“I know I’m in very good hands with my amazing specialist and nursing team and I would like to thank them all so much” – Rachael’s story
Hello. My name is Rachael, and this is my little story on my life with Crohn’s.
I was 15 years old when I first got diagnosed with this disease, I was feeling very unwell, lethargic, vomiting, had diarrhea, experienced weight loss and was very fatigued. I had just started a hairdressing apprenticeship as well.
I went to hospital numerous times and was on a drip , and I would wake up and say to my parents, ‘I just don’t feel well.’ I knew something was wrong. We all know our own bodies. It took a while to diagnose. Finally, my GP put me in the right direction by sending me to a gastroenterologist, and he did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and the results showed that I had severe Crohn’s Disease. It was the most severe inflammation my specialist had seen before, with inflammation in my esophagus and bowel. I was then put on numerous medication including steroids to help, but nothing worked. I went through a period of trial and error.
I was then put on an infusion called Remicade Infliximab which back then was quite new, and it changed my life! I have been on this infusion every 8 weeks for about 15 years. I have had a little break from it and when I did my joints started to get sore so I was put back on the treatment. It’s part of my life’s routine and it’s helped me so much. I have even had my baby boy who is 3 years old now, and my pregnancy was fine. I now live a perfect happy healthy life, and will continue to have my treatment until it stops working. At that stage there will be something new I’m sure.
I have colonoscopies every 3 years now as, in my last few, I have been in deep remission. I know I’m in very good hands with my amazing specialist and nursing team and I would like to thank them all so much.
With Crohn’s it’s very easy to hide from the outside but from the inside people can really suffer. With an amazing medical team behind you, it can really make a difference and I can enjoy life. I know Crohn’s will always be a part of me x