When I first became ill, I didn’t think much of it… originally I believed it to be a stomach bug, nothing serious, nothing that would make a huge impact on my life style. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that weekend, it felt as though someone was ripping my insides out of me. I was in constant pain, I could barely stand, words failed to fall from my mouth. I walked around like a zombie.

Two weeks later and nothing had changed, I decided it was about time I went to the doctor. A week later and I was back again, three weeks later, four weeks later… I was still in pain, everything I did hurt, every muscle in my body ached and nothing was being done.
Four months later I eventually got sent for an abdominal and pelvic Ultrasound, it came back clean and back to the doctor I went. Having ruled out that it was to do with my womb, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, lungs, pancreas etc. my doctor was baffled and I got refereed to a specialist to get a colonoscopy and a gastrocopy, which happened at the end of May. I remember that day… my sedation did not work, I felt everything… I cried through the whole thing. They found a polyp which they removed, my stomach was raw red and I had a duodenal ulcer, I then got scheduled for a small bowel M.R.I. which took place a month later.

On the 24th June I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I was put on Pentasa sachets which are special Crohn’s medication. In August I was back for a consultation and nothing had changed. So I got put on strong steroids, potassium, calcium and anti acid tablets. My medication had gone from 2 a day to 18 a day and would drop by one steroid a week. A month later, still no change. I went back and got told that if I wasn’t any different by the end of my steroids I was to be put in hospital for further investigations. At the start of October I went back and the choice was made for me to go in for the investigations.

On the 15th October I was admitted into hospital.