Part of the week of daily blogs for #crohnsandcolitisawarenessweek Read the entire week here. There, I said it. Once you say it outloud, it’s like duh of course it does but that is as far some go. It’s sort of expected for something some internal to affect your mind. And whilst that’s good to recognise, more needs to be done. If there is counselling for a cancer diagnosis, why is there…
health
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Crohns & Colitis Awareness Week – December 2nd: IBD Stigma
Part of the week of daily blogs for #crohnsandcolitisawarenessweek Read the entire week here. What does having IBD mean? It means talking about poo. It means discussing bodily functions with specialists. It means enduring testings on your digestive system. These are not great experiences, no matter how long you have been diagnosed or how many you’ve had to go through. It means getting diagnosed. It means having a conversation with…
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Crohns & Colitis Awareness Week – December 1st: What is IBD?
Part of the week of daily blogs for #crohnsandcolitisawarenessweek Read the entire week here. What are Crohn’s & Colitis? Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the major categories of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD affects an estimated 300,000 in the UK. These chronic diseases can run in families and they affect males and females equally. While IBD can affect anyone, Caucasians are more likely than other ethnic groups to have IBD. Yet…
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Life Lately | Let’s Talk About… MY STUMP
** WARNING: graphic details about surgery and rectal stumps. NO PHOTOS just words ** Bear with me, this is going to get technical and emotional. Who would have thought a 30cm piece of my insides would cause me so much damn stress and pain? The Story I needed to have another surgery in August 2016 – my subtotal colectomy – after I discovered just how inflamed and damaged my colon…
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Ostomy Supporting Products – Paste
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. If you…
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Life Lately | The Revolving Door of Feelings
“It’s a shame. It’s awful being a grown up. But the carousel never stops turning. You can’t get off.” Hands up, who else feels like this? I definitely feel this a lot of late. I thought it was just a chronic illness problem; that my life was beginning to be more and more dictated by my illness more than the other way around. With chronic illness, you feel…
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Ostomy Supporting Products – Barrier
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. If you…
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Side Effects of Medication: When to Call it Quits
Disclaimer: This information is based on my own personal experience with Crohn’s medications and should not be used as medical advice. My medication regimes and processes are part of the IBD protocols set out by NICE, the CCG overseeing the NHS Trust and my specific hospital/s. If you seek advice regarding the medications best suited to your condition or indeed any discussion about changing medications or removing them, please contact…
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IBD Basics: Prebiotics, Probiotics & Antibiotics
Disclaimer: This information is based on my own research into this particular aspect of IBD as well as some personal experience and should not be used as medical advice or a diagnostic tool. The suggestions given within are taken from sources laid out in the references header. If you seek advice regarding the things you experience within your own disease, please contact your IBD team for medical advice. If you are looking for the…