"I was a scared little old lady when I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease" says Brenda Meakin, 69. "I thought 'why me, why at my age?'".
Just before Christmas in 2011 Brenda began to spot some familiar symptoms. "I had blood when I went to the toilet and that sort of thing so I just assumed I'd got a polyp. I couldn't believe it when they said it was Crohn's" she recalls.
I had to give up work probably six months after my diagnosis because I was constantly running to the toilet. Plus I was on steroids and it was all too much.
Eventually, Brenda was put on a waiting list for subtotal colectomy surgery in early 2014. "They took out part of my colon and gave me a temporary ileostomy which would hopefully be reversed at a later date," says Brenda.
When she was diagnosed with Crohn's, Brenda was 17 stone and had type 2 diabetes, but like lots of people with Crohn's or Colitis, she lost a lot of weight after her diagnosis.
I lost seven and a half stone and my dress size went from a 24 to 14, and has subsequently stabilised at a 16. The weight doesn't drop off at once so you go through several stages, and buying new clothes gets expensive.
A Facebook fan, Brenda turned to the internet for support. "I just went on and put in Crohn's and stumbled across hundreds of groups," she says. "I don't know how I found #GetYourBellyOut (GYBO) but I have learned a lot from that group. When any of us are in hospital we support each other."
She recalls: "One day I saw a post saying that someone had clothes that no longer fitted and would anybody like them. I thought, 'I could do something with that'." So in 2016 Brenda started a new group for people to give away their clothes.
Some people say 'I don't want the money for the postage, give it to the charity. So we've raised £360 for Crohn's & Colitis UK like that. It's been such a success I can't actually believe it.
The friends found on the GYBO Facebook group remain very important to Brenda. "I log on every day; sometimes we go for coffee, or a drink or meal."
Although she has the support of her partner of 20 years, Len, and her two daughters and two sons, GYBO also fills a gap left by some of the friends who dropped away when she got her diagnosis.
"When I got ill I think I messed them about really because I wasn't reliable. I'd have to cancel at the last minute." Brenda says she has lost count of the times she had to miss out on events due to her illness.
My family have understood when I've had to miss family things, including a wedding. I hate having to let them down.
In November 2015 Brenda had surgery to remove the rest of her colon, and once her stoma was made permanent, she didn't look back. Post-surgery, Brenda says she's had a new lease of life.
"It was much better than having to keep running to the toilet." she explains. "And losing weight had its positives for me. I enjoy clothes more now - and can even wear leggings."
The annual #GetYourBellyOut ball is taking place on 14 April - come along to celebrate four years of the #GetYourBellyOut campaign and raise money for Crohn's & Colitis UK.
To read our future editions of Connect you can join as a member today for only £1.25 a month just visit our membership page to find out more.
Find out about the support for you available.
If you have been affected by any of the issues feature in this article, we are here to support you.
