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For many people with Crohn's, chocolate can irritate the the lining of their bowels. If in doubt, I'd say it's best to avoid it in my experience, especially if you aren't in remission (flaring). Chocolate usually contains caffeine as it's contained in cocoa beans. Foods rich in caffeine can often cause Crohn's to become aggravated. Compared to a standard cup of coffee...

If I am being completely honest, I am not the biggest lover of the summer I’m sure many people would be shocked at that as summer tends to be everyone’s favourite but I like autumn best! Sure, I like the longer days and the days out are far more enjoyable (or at least the kids whine less!) I am also more aware of my ileostomy as I wear less layers, I can’t say more dresses because I pretty much live in them all year round. No, it is because I notice my bag being damper from sweat, which has led to skin irritations and rashes and then the base plate being gummier. I generally find this is when it moves...

When you think of reasons for a stoma bag what comes to mind? IBD, Crohn’s or Colitis are some of the first, but have you heard of Hirschsprungs Disease? Presenting in 1 in 5000 babies a year in the UK, this rare bowel disease is a birth defect that can occur with no family history of the disease. The nerve cells that line the intestines that are needed to move stool along into the rectum for toileting (known as ganglion cells), are not present. Your intestines should rhythmically move stool along in a wave-like contraction which when failing to do so cause tummy distention and constipation.

Crohn’s Disease can affect anywhere in the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus. It causes inflammation which can then lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, blood and mucus in your stool, diarrhoea or constipation, weight loss & mouth ulcers.

Eating out for someone with a stoma can be a stressful or anxious time on it’s own; couple this with going out with someone who either doesn’t know about your stoma or even what one is! I mean until I was sat in a room hearing about surgery at 14 I had no idea what one was, and even then it was only because I was the person the stoma was being considered for! Then we have the current situation where there is the fear of; are you going to be questioned for just using the toilet as we weren’t allowed to just enter the restaurant! Roll on the 17th I can say!  I went out for tea with my...

May is National Teen Self Esteem month. As I'm sure many of you can unfortunately relate to, having Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as anyone of any age, let alone being a teenager, definitely can come with impacts on self esteem to varying extents. That being said, there is thankfully a lot of treatments for IBD and coping mechanisms to put in place to help that, but still, it can be quite the minefield to work through when you're right in the midst of it.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) & Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are two different conditions and it is vital that the right diagnosis is made in order to have the best chance of managing and treating either condition.

Living in the United Kingdom I have to say hand on heart that I feel so lucky and appreciative of the NHS and the varied services it provides either free or at a lower cost. Having a “bag for life” in so many countries around the world is incredibly costly and many don’t have the choice in what products they use. I am aware that over the last couple of years we had a roll out where unless absolutely necessary items were being swapped to cheaper alternatives to bring the cost down around ostomy products. I have talked about this numerous times on different platforms about how certain products aren’t essential but are just nice to have; these items should...

With April coming up, which is Bowel Cancer Awareness month, I felt it would be a good time to write a post on the importance of getting checked if you are worried about changes in your bowel habits. Personally, I know my body so well so have a good idea of spotting when something just isn't right for me. It doesn't take me long to reach out to a doctor if I am worried & I think it's so important to remember that nobody deserves to feel in pain or struggle with their health. It's also important to remember that there are so many treatments available out there for a wide range of health problems & often, the chances of...

Hi I’m Stephie; I have four chronic health conditions and work in the community as an adult support worker – so being safe and protected has been a huge thing for me and my family. I’m however not medicated so I wasn’t required to shield as per government guidelines; I have also worked at least five days a week since the first lockdown began, not to mention homeschooling last year when my husband was on furlough. I’m classed as a key worker yet I have had the biggest fluff on when it came to getting my coronavirus vaccine. Within my job I look after the elderly and vulnerable and the last thing I want to do is catch something and...