tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126039509108800712024-02-21T01:12:49.353+00:00Coping With ColitisThis blog is the diary of a ulcerative colitis sufferer. Although the posts are very recent, this blog actually covers the last 3.5 years of my condition. which ultimately resulted in me having the colectomy in March 2009.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-30203119864177519992011-04-11T10:42:00.003+01:002011-04-11T11:21:03.831+01:001 Year on - April 2011Hello everyone! It has been a long long time since I last blogged and wasnt sure if I would again to be honest, but because i'm still receiving such lovely messages from people taking the time to read it, I thought I would. A lot has happened really, like it does in everybodys life over a year. Im still in good health, I do still struggle with eating certain things and have trouble with my BM, Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-7627862927036618902010-01-01T15:56:00.003+00:002010-01-01T16:23:44.486+00:0022nd Post - Some daysHappy New Year to you all. I hope your roads to recovery are good ones.It's been a couple of months since I lost blogged, and I think I get it now.What I mean is i've worked out what works for me food & drink wise and what doesn't. Typically some of the food I love I have trouble with, especially mushrooms and beans. I try and keep a healthy diet on the whole, but a lot of the Salad food is Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-23735334526124775962009-10-06T21:22:00.003+01:002009-10-06T21:32:24.411+01:0021st Post - The aftermathSince the last time I wrote my blog, one or two things has been happening to me.Firstly me and Danny was out with some friends, and I was asked how long I had been off work, I told him that I went back full time after 3 weeks, he couldn't believe it, and then it dawned on me, just how quickly everything has happened. I have dealt with the physical pain and feelings towards the operation and Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-37845208847483571672009-09-13T15:42:00.002+01:002009-09-13T15:51:32.955+01:0020th Post - 3 months plus since the last opWell it has been a while since I have last updated my blog, because to be honest there wasn't an awful lot to report.I am back at work full time and have just fallen back into the usual routine with no major hiccups. It is good to be back to my usual routine, even though it's hard getting up on a morning, no change at all there!I can eat pretty much anything I like, enjoy alcohol, and no urgency Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-75410717072556019402009-06-15T20:25:00.003+01:002009-06-15T20:37:07.233+01:0019th Post - Replies to comments.Hello Membership Required,Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I am glad it was of some interest to you. I'm not sure how to reply to you so I thought I'd just post it! I hope this is OK. If you send me your email address I can reply whenever needed.The answer to your question about the steroids is thankfully no. No asacol or enemas or iron tablets in my case. The only thing I did Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-24067541385977649092009-05-27T00:00:00.004+01:002009-06-04T15:29:11.472+01:0018th Post - You are not aloneIt upsets me to think that there are so many people out there still going through what I have been through and a lot more in some cases.As happy as I am that I am getting back to good health and we are now a healthy couple, I don’t ever want to forget what I have been through to the point where it doesn’t matter anymore, because it always will do and it means a hell of a lot to me to hopefully Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-65418736578330446572009-05-26T23:54:00.006+01:002009-06-15T22:09:12.535+01:0017th Post - Out of hospital 2 weeks after 2nd Op2 weeks tomorrow 27th May I have had my operation and It is has been really hard to be honest, harder that what I thought, not only because I have been in pain but for some reason I have had imsomnia and not even averaging 4 hours a night sleep, but the good thing is my appetite has come back and I am again eating like a horse!I found the pain was mostly in my anus as opposed to my actual wound, Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-10619273236923781712009-05-26T23:48:00.004+01:002009-06-04T15:34:46.873+01:0016th Post - Round 2 Done!I had an x ray taken on Monday 11th May before the operation, just to make sure there were no leaks inside my stoma.They insert some sort of dye into you which shows up any issues there maybe, lucky for me everything was as it should be. It is nothing to worry about at all, it is over within 10 minutes and I was very pleased to hear that everything looked well and I would be able to go ahead withNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-2268854281161853742009-05-10T14:16:00.004+01:002009-06-04T15:40:47.708+01:0015th Post - Bad MemoriesI’ve been remembering a few things over the last few days of memories when I had colitis, things like when Danny had been in the bathroom at home and within 15 seconds I would need to go to the toilet but because I couldn’t wait for him to come out, I would have to go the toilet in the bin or in a bucket in the bedroom quite often. You definitely loose your dignity.Or eat that slice of pizza thatNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-55595595573115558302009-05-10T14:02:00.004+01:002009-06-04T15:43:57.855+01:0014th Post - Thursday 7th May 2009 - Happy Days & ApprehensionWell I know I said I wanted the operation as soon as possible but I didn’t expect it to be within the week.- yippee!!I have received 2 letters through from the hospital today, 1 being that I have to go for my pre op next Monday 11th May to have my blood taken, urine tests and ecg tests and have a radiology which is basically a dye that they put inside your back passage to see if there are any Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-5615278123453406752009-05-10T13:54:00.003+01:002009-06-04T15:46:34.940+01:0013th Post - 5th May 2009 - 6 Weekly check upWe went to see my consultant this week for a 6 weekly check up, my consultant was really happy with me, he thought that I was looking well and everything I told him he sounded impressed with, that I had recovered so quickly. He then asked me how quickly I wanted to go back to have the reversal, I told him straight away!Even though I do want the stoma reversing straight away, I have definitely Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-70644007522035303122009-05-10T13:36:00.007+01:002009-06-15T21:15:40.646+01:0012th Post - 21st April 2009 - More ups and downs of being out of hospital3 weeks ago my stoma bag started