My Crohn's Journey thus far...  

On my first day of uni in September 2002 I started having the typical symptoms: stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue.  I put this down to excessive alcohol consumption as a student, but knew deep down something wasn't right.  It totally controlled my life.  I couldn't relax.  I couldn't stay round people's houses, go out for meals.  I was on edge the entire time.  I can't describe how awful it was.  I wouldn't wish this on anyone.   

I waited until the following year to pluck up courage to get myself checked out.  After a colonoscopy it turned out I have Crohn's disease.  I'd never even heard of it.  To be honest, the consultant I saw at the time didn't tell me much about it and I felt I needed just to get on with it.  The medication prescribed (Pentasa & Azathioprine)  made zero difference and I was going to the loo up to 30 times a day, my weight dropped and I was eventually admitted to hospital for a week and pumped full of IV steroids.  These also didn't work, but they did give me moon face and moustache.  I was weaned off the steroids and prescribed a liquid diet instead.  I could only manage 800 calories a day as it tasted awful so my weight dropped even more.   At this time, all my friends were turning 21 and we were supposed to be having the time of our lives... I spiralled into a deep depression instead.

The liquid diet also didn't work so I just decided to put up with the symptoms for the next few years until a friend suggested I go to see a Crohn's specialist.  So I did.  It transpired that part of my small bowel was irreparably damaged by the disease so in 2012 I underwent a right hemi-colectomy to remove it.  I was off work for 6 weeks and now have a scar on my tummy which I am very proud of.  Since then I have been so much better and take Azathioprine to keep things at bay.  The disease has affected my mental health too, which is probably the toughest part of this for me.  

I am doing the bungee jump to raise people's awareness of how Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects sufferers both physically and mentally and hopefully we can raise a bit of money along the way too.  Over the years since I was diagnosed, this charity has helped me be less embarrassed and shy about this dreadful disease which sadly has no cure.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

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