packing my hospital bag was a quite daunting task. What would I need? How much would I be able to take with me? How was I going to keep myself occupied when I didn’t have visitors? Did I have enough of…
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Why? My Proctectomy Explained
Background: In 2016 I underwent two operations for my Crohn’s Disease. The first was a Right Hemicolectomy in May, followed by a Subtotal Colectomy with Ileostomy in August. My first surgery was to remove a stricture that was causing all of my then IBD symptoms. It had been unresolved by medication, so a joint decision between myself, my consultant and surgeon was made to remove my terminal ileum and about 20…