Take yourself back to your first few weeks with your stoma, did you have regular appointments to see your nurse; to ensure your bag was cut correctly, the products were right and you were okay? If the answer is yes, that was a very basic…
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“Why do you need B12 injections?”
I frequently get asked about my need to have regular top-ups of B12, via injection with my GP practice. As a result of my first IBD surgery back in 2016, I require B12 injections due to deficiency. Before I get into my own situation –…
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“Is having a stoma a fix or cure for IBD?”
If I had a pound for every time I got asked this immediately after surgery or whenever I meet someone new who doesn’t know my background to my stoma, I swear, I’d be RICH. Let’s go through this question methodically, shall we? What is a…
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“Does having IBD scare you?”
Let me take you back down memory road to the day after I was diagnosed with Crohns disease. “I sat on my hospital bed, in the new ward, waiting for the doctors to come and do their rounds. I would meet my consultant for the…
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Chronic Illness Admin
It takes a mammoth amount of energy, time and effort to organise chronic illness life. Throughout all my years with IBD it has been a barrage of appointments, procedures, medications and conversations about my health. It’s sort of why I started writing my blog because…
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Reflecting on 2021 – The Six Month Update
Inspired and an follow on from my 2020 post “Reflecting on 2020 – The Six Month Update“ End of June – what? The second half of the year but for me it feels like it is just beginning. After quite a long time, I am finally…
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“How important is hydration with a stoma?”
Summer can be a challenging time for ostomates. The hot weather can cause some issues if you’re not aware of them. Without parts of the bowel to absorb alot of water, ostomates – particularly those with an ileostomy – can be more susceptible to dehydration…
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“Are supplements helpful in IBD?”
More than half those with IBD have deficiencies in vitamins & minerals and we get most of these from the food we eat. Clemmie Oliver of the NALM Clinic said it best; “micronutrient deficiency (vitamins and minerals) is associated with a prolonged and more complicated…
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“What are infusions like?”
Intravenous simply means ‘into a vein’. Medicines and other fluids can be given directly via a vein into your bloodstream. A fine tube, called a cannula, is inserted into a vein, usually in your arm or hand, using a needle. The cannula is then connected…