badly (unless they have high fructose corn syrup,
which is mercifully rare in New Zealand food) – it’s
always nice to have something small and delicious
to cheer you up when you’re feeling awful!
I’m lucky to have some amazing support in my
life – my mum is always keen to come along to
doctor’s appointments to stay informed, and I
have some great friends who have been really
understanding. I’ve also gotten involved with the
local support group (Crohn’s and Colitis Auckland),
and as well as having the chance to chat with like
minded people, it’s also been brilliant to get a
chance to help out – I manage our social media
pages and was recently made secretary – and unofficial ostomy vsociety liaison!
I’m not normally one to have inspirational quotes and the like, however, ever since I
discovered the ‘Girls with Guts’ online community, I’ve kind of taken that mantra to
heart – I may be a girl with a busted large intestine, but look how strong I’ve managed to
be – and I try as hard as I can to project that strong image around others. Being strong
is the one thing that I would encourage among the newly diagnosed – strong enough to
be yourself, not just your illness – but also strong enough to know when to ask for help.
Listen to your body, listen to your doctor, and don’t be ashamed to be sick, just because
it happens to be a so-called ‘unmentionable’ part of your body that’s not working so well.
Briar Lawry is from Auckland, New Zealand, and works both as a writer and in the
book industry. As well as working with her local IBD organisation, she runs
wamblecropt.wordpress.com, a Crohn’s and colitis related blog.
KRISTIN W. @SEMISWEETCOLON
ucmewithhope.tumblr.com
I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. The doctor walked in after
I was recovering from my colonoscopy, and I was told a whirlwind of things. My head was
spinning, and I heard a lot of medical words that didn’t mean a thing to me.
But the word I remember most? Disease.
Disease. Disease is serious. Disease is something that has no cure. Healthy people
don’t have diseases. I had a disease, and it was called Ulcerative Colitis. Before that
period of a few months, I was as healthy as could be. A full 18 years of good health, an
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