Crohns and Colitis Awareness Week
The 1st – 7th December is Crohns and Colitis Awareness Week. As a parent of a sufferer of Ulcerative Colitis I remember the many phone calls from my son explaining that he had to get off the school bus as he needed to return home to go to the toilet and I would have to pay for a taxi to take him to school. I remember his constant stomach pain and diarrhoea and the worry when he found blood in his stools. Diagnosis was slow and flare ups were many, all whilst getting to grips of being a teenager and the embarrassment of talking about it. Sometimes hospitalisation was necessary to get the medication right. Steroids were brutal and in turn caused other underlying issues.
There is a ‘toilet’ key that a Crohns and Colitis sufferer can apply for. This key enables you to visit certain toilets in many cities. There is a map showing you were the toilets are situated in case you need to go to the toilet urgently. However, the key provided was huge and extremely heavy so needless to say never taken anywhere!
Crohns and Colitis are debilitating diseases that you cannot see but affects many people of all ages. They are chronic illnesses, the more we talk about the diseases the better our understanding for those who sufferer.
