In Focus: Teenager describes