Invisible Illness Awareness Week #GoodAndBadDays

The 28th of September marked the beginning of Invisible Awareness Week and it also happens to be the same time Crohn's and Colitis UK are running their #GoodAndBadDays campaign where people fighting Inflammatory Bowel Disease post images of themselves during times of remission and flares. As I want to continue raising awareness and helping support this charity I felt like it was only fitting that I make another blog post regarding my fight with Crohn's disease.

These pictures show a variety of my good and bad days. The first image was November time last year where I was unaware I was ill. The second image shows the medication I was on at one point during this summer where I was in a short period of remission (1 Omeprazole, 1 Azathioprine and 5 Prednisolone) The 3rd photo is an image of me in the intensive care unit, 1 day after having 16 inches of my small intestine removed. I had been injected with a high dose of steroids 4 times a day for a period of two weeks which lead to my face becoming incredibly puffy and round. I'm also very drugged up with Morphine in this image which is why I look slightly out of it. The fourth image is a photo of my surgical scar - as you can see the bottom of the incision began filling up with fluid which has since burst and left an open hole in my stomach. However it is now almost healed up. The 5th image shows me having an iron infusion, something which may have to become a regular thing if I continue to experience problems absorbing iron. The 6th photo is a recent photo of myself, I'm currently in remission and I feel the best I have in a long time.

Crohn's is a horrible, degrading, invisible illness with no cure. Looking at the first photograph with my hair done and a full face of make-up, you would have no idea that I was chronically ill. You wouldn't be able to guess that inside my small intestine would be incredibly inflamed causing horrific abdominal cramps and not absorbing any nutrients from the food I was consuming - leaving my body malnourished and weak. On the outside I appear normal which is what makes an invisible illness so difficult as it makes it harder for people to understand and sympathize with what you're going through as they can't physically see it. I'm thankful that the people closest to me have been there to witness my struggles as they now understand my illness and just how it affects me, both mentally and physically. Invisible Illness Awareness week is an important reminder not to judge people based on what you can see as you never know what that individual is going through. 

If you can find it in yourself to help support people like me and put money towards research into finding a cure or alternative forms of treatment then please text DAYS22 plus your amount to 70070 to donate to Crohn's and Colitis UK. Thank you!