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Long Suffering

Introduction:

Hi I’m Siobhan. I’m from Ireland(Dublin),

I have been attending the hospital for the last thirteen years or so with colitis, so know all about the ups and downs of it.

Some more about me:

I’m 42,(feel about 100),work full time,like walking and keeping fit,watching bad movies!enjoying eating out with friends or family.

Symptoms:

At the moment I have some inflammation on my colon.i have had this since before my holiday on and off,it was really bad on holiday,had a bad reaction after most things i ate(was in Spain)my stomach was really bloated and nothing seemed to help,i would take ages in any toilet i went to,and still have to go in 5 minutes later,most the time i would be urgently looking for a toilet!

Long Suffering

I was first diagnosed with colitis in 1999. I had been working shifts from 8 at night till 8 next morning, used to have to get 2 bus’s there. Personally I think this brought on this disease, as I was so tired and run down before I even got to the job and wasnt sleeping properly during the day or eating properly. My body’s rhythm was completely out of sync.

I got to the stage that I was in such pain i couldn’t take it anymore.  I was on the bus going to work one night, and i just about made it to the toilet.  I had a terrible uncomfortable journey with it most nights.

One night before I went to work, i didn’t feel well at all, I had diarrhea, and had a black out.  My dad had to ring the job and tell them I wouldn’t be able to go in.  I wouldn’t have made the journey even out of the house.  I was also throwing up all this brown stuff and having diarrhea about the same time as it.  I was really worried.

Anyway, i decided to get it sorted, and i also got a normal day job,which helped.anyway.

Back to the present day, I have just had a colonoscopy on Tuesday, (this is my 3rd one since i was first diagnosed)  They prescribed predfoam enemas for me, but every chemist i tried said it was discontinued!so i had to go back up to the hospital again and this time they put me on pentasa enemas, which they don’t seem to have anywhere either,may have to go back up the hospital,anyone else have these problems?am really tired going back and forth to the hospital and explaining what happened, and hoping whatever else they give me they will have in the chemist.i have to take the this medication before i go back for my results in about 2 weeks time,the stress of it all between trying to work and get time off for these appointments is just aggravating my condition.

Medications:

Imuran (cant remember how long ), but i don’t really think its working.
I’m on mezavant now the past month, i think it seems to be working.  Taking that with the Imuran, felt a bit dizzy at first after taking it, but i think it was because I had a bit of a cold and was taking uniflu for that as well.  The paracetomol in it may not have agreed with it.

written by Siobhan