you asking LOTS of questions and who help you
to understand the disease process along with the
medications and health strategies that you can use to
stay as well as possible in the face of a chronic illness.
The ideal team for me is health professionals who
encourage self advocacy and who will also advocate
for me when I am too unwell to do so myself. I have
seen the the good, the bad and the downright ugly of
healthcare professionals and truly appreciate those
who I can work with to manage my health care.
IBD has made life a challenge with repeated periods
of poor health. This impacts severely on education and
steady employment. In saying that, I have been able to
earn a Masters degree in a health science and that has
helped me to learn how to advocate for myself and to
be able to help others to learn how to do the same for themselves.
When I started exploring IBD sites like C3life, I was overwhelmed by the similarities of
people’s stories to my own. This disease is
not just a few ulcers in the gut; it infiltrates
every part of your life. The diagnostic process
is rarely straightforward or quick. The pain
and suffering is intense and not without
psychological effect. The battles with the
health care world are frequent and it is a
challenge to find doctors who trust in your
knowledge of your own body. It stuffs up your
education and professional development,
and yet along the way it creates really strong
people who make the very best out of what
they have.
TOM H.
@FOREVERYIBD
thechronicadventurer.wordpress.com
My name is Thomas, and in December 2011, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.
It took about a year to be diagnosed after the doctors thought it was just a virus that
would go away or that it was IBS. However, by the time they realised it was Crohn’s, my
health had deteriorated to the point that surgery was the only option. The surgery was in
the form of a resection of my bowel to remove the most inflamed part that had caused
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