leaking roughly twice a day, everyday, mostly when I was at home, but once or twice when I was in the car on my way out for the day, not very nice. My Grandad, Dad and me were going to Grassington, I had checked the bag before setting off, all looked fine but I did put some extra protection around it in case of leakages (fat lot of good that did).We nearly got to Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-88046738416559611432009-04-13T20:58:00.004+01:002009-06-04T15:49:40.297+01:0011th Post - Important Info Choose & BookIf you are wanting the surgery and this hasn’t been put to you by your Dr, from the 1st April 2009 choose and book has become a legal requirement. If you are not happy with the care and service you have or are receiving from your consultant / gp you can request to been seen private. You will get an option of 5 different hospitals, 1 of which will be an independent hospital (private) not bupa but Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-42428196040727806072009-04-13T20:34:00.002+01:002009-05-10T15:41:54.968+01:0010th Post - Been out of hospital nearly a weekIt is very hard to adapt to this stoma bag I think anyway, whilst in hospital the nurses were emptying it so the onus wasn’t on me, but last Monday seeing the stoma nurse (they are as nice as people say they are) I had to change the bag myself before they would discharge me.It was bloody awful certainly something I wasn’t ready for and still aren’t now! The stoma nurse was brilliant as was Danny Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-16670707816294942892009-04-13T15:21:00.003+01:002009-05-10T15:40:23.236+01:00Post 9 - Handy TipsMy Auntie is an occupational therapist and I went to her for some help, she told me about the 7 11 breathing technique. It’s really simple and can be carried out anywhere at all, breath in for 7 seconds and breath out for 11 seconds, that I found really helped with the urgency thing, as long as you do it as soon as you feel you are needing to go. I only asked her about this a few weeks before Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-21532714904993189822009-04-13T15:18:00.003+01:002009-05-10T15:35:46.817+01:008th Post - The ups and downs of being out of hospitalHad a pretty lazy day today, the stoma bag leaked at 5.00am this morning so my mum and dad were trying frantically to get a new bag put on, but it was so active, it just kept pouring out for nearly an hour, my poor mum was going to work in the morning so she will have been tired out but never complained once. Finally got settled at 6.00am to wake up at 8.30 and it had leaked again.I rang Danny Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-14103591067826406532009-04-13T15:10:00.003+01:002009-05-10T15:34:18.624+01:007th Post - Emotional TurmoilI haven’t had a big operation before and wasn’t fully prepared for it looking at things now, you can’t I suppose prepare for the emotional turmoil of this, the aftermath you are on a high and feel elated even though you are wired up to tubes and been fed through a drip, through all of that regardless the colitis is now gone.From been on a high comes the lows which again I wasn’t prepared for 2 Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-74402825819530540002009-04-13T14:56:00.002+01:002009-05-10T15:27:12.058+01:006th Post - Possible 2nd thoughtsAnybody reading this and is still in 2 minds about having the op, as big a decision as this is, it will be the right one. The quality of life you will have after the operation to me is too hard to grasp as yet. (bearing in mind it isn’t even 2 weeks since I had the op) no more worrying about where the nearest toilet is, or if you can wear that outfit because you are again bloated or the fear Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-42886612874678400712009-04-13T13:45:00.006+01:002009-05-10T15:23:43.834+01:005th Post Thursday 2nd April - After the surgeryI have now had the op! Was in hospital for 5 days., but shoudl have been 14 days. The day of the operation me and Danny were waiting in the hospital room which would become my home for the 5 days I was in there. I didn’t have any reservations about going ahead with it, I think all that anxiety was out of the way from the weekend before. The anaesthetist came to see me to explain the procedure andNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-79830673796200439422009-04-13T12:59:00.005+01:002009-07-06T16:42:06.121+01:004th Post - Saturday 14th March - Getting ever closer to the operationOh my god, I feel like I am going through the motions of having this op. Firstly was surreal, couldn’t believe that I could actually be cured of this awful disease, 2nd was happy sooo happy the thought of normality and everyday living wouldn’t be a a chore, but thirdly I am shit scared soooo scared of just after the op,the stoma bag the scars the emotional turmoil all over again with myself and Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-48995515841641399212009-04-13T12:35:00.004+01:002009-05-10T15:10:01.192+01:003rd Post - Friday 13th March 2009 - Prior to the SurgeryI am going in for my operation on the 25th March 2009 to remove my bowel from having ulcerated colitis. I have had this horrible condition for just over 3 years now, the first year or so, I was fine and didn’t even realise the true extent of the condition, I didn’t or don’t remember looking into the condition to find out what it was, I was just on tablets, I can’t remember the name of them, but INataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-50111006438262130812009-04-13T12:09:00.005+01:002009-05-10T14:54:30.266+01:002nd Post - 2006 The Start of the Dreaded ColitisThe first flare up I had was in 2006. I had recently just started an enema I think it was asacol. I woke up 1 morning and I was trying to put my socks on, and I was just in agony, I just burst into tears, and my partner Danny had to phone work and tell them that I wouldn’t be in, which later, me not been at work became nothing new.I went down to the doctors and cried and told him how much pain I Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912603950910880071.post-66285811149649462482009-04-13T12:04:00.004+01:002009-04-13T20:51:36.052+01:001st Post - An IntroductionThis blog is for anybody who is either living with colitis and has had depression as a result of it or knows somebody who this has effected. I hope that who does read this blog finds it honest and straight from the heart and more importantly than anything helpful and realises that there is light at the end of the tunnel even when you think there isn’t! I have been with and lived with my partner Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474848939663970779noreply@blogger.com5