NEW: John Bradley's Inspiring Story

As soon as I posted my blog John responded immediately. Thank you for this! I feel very very lucky and grateful to have this priveledge to connect with others with IBD. I am very proud of you for having written your book: Foul Bowel ( http://www.foulbowel.com/ ). It is nice to see the support that is out there and learning more and discovering more and more of this support! Thank you so much for letting me post your story - it has touched me and I hope it touches others.

Hugs, Ashley

I became ill at age 18 and got progressively worse until finally diagnosed aged 25 in 1983 after multiple false diagnoses. I was straight in for surgery having a resection and 3 strictureplasties (the 3rd person in the world to have them done - my surgeon invented it). I thought that would be it, problem solved, but ohhh no. My symptoms started coming back while I was still on sick leave from the op! I was put onto steroids which made me feel superficially better but did nothing to alter the course of the illness. In 1985 I was back in for more surgery – 9 strictureplasties this time. For the next 8 years – rinse and repeat. Felt permanently dreadful, couldn’t eat, constant pain, 3 more surgeries of resections and multiple strictureplasties (24 in total). At that stage I really felt that the illness was out of control and that I would be dead by the time I was 40. While all this was going on I still had a career to build in brand marketing, and I did so by being very strategic about which jobs I went for, making sure that I could still deliver expected results while I was feeling terrible, so I was doing jobs that were well within my capabilities. I also got married after the first op. Just when things seemed to be getting worse and worse – my 5th op was only 18 months after the 4th – my symptoms finally began to settle down, probably due to being put on Imuran combined with steroids. After years of trying, my wife got pregnant and gave birth to our beautiful daughter. In 1996, 3 years after the 5th op, I felt well enough to push for an international role and moved to Canada with my employer on a 2-year assignment, which kept being extended and I ended up as Snr Vice President of Marketing, perhaps a bit later than some of my original peers managed, but I got there all the same. I still had health issues as much from all the surgeries as the Crohn’s. I started on Remicade in 2003 and that meant I could finally get of steroids after having been on them for 10 years. While Remicade made me feel almost normal again, I was aware I had a couple of old strictures still in the system so in 2008 I signed up to have them widened. Unfortunately, that procedure ruptured my small bowel so I had emergency surgery that day removing another chunk of small bowel, leaving me with only 20% of the original length. Even worse, that op did not go well as I bled internally afterwards and was rushing into another emergency op the next morning. Since then I have been mostly symptom free and feeling as well as I have ever done in my adult life. In 2003 I retired early from the corporate world and fulfilled an ambition to write, having 2 books published. The second one, The Foul Bowel, is my Crohn’s story but with a lot more humour and insight than in this very short Crohn’s resume! So, I have had a successful career, enjoyed a successful and enduring marriage, delighted in seeing my daughter, now 17, grow and develop into a wonderful and talented person, all the while having a long and complex set of Crohn’s problems. Although Crohn’s has been a big part of my life, I have never let it define me or deflect me from the goal of having a full and enjoyable life. I am not complaining about my lot in life.

I hope that is of interest!

Kind regards

John Bradley

http://www.foulbowel.com/

NEW Inspiring Story: Kaella Carr!

Thank you Kaella for your response to my last blog - this means alot to me and it gives me much hope (and many other IBDers). Thank you for letting me share this - Keep up the great work :) . Getting your response makes me feel so grateful that we can come together and help each other. I remember when I was a kid, I didn't know anyone with IBD and I felt very alone going through life with the challenges of Crohn's. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Hugs,

Ashley

Kaella's Inspiring Story:

I don't consider myself a Crohn's success story but I do feel lucky each and every day. My last Crohn's-related surgery (a bowel resection) was over five years ago. My last "major" flareup, over four years ago. Sure, I've had bad days and bathroom emergencies, but I'm officially at my "Crohn's" best. I was diagnosed in February 2004. Like so many others, my diagnosis took time. In three weeks I lost 50 pounds. For months, I couldn't eat or sleep and was, at times, scared and depressed. My story has been told many times on CCFC blogs and as the first Gutsy Generation "Gut of the Month" so I won't go in to it too much. What I will tell you, is everyone is different. There were moments when I thought I would never get better. My weekly doctors appointments and hospital visits, and dozens of pills, were exhausting. It didn't help that I was constantly hearing "you're always sick" from people. This year I will be 28 years old. I am getting married in the fall and I couldn't be more excited. Everyday I say a quick thank you for my health. I didn't take a magic "get better" pill (although, I probably would consider it, if such thing existed.) What I believe has worked for ME and kept ME healthy is my lifestyle. I'm a very positive person. I eat extremely well (most of the time) and exercise, a lot. I began working out everyday (for a minimum thirty minutes) last summer. Three months later, I was able to go off my Crohn's medication completely. I can't tell you my success story will work for anyone else. In fact, I'm confident it won't as I believe everyone, and every "body" is different. I also am not nieve. I know my IBD could flare up again, anyday. I know that I could get sick before our wedding, on our wedding day, or overseas during our honeymoon. For me, I do the only thing I can. I stay positive and I live my life. I don't like worrying, because as we IBD'ers know, worrying leads to stress, which leads to flare-ups. Again, everyone is different but I just want you reading this to know that there will be a day when you feel like the best version of yourself. It may last years or it may just last a few days. My advice is to appreciate it. People take their health for granted and I never want to be like that. I am thankful everyday that I'm able to keep working in my dream job, feel well enough to do the things I love, and that I will soon marry the man of my dreams. My next goal is to have a family. Although, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis run in my family, I won't worry about passing on the disease until that time comes. As someone who has a disease that can affect, literally, every aspect of my life I know what many of you are going through. I was there. I may be there again one day. Please, keep you head up. I can't wait to hear YOUR IBD success story. Kaella