Since starting GUT INSTINCT, I’ve spoken to loads of amazing people who have shared with me similar experiences or stories and it’s been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn and connect with so many people both in this country and across the world. Recently though, a conversation I had stood out to me as particularly important and something I felt compelled to share with you all – if there is a chance for me to help spread the word or raise awareness about an issue, especially something as serious as Pulmonary Embolisms links with IBD, then I will do it.  Continue reading →

My hair has always been my staple – it’s been my crowning glory, literally. Throughout my life I have always experimented with cuts, colours and styles, leading my 10 year obsession with hair and even at one stage influencing my desire to become a hair colourist. Yet now it has become my daily anxiety, something I am constantly paranoid and worried about – and yes, you guessed it, I can thank my good mate Crohn’s for that. Continue reading →

The last 7 days have not been ideal. I have been the perfect cliché of an IBD sufferer; keeping up appearances and a social life, whilst also dealing with a multitude of health implications that have left me feeling less than amicable. Living in this way is a genuine struggle, but one that can often be put into perspective – yet tonight, I am finding myself being the epitome of ‘at breaking point’.  Continue reading →

“Are you sure you’re not just hungover?”

The beauty and also the curse of having an invisible illness (like Crohn’s Disease) is that it very often gets misunderstood. Where it still feels relatively unspoken about, the level of knowledge that surrounds it in daily life can be depressingly low, a result of which can be being the brunt of both hilarious and insensitive remarks.  Continue reading →

The constant link between Diet and IBD is unavoidable. Whilst I have been advised that there really is no evidence of direct correlation between what you eat and developing Crohn’s Disease, there are a lot of people who believe that an autoimmune disease such as Crohn’s can be aided by a change in the food you consume. Continue reading →

Today I decided to take the plunge and put myself on YouTube – sometimes my loud mouth can say a thousand more words than my fast, long, fingers. I want to start a series of videos that talk about the highs and lows of Crohn’s, addressing the good, bad and downright ugly. Please note that it features graphic content, so if you are prudish or of a sensitive nature, this one is probably not for you. Continue reading →

Some people are so bitter about New Year’s resolutions; but some people, I believe, are purely judgemental to feed their ‘I’m better than you’ complex. They’re people who roll their eyes at someone who chooses to give up dairy or believe that somehow they’re cultured because they deleted their Daily Mail app in favour of The Telegraph. Continue reading →

Being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease is probably the longest and most confusing part of the entire process. It took numerous months and endless tests before I had a confirmed IBD, which almost comes as a blessing when you’re finally able to give your illness a name and begin the process properly.

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“So what is Crohn’s disease, babe?” – a question that I get asked regularly. As a naturally loud and vocal person, I am more than happy to share with any Tom, Dick or Harry exactly what Crohn’s Disease is and how it is has ruined my life (joking). The problem is, most people don’t actually want to know the answer.

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