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UPDATE September 2021

Update from Zoe 

Firstly I hope you are all well and have survived the last 18 months 🙏 during the pandemic I kept fairly well although had to be taken by ambulance 🚑 for the first time in May 2020 as I took really unwell and had to go it alone In hospital on my own for 5 days 🥲 On returning home I wasn’t great still and had to go back to A&E for urgent Brain Scans and was referred to a Neurologist in August 2020 . Due to all of that I was kept off my immune suppressant drug and had been managing well with it until this month September 2021💜

I had a return to hospital in February 2022 just for a day and a bit and for straightened out again 🙏

So On Thursday 2nd September 2021 I had to go back to A&E again had to spend 24 hours there in a chair 🪑 the first time for that as I am 19 now so a big adult 😍I spent a week in hospital 🏥 and underwent many scans and tests , had an Iron infusion and also an infusion of my immune suppressant drug 💜 I am still not feeling great since my return home and have to have a MRI and an endoscopy to check of any surgery is required . 

So sadly 2 years on I won’t be able to take part in the relay this year but an really delighted that some people can In support of me  🙏💜💞 I will be there supporting them 👏👏👏

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

My name is Zoe Mellon and I am taking part in the relay of The Deep River Rock Belfast Marathon in support of Crohns and Colitis Northern Ireland.
I would like to tell you my journey from
Health to living with Crohns

I am now age 17 and I lead a very active lifestyle as a young girl , Dance , Drama , Girls Brigade , Cross country my parents would say I never stopped .
When I started Bangor Academy in 1st year I also took up pool diving at Bangor aurora and become a competitor with The Dani Diving club , and also trampolining and became part of the Bangor Academy trampoline school team .

Life took a change for me in February 2017 , I became The Irish lady diving champion in February 2017 , 14-18 year old age group and I had just turned 14 in the year long competition. This was a wonderful achievement for me , but quickly this become over shadowed by the hidden chronic illness of Crohns .

I returned from my school ski trip in March 2017 and this started my symptoms of Throat and chest infections , then ear infections, sickness , Radom pains and infections in my body , constantly being given antibiotics . In September 2017 my parents found me On the bathroom floor , feeling sick and no feeling In my body from my belly button down . After a few visits to A&E I was admitted to hospital on 11th November 2017 where I spent a few days on a Permanent Ecg , having a Heart Echo and Brain MRI with no idea still of why I was so ill . 
Also during that time my parents took me privately to a ENT specialist and a Thyroid specialist who again had no diagnosis for me .

In May 2018 I was admitted to The Ulster hospital and was really ill for 11 days at that stage the medics found E Coli in my body and the normal treatment for this failed and once I was given antibiotics by IV I felt so much better . This was a key point in my illness
As they took a stool sample and tested it for a thing called Faecal Protection which in a normal healthy person should be a measurement of 0-50 , mine was 1380 and then in August time raised to over 3000.
Every two weeks I was admitted to A& E with my chronic symptoms.

In August 2018 I got an appointment with DR Allen a consultant in Gastro and he started my journey of looking for Crohns which was diagnosed on Tuesday 16th October 2018 after having cameras placed inside my body in a theatre environment . I was given my diagnosis of Crohns and sent home with a 8 week steroid treatment. I was then placed on a self injection of Humria in November.

I spent most of 2019 fighting my illness in and out of hospital, attending numerous clinics and appointments. I didn’t manage to sit any of my GCSE’s in 4th form and with a low attendance in school over 4th & 5th form it was decided I would only sit a few GCSE’s I had both years exams to do for English & Maths and managed to pass them .
I am now at SERC studying level 2 beauty .
My health is still very up and down and unfortunately most times my body can be screaming in pain and crippled with Fatigue and some days I can look amazing and other days it’s plain to see I am suffering.
My challenge this year is to do the last leg of the Deep River Rock Marathon Relay which is 5.3 miles long . This physically will be a challenge to my body but my strong mind that gets me through every day will get me to the finish line .
I would like to thank my Mum & Dad and family & friends , for their support every day and also our Big Extended family known as Team Dash & Splash a group of Sea swimmers from Bangor Co Down , Northern Ireland . A number of whom will run as part of two relay teams and and also a number of walkers and fun runners .
This fundraiser has all been brought to life by Belinda Tunnah who has also challenged herself to run the full Marathon so thank you for inspiring me and all the group .
We are fundraising for Crohns & Colitis Northern Ireland, so the money will stay within Northern Ireland to help people like me .
All I can say is thank you for reading about my journey and I hope I can inspire others and bring more exposure to this chronic hidden illness known as Crohns.Who knows what my future will hold, but supporting this charity will make sure that all the research etc can continue and myself and all the other Crohns sufferers in NI will be able to get the best possible help and support.💜

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