“Together we can break the silence surrounding IBD” – Natasha’s story.
On the 11th of March 2018, my 11th birthday, I was driven to the hospital. I was extremely weak with a horrible stomach ache, and my parents thought it was gastro. After about a week I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease affect almost 180,000 people in Australia, with this number expected to rise in the future. They are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and there is no cure, not yet. In my family, it is more likely that the women who are affected, my Nonna, Mum, Aunty and myself, all have some kind of variation of either disease as genetics can play a part.
I am now an 18-year-old school student struggling with ulcerative colitis and juvenile arthritis. The other day I was having lunch with a good friend of mine. He was talking about his plans for a gap year in a few months and how he is so excited to soon be able to travel anywhere in the world. He asked about my plans after school. I didn’t know how to say that I would love to travel but for me it’s not that simple. I have to think about whether I can bring my medication across borders. Does my health insurance cover me overseas? These are the things that run through my mind — things that most people wouldn’t even consider.
It’s not just when I’m traveling; this is every day. I wake up and, instead of thinking of my plans for the day, I think about infusions, or doctor appointments, and think about when to take medication. I sometimes have to give up doing things that I love. For example, I struggle to do high impact sports now because I just don’t have the energy or my body doesn’t have the capacity to do them. I’d like to add that I go to a great school, have fantastic healthcare, doctors and medical support, amazing friends who value me and understand my struggle, and most of all I have a great family who support me both emotionally and financially.
I owe so much to my mum, my advocate in life, the person I’m named after and the person who has stood by my side though all of it. Despite this support, it is still super hard to deal with at times. When I found out I had the opportunity to pitch a charity to talk about, I was so excited and I didn’t need to think twice. A great way to help people with these conditions is by supporting CCA. They have helped to empower almost 180,000 Australian men, women, and children with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to live fearlessly. They are a not-for-profit company that continues to advocate for world-best treatments and health services for those living with IBD.
Together we can break the silence surrounding IBD as I don’t want myself or my children to feel as though they are less-than for something we can’t control.
This is something I feel so truly passionate about, due to the personal impact this disease has had on my life since age 11. I felt I needed to spread awareness in my own way. If I had the opportunity to help others and their families who are struggling, such as my own, that would be something so special and meaningful.