Friday 24 February 2017

Diseasey Peasy


I receive quite a lot of messages and emails from young people who have recently been diagnosed with IBD. It makes me happy and sad in equal measure; happy that they reaching out to talk to someone about their worries (albeit a decidedly unqualified person like me), and sad because they are struggling with something incredibly distressing on top of all the usual, more common yet challenging aspects of ‘growing up’. Some of them are just looking for reassurance and advice on how best to live with a chronic illness; some of them don’t want to live at all. 

 

I do of course reply to these messages, as quickly as I can and with as much information as I can, but I often feel at a loss as to what to say to soothe a young man or woman who’s experiences perhaps mirror my own fears from several years earlier. I try to think about what I wanted to hear when I was diagnosed: what might have made the whole thing a little less scary, and I hit a frustrating brick wall.

 

I was lucky myself in the sense that I was (officially) diagnosed when I was in my mid-twenties. I certainly didn’t feel lucky of course; I was heartbroken, confused and devastated. I imagine it feels that way irrespective of your age mind you, we all have different tolerances and being told you are never getting better stings regardless of what stage in your life you are at.

 

So I suppose what I’m clumsily trying to express is that I feel at a loss at times to help those who are experiencing what I have. What I am.

 

Then I try to take a breath and remember that all I wanted to hear when I was first sick was that life would go on. I still do. Don’t get me wrong – I undoubtedly would not have thanked anyone for spouting that at me at the time of my diagnosis; I didn’t want life to go on if I’d have to carry this disease with me for the remainder of it. I didn’t believe it and I couldn’t accept it. But as I’ve grown alongside my illness (I’m now in my mid-thirties), I’ve found my outlook has changed along with my priorities. All I care about now is my own happiness and that of those around me. My illness is still a huge part of my life and always will be, one that can consume me from time to time, but those moments pass. Chronic illness is a slippery path whereby sometimes we wobble a little, sometimes we can’t get on an even keel, but nevertheless we never lie down to it; we don’t have that luxury.

 

But the truth is, our life does go on. We are incredibly lucky in that sense. We will have to make adaptions to those lives to make room for this illness, we don’t like that but it’s easier than trying to bat it away like a pesky wasp at a jam sandwich. We have to accept it and stop fighting its basic existence. Denial is fruitless and prolongs the period of time it takes to come to terms with having an incurable illness.

 

Don’t get me wrong here though, I’m not implying ANY of this is easy; sometimes I even have a little cry myself when I feel low – I often feel I’m back to square one with this and the frustration of that can be overwhelming. But if I’ve learnt anything since I was diagnosed it’s the importance of talking. Talk to your parents, your friends, your nurse, talk to me! Don’t push yourself into it – there’s no shame in that either; the last thing I wanted to do at first was talk about this with anyone, but eventually that changed and it became more of a comfort and camaraderie than a fear.

 

So please remember that you are not alone.

 

Things will get easier and you will learn to live with this. Like every challenge in life it feels monumental at first, but the more steps you take towards dealing with it the easier it becomes. I’m not in any way saying I love having a bowel disease – I hate it – but it has also taught me boundless things about my own body, its shown me a strength I never thought I could find and its brought me closer to the people I love. It’s made me value my own life, and allowed me an opportunity to help me help you to value yours.

 

So if you take anything from my ramblings let it be this: disease is hard and scary and intimidating, but your life is worth the challenge.



Tuesday 21 February 2017

Let Them Eat Cake!


My blog turned 6 last week!

 

I know what you are thinking; blogs can’t have birthdays, they are not sentient beings, so why waste decent cake? I hear you! But this particular ‘birthday’ has felt worthy of celebration mainly because I’ve sadly neglected my blog lately. I’ve had a new job to focus on and the completion of a new book I’ve been working on since my first came out last year. Also I’ve been ill. Not front page news that last one I grant you; some might even say it’s what this blog is all about, and yes I appreciate that smarty-pants. But being ‘sick’ can often feel like a full time job in itself and it overwhelms anything and everything. It interferes in work, relationships, your state of mind. It demands attention.

 

But this blog was started as an outlet for me to express my fears, experiences and abject terror at having a chronic illness, and while it still is such a place to allow me to vent or share, it’s become somewhat more of a safe place where I can come to talk openly and without judgement (although my inbox may say otherwise). It has granted me the opportunity to help others simply but sharing my life with you and making cat jokes. So rather than spend this special occasion focusing on the more negative aspects of my illness I thought I’d celebrate this 6th birthday with a little bit about all the good stuff that’s happened in my life since this blog was ‘born’.

 

So here are my 6 happy things:

 

  1. I have written and had published a book on Crohn’s Disease which is doing well and getting great feedback.
  2. I have focused more on nurturing my relationships and this has been wonderful and reaped countless rewards. (No I’m not talking about the bedroom, get your heads out of the gutter).
  3. Although my health has been a consistent challenge and treatments have failed I haven’t had any further surgery which I take as a big win. *touches all of the wood*
  4. We got a giant dog! Who makes me incredibly happy, cares for me and makes me and laugh and cry at his cuteness every day.
  5. I changed jobs and it’s been an incredible boost to my mental health and stress levels.
  6. My amazing friend Lyndsay gave me a bike! So now I cycle to said new job and have much more time with my family (and longer lie ins) while getting a little daily exercise. Also my thighs could now quite easily crush a grown man’s head.

 

So it’s not been all bad since Crohnological Order began. I’m happy and alive and that’s a great start. I’ve been granted some wonderful opportunities since writing this diseased drivel and I want to continue to use what little voice I have to help others. SO thanks for sticking with me for the last 6 years and hopefully beyond! I love you! xox