I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in my early thirties. On returning from a holiday unwell, I was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis. On further investigation it was found that the gastroenteritis had also triggered an underlying diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis. My condition remained relatively stable for the first few years after diagnosis. As time progressed, I gradually began to experience more frequent and more severe and prolonged flare-ups, despite different medications and courses of steroids.
There was a significant impact on my quality of life. Eventually I was no longer able to continue working as a Ward Manager in the NHS. After the death of my Mum, I had a huge flare up, which I attributed to grief and stress. I had a significant decline in my health, spending seven weeks in hospital. Surgery became the only option.
Christian after surgery
I had a subtotal colectomy and a permanent ileostomy formed. While a stoma wasn’t something I ever thought I’d "want," I now feel it has given me my life back. I’ve even come to embrace it, and the freedom it brings. I’m no longer housebound, or fearful of leaving the house.
After recovering from surgery, I took part in the Big Winter Workout challenge for Crohn’s & Colitis UK, raising money for a cause close to my heart. Inspired and motivated by this, I joined a gym, which was life-changing. I felt fitter, healthier, and more confident than I had done in years.
After nine years not working, I completed a Return to Nursing course and am now a registered nurse once again, something I thought I would never be able to return to. I’m about to start work at a local hospice.
The transformation in my life since surgery has been nothing short of momentous. I wouldn’t be where I am today - working, fit, and enjoying life to the full, without it.
Getting a stoma in my 50s wasn’t part of the plan, but I now believe it’s helped me discover a new chapter - one that proves at any age, you can embrace change and even find life is better because of it.
Christian taking part in The Big Winter Workout six weeks post-surgery
Fundraising for us
Fancy your own fundraising challenge? No matter how big or small, it can make a difference. It is thanks to the support of people like you that we can help the estimated 500,000 people in the UK who are living with Crohn’s and Colitis.
