On 19th May it is World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day. If you check out the hashtag #WorldIBD or #WorldIBDDay you’ll find all kind of things on social media, from personal stories to facts and figures, opportiunities to donate to related causes to fund research or support.
On Saturday 18th May, I took part in the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Walk IT event in Bristol, walking 5 kilometres with my father, wife and two sons age 4 & 10 months (to be fair, Eli was pushed around).
We’ve done this before two years ago, and this year I was slow off the mark to do any fundraising – although you can donate to CCUK via my JustGiving page. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2005, and had emergency surgery 3 months later to remove my colon. I had no idea when I was diagnosed how serious the condition was. I then tried an internal pouch, which eventually failed and was defunctioned in 2015, then removed in 2016, along with my rectum and anus. That wound took two years to heal, and along the way I have also had episodes of arthritis and low mood, some nasty side effects from drug treatment, leakage, pain, bleeding, infections and MRSA (twice).
I have tried to be strong along the way. Sometimes it was easy because I was so drugged up I just didn’t care. Sometimes I thought I was being string but was really just being self-centred. I remember one afternoon when I was in hospital, for another complication after our first son was born just weeping – I think because timings hadn’t worked out and I wasn’t going to get to see him that day. It’s a horrible condition, with no cure, but because of the changing nature of it (both Ulcerative Colits and Crohn’s Disease flare up and can go into remisison) it is unpredictable. Everyone’s journey is different.
So if you are interested, have a look at some stories. If you can, please donate some money to a related cause.
I’ll leave you with this Instagram post my wife created after we finished our walk.
Happy World IBD day!
Gutless Dick 