CROHNS & ULCERATIVE COLITIS

( inflammatory bowel disease - IBD )

Inflammatory bowel disease ( IBD ) and irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) are two very different and seperate illnesses and should not be confused.
Nobody knows why people get these illnesses, and there is no cure. Basically the body thinks good bacteria are bad, so it starts to destroy them. This leads to ulcers and bleeding. There are many different drugs sufferers can take to help. These basically suppress the immune system, to stop the body attacking itself. But then these suppressants leave the body wide open to all other infections and illnesses. And because the body is already weak, getting other illnesses on top only weaken the patient further, so a simple cold for example, to a healthy person, can be much worse for sufferers of these illnesses.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are incurable chronic diseases of the intestinal tract. The two diseases are often grouped together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because of their similar symptoms.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have similar symptoms, but are different in the manner in which they affect the digestive tract.

SYMPTOMS...

Crohns affected areas....

Ulcerative colitis affected areas....

 

 

I was diagnosed about eight years ago, and since then i have tried vast combinations of drugs, some of which have helped, some of which caused horrible side effects. As these illnesses cannot be cured, it is important to find the right medication to help keep the symptoms at bay. Some people only have one flare up, then never suffer again. Some have flare ups with periods of remission in between. Some have ongoing problems where respite from the symptoms is very rare. I fall into that last catergory, go me! It has been a tough road so far, but over the years it does get easier to cope, and accept this horrible illness. While the long list of medication i need to take daily doesn't completely kill off all the symptoms, and does add some side effects, they do help. And some of the medication is not for the faint hearted, i have had to use suppositories, foam enemas and liquid enemas, as well as all the oral medication. Steroids are also often used during flair-ups, then you have the delights of 'moonface' to look forward to, where you literally look like you have been inflated with a bicycle pump.
You also have to adjust your lifestyle. For example, on a bad day i know i can't leave the house. If i have a busy day one day, i know i will feel exhausted the day after. If i do go out, i need to know where the toilets are. But this illness is much more than frequent trips to the loo. Some days i am in so much discomfort i feel like i want to rip my insides out. I also have joint pain, nausea, dizzy spells, mouth ulcers and a sore tongue, dry skin and eczema, low red and white blood cell counts, low energy levels a lot of the time, even simple tasks can be hard chores on bad days. When i do need the loo, it can be a mad dash, it often is like being given a 30 second warning. Sometimes you don't even get a warning. Ofcourse there is also the fact that you can pass blood and mucus too. This often makes it quiet stressfull if you need to leave the house, it is like the symptoms will never allow you to forget you have the illness for long. It really does effect daily life, and has to be considered when making plans to go anywhere or do anything. Long gone are the days when the world was my oyster, and i could do anything i wanted at the drop of a hat. Ofcourse it is hard to plan ahead, as you never know what you will be feeling like next week or next month, or even tomorrow.
Then ofcourse there is the fact that you need to leave your dignity at the door when you get an illness like this. I have had colonoscopies, sigmoidoscopies and Endoscopies, none of which are on my favourite things to do list, but you just have to accept that they are a necessary evil.
I am at the stage now where the doctor has told me all i can do is decide what is worse, not taking medication, or coping with the side effects of the drugs. I tried coming off all drugs, and was much worse, so atleast i know the drugs do some good, and the side effects are not as bad as the illness symptoms when they are not being treated. I know things could be a lot worse though, i have a wonderful and supportive partner, and gorgeous companion animals that give me a reason to get out of bed every morning. I like my specialist and the specialist nurses at the hospital, even though i sometimes wish they had a magic wand, i know that they are doing all that they can for me. I also know that some people suffer a lot worse than me, so i do stay positive, being miserable never helped anyone. I think accepting this illness goes a long way to coping with it. I just embrace the days i feel good, and accept the days i feel lousy, and i always try to keep smiling. Some days it is easier said than done, and because this illness is on the inside, people often assume because i look ok, and i refuse to stop smiling, that i must feel ok. I feel most people don't really understand what this illness really is, and how it can affect sufferers. I hope this page goes a little way to explaining this nasty illness.

Get help -

Ulcerative Colitis

NHS Choices – Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s Disease
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/pages/introduction.aspx - Ulcerative Colitis
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Crohns-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx - Crohn’s Disease
Information on Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's disease from NHS Choices including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, risks and treatment and with links to other useful organisations.

CICRA (Crohn's & Colitis in Childhood Research Association)
Helpline: 0208 949 6209
www.cicra.org
Dedicated to creating a wider understanding of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis particularly as it affects children and young adults. We provide support for sufferers and their families and we raise funds to support approved medical research aimed at finding more effective treatments and an eventual cure.

Crohn’s Zone
www.crohnszone.org
Crohn's Zone is a friendly interactive forum based community for people all over the world with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn’s and Colitis UK (NACC National Association for Crohn’s and Colitis)
Information Line: 0845 130 2233 (or 01727 844296)
NACC-in-Contact Support Line: 0845 130 3344
www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
The NACC brings together people of all ages who have Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, which includes Proctitis, their families and the health professionals involved in their care. They offer support via their information and support lines and 70 country-wide groups.

IA, The Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group
Helpline: 0800 0184 724
www.iasupport.org
IA, the Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group (formerly known as the Ileostomy Association of Great Britain and Ireland), is a mutual support group which has the primary aim of helping people who have had their colon removed because of conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns, FAP, bowel cancer etc.