Last month I wrote about ‘Assumptions About IBD & Stomas‘ where I discussed how there are many assumptions and myths surrounding IBD and having a stoma. Assumptions are usually founded on false information, historically based in the past. While they might have some facts to them, they are usually warped beyond the reality they belong to right now. For anyone who might undergo a stoma surgery in the future, or…
crohns disease
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“Will you always need check-ups for your IBD?”
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yes but here is why: Getting diagnosed with IBD for most is a great relief. It ends the months, even years, of needing answers but them being dismissed or ignored. But diagnosis is just the first step in a lifetime of appointments, scans, procedures and consults with a specialist team or several teams. IBD is a chronic, lifelong invisible illness. Those three words – chronic,…
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“Does caffeine affect your IBD?”
Where would I be without my morning cup of coffee? Probably still in bed and probably still asleep. It’s been used for decades as a popular morning beverage to get us up, awake, alert and ready for a new day. We then added it to drinks to keep us full of energy during the day, if we suffered from poor sleep, needed to concentrate or wanted to avoid crashing before…
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“How different are scans when you have a bag?”
The most common way for IBD to diagnosed and monitored is via endoscopy. Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint – a colonoscopy can only show so much of the bowel. If you have IBD of the colon or rectum, you are fine with having just a colonoscopy regularly. But those with small bowel Crohns disease [CD] often can’t have their condition monitored with a scope, as it will…
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“Can calprotectin testing be done at home?”
Disclaimer: The information in this post is based on knowledge from NICE and CCGs, as well as my own personal use of FCP at-home kits. All experiences given here are my own and should not be taken as medical advice. Please remember that FCP is not a definitive diagnostic test for IBD. If you require advice or support about any aspect of your IBD care, please contact your IBD team…
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Assumptions About IBD & Stomas
You know the old pearl of wisdom about assumptions don’t you? “To assume is to make an ASS out of YOU and ME.” While assumptions can be helpful in some walks and aspects of life – we plan, exercise, save, and more based on the assumption that we’ll be alive & well for the future – it isn’t such a great thing in the realm of healthcare and chronic illness.…
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“What do gelling agents do?”
Disclaimer: The information in this post is based on product knowledge from product information direct from the manufacturer and also personal use of products within my own stoma care. All experiences given here are my own and should not be taken as medical advice. If you require advice or support about any aspect of your stoma care, please contact your SCN in the first instance or your GP. Let me…
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“Does being in hospital get easier?”
I’m going to go out on a limb here, but hospital admissions have been getting easier for me, the longer I have IBD, the more familiar I become with my own circumstances and probably because my anxiety around my health is always there, in the background like a pink elephant. I’ve gotten quite comfortable with the hospital in the last 3 or 4 years, mostly because I’ve been alone for…
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“Can having IBD be painful?”
Remember having a stomach ache as a kid. You thought it would never end and you couldn’t wait to return to eating food again. Now remember the last time you ate something and you felt a little off. Your stomach felt unsettled and you couldn’t figure out what was going to help or what was going to hurt you more. You felt nauseous and exhausted, as well as incredibly thirsty.…