My Story

Right now, over 500,000 people in the UK are living with a lifelong disease that many people have never heard of.  Crohn's and Colitis UK are working to improve diagnosis and treatment, to fund research and to raise awareness.

I was fortunate to be successful in the ballot for the 2023 TCS London Marathon, and to celebrate my 7th and FINAL marathon, I would like to try and raise some funds for the charity.  My daughter-in-law has lived with Crohn's for the past 17 years, and very recently had surgery.  This is her story (as posted on the charity's Instagram page).

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at 13 after months of pain, vomiting and weight loss.  Multiple visits to the doctors and A&E were unsuccessful, with many a 'stomach bug' diagnosis.  It was a blood test showing sky high inflammation that alerted one doctor to something more serious.

My first treatment was 8 weeks on an exclusive liquid diet, but unfortunately this wasn't sufficient and it took high dose steroids to get the disease under control.  Since then I've been through many medications - azathioprine, methotrexate, infliximab (which was fantastic for about 8 years), most recently Humira/Imraldi injections for the last 4 years.

I try my best to manage my disease with diet and lifestyle alterations, alongside the medications.  Although I have been in relative remission and managing a good quality of life for a while, I had a nasty stricture which had developed over years.  In my yearly colonoscopy this always had inflammation around it, and was impossible to monitor as it was too tight for the camera to pass through.  Although it wasn't causing me big problems and my symptoms were easy to live with, I was encouraged to have this portion of my bowel removed many times, due to the risks associated with a stricture.

I was lucky enough to have met with a kind and skilful surgeon in April who convinced me that surgery was the right (and only) thing to do whilst I am still young and healthy.

Last November I had the surgery, a laparoscopic right medicolectomy to remove that damaged area.  The surgery went well, although my recovery was a little up and down and I ended up spending 9 days in hospital.  Since being home I am recovering well, and I do feel that a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I am off immunosuppressants for the first time in 17 years - this makes me feel very vulnerable but I'm glad to be giving it a try.

#ItTakesGuts to talk about Crohn's and Colitis, and this is @pollyhanrahan's story.