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How it feels - staying active and managing pain
A diagnosis of Crohn’s or Colitis is life changing. The symptoms can have a huge impact on everything from work and study to relationships and hobbies. Eve’s Colitis disrupted some of the things she loved doing most – like running and playing football. She became anxious about how her symptoms would impact her beloved sport and had to find a way to navigate those challenges and pursue her passions. This is her story.
My symptoms appeared during the Covid pandemic and I remember it being an extremely unsettling time for me. The main thing was urgency to go to the toilet and horrible pain in my tummy. The symptoms went on for quite some time, ramping up over the course of a few years, so I decided to go and speak to the GP.
Initially my doctor diagnosed me with IBS, and despite going back to the GP numerous times, there was no mention of Crohn’s or Colitis. I actually knew all about Crohn’s because I have a family member with the condition and I kept thinking it could be bowel disease, but the diagnosis didn’t change.
Then, in 2023, things got much worse and I experienced an extremely painful flare-up and was at my lowest. I have always loved running and playing football but I was so worried about needing urgent toilet access that participating in sport became a really anxiety-inducing activity and I began to find it too difficult to do. I just wanted to be able to run without worrying about where the nearest loo would be.
Within the same year, I unfortunately fractured my leg whilst playing football, and it was due to this sporting injury that I finally began to receive further tests and investigations.
The consultant who was dealing with my fractured leg, wasn’t convinced that it was all down to simply playing football, and started to carry out further tests and referred me to other health teams.
I truly believe that if I had not had the accident playing football, then things wouldn’t have been investigated as quickly as they were, and I may not have received my diagnosis when I did. After several blood tests, the results showed that my inflammation markers were considerably high and things started to progress quickly. By now, I was also noticing blood in my poo which really took me by surprise. I underwent a colonoscopy and finally was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.
Since my diagnosis, my flare-ups have been relatively manageable with the help of medication. This has enabled me to live my life with less anxiety and get back to doing the things I love.
I truly believe that if I had not had the accident playing football, then things wouldn’t have been investigated as quickly as they were, and I may not have received my diagnosis when I did. After several blood tests, the results showed that my inflammation markers were considerably high and things started to progress quickly. By now, I was also noticing blood in my poo which really took me by surprise. I underwent a colonoscopy and finally was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.
Since my diagnosis, my flare-ups have been relatively manageable with the help of medication. This has enabled me to live my life with less anxiety and get back to doing the things I love.
I have learned that I can still do the things I want to do like running or playing football. I might have additional concerns or more worries than the average person who participates, but I try not to let these worries stop me and try to remain positive. I’m now in a much more positive place and have started playing football again. I think there’s still a long road ahead when it comes to feeling fully confident participating in sport, but I’m hopeful I’ll get there soon.
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Helpline Service
We know it can be difficult to live with, or support someone living with these conditions. But you’re not alone. We provide up-to-date, evidence-based information and can support you to live well with Crohn’s or Colitis.
Our helpline team can help by:
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Providing information about Crohn’s and Colitis.
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Listening and talking through your situation.
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Helping you to find support from others in the Crohn’s and Colitis community.
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Providing details of other specialist organisations.
Please be aware we’re not medically or legally trained. We cannot provide detailed financial or benefits advice or specialist emotional support.
Please contact us via telephone, email or LiveChat - 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except English bank holidays).
If you need specific medical advice about your condition, your GP or IBD team will be best placed to help.