Jay Campbell
Jay's Crohns & Colitis Awareness
Fundraising for Crohn’s & Colitis UK
Story
Hello everyone, I'm currently raising money for Crohns & Colitis UK.
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system.
Inflammation can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the back passage, but most commonly occurs in the last section of the small intestine (ileum) or the large intestine (colon).
The main symptoms of IBD:
- Diarrhoea. This is sometimes mixed with blood, mucus and pus.
- Cramping pains in the abdomen. These can be very severe and often occur before passing a stool.
- Tiredness and fatigue. This can be due to the illness itself, from anaemia (see below) from the side effects of some of the drugs used for IBD or from a lack of sleep if you have to keep getting up at night with pain or diarrhoea.
- Feeling generally unwell. Some people may feel feverish.
- Loss of appetite and loss of weight. Weight loss can be due to the body not absorbing nutrients from the food you eat because of the inflammation in the gut.
- Anaemia (a reduced number of red blood cells). You are more likely to develop anaemia if you are losing a lot of blood and are not eating much.
- Mouth ulcers
Yet it is largely hidden disease, and one that causes stigma, fear and isolation its thought that many people with the condition go undiagnosed and suffer in silence. It doesn't have to be like this.
I was officially diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in December 2015, however prior to that, I was under investigation for around 5 months before I was diagnosed. I've had a series of tests, and I currently undergo numerous treatments.
I manage my illness ok, I believe that knowing is half the battle, its a rocky road, and such a complicated illness to understand. I have a huge respect for anyone battling or fighting IBD.
I have amazing support, my family, girlfriend, friends and colleagues at work are amazing, you need support in times like these. I know I'm not the only person in the world who has this illness, but if you don't have the support, its easy to feel alone, it doesn't have to be that way.
My journey so far has been a mixture of ups, downs and complications, its hard to predict what the future holds, but that's not to say that we can stand together in fighting this horrendous disease, and that's why I'm currently trying to raise funds for such a great cause.
The more awareness we spread, the greater the cause is. I'm grateful and majorly appreciate anyone who's willing to help raise awareness and donate towards a great cause, so thank you in advance :)