Comfizz Blog
IBD

Whether an invisible or visible disability, this question is something that understandably sparks a lot of thought, discussion & personal reasons for the individual. The views you will read in this article are mine only so please remember this is just how I see it. They are not medical guidance or otherwise and I am not speaking on behalf of those with disabilities. Everyone has their own views. As always, please consult a medical professional or legal professional for help with the things in this blog post before acting upon them. This blog post is merely how I interpret things combined with my experience of living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) & a permanent ileostomy. What defines “disability?” Under the...

However, I believe it’s important to also focus on the other things that Crohn’s Disease & IBD causes. It isn’t just a “toilet disease” and unfortunately, often due to lack of education on the subject rather than ignorance, people are often quick to judge & think IBD basically means you go to the toilet more & have more upset stomach difficulties than others.

One of your biggest questions before diagnosis may well be "what tests are done for Crohn's Disease?" It is important to understand, no matter how frustrating it may be, that some questions may take a considerable time to have answers to & some questions may not always have clear answers.

It is important to remember first & foremost with any health worry to get it checked out. If you have something abnormal, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice. You know your own body better than most. Some symptoms of Crohn’s Disease can also be symptoms of other things, from Ulcerative Colitis to intestinal blockages unrelated to chronic inflammation, so it is important to get the right medical diagnosis. Not everyone’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) diagnosis is straight forward or quick, so generally the earlier you get something looked into the better. The tests and examinations to determine what it is and how to treat it can vary from different doctors & specialists, but there are some...

Hello readers & welcome to my first post in my ‘Chatting Crohn’s with Comfizz’ mini series. Over the next few months, I will be talking to you about a different aspect of Crohn’s Disease, starting today with the basics. What is Crohn’s Disease?   Not my image. From Google search. Crohn’s Disease (often referred to as Crohn’s) is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The other main form of IBD, which you may have heard of is Ulcerative Colitis. Unlike Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease can affect any part of the digestive system from the mouth to the anus and causes inflammation, but most commonly affects the small intestine and sometimes the large (colon). Ulcerative Colitis affects the large bowel....

Have you seen the influx of ostomy videos on social media? They come in different forms like tiktok videos or just plain old photos like I do. This week will have partially been down to the fact Tuesday (19th) was World IBD Day and one of the more common reasons for having an ostomy other than cancer but certainly not limited too is inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. I love that ostomates are finding new and creative ways to show their pride for what in some cases saved their lives – their stoma!  Our very own blogger Amy along with other IBD Superheros have been doing videos to songs and doing duets together displaying their...

Tuesday 19th May is World IBD Day. With this coming up, I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about Comfizz and the impact they have made on my stoma journey. How I got my stoma At age 7 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Crohn’s Disease can be anywhere from your mouth to your bum, but a lot of people typically have it in the small intestine. This was where it was diagnosed with me. Being scared as a young child of having scopes (endoscopy/colonoscopy & I still am now, I can just push myself through it), I didn’t undergo tests to keep an eye on things as frequently as you maybe would with an adult with bowel...

So this week has been Crohns and Colitis awareness week (inflammatory bowel disease aka IBD) and our diseases can vary wildly from person to person but some things affect us all. This week over on Instagram I did a post a week with a little snapshot how having ulcerative colitis affected me which I will share in this post. December 1st – Today marks the start of Crohns and Colitis awareness week! I had to have a rough guess at my medication tally but its definitely around 8! I was diagnosed 2 years after symptoms started. There is the possibility of more surgery but I’m still not sure how I feel about that yet. December 2nd – I don’t have many photos left...

Why Share, Why Blog? Living with an invisible illness is tough and most often we endure silent battles; we may look well on the outside but inside we are suffering. For some, sharing their experiences and stories is tough. I get this – it is personal, private and at times overwhelming. Wanting to share and talk takes courage and it opens you up to being more vulnerable. It opens you up to judgment and discussions; sometimes it’s something we do not want to have to deal with. I have always enjoyed writing. Since my school days, I’ve found writing a therapeutic experience. I never really wrote for anyone but me; that changed in university when I wrote for grades and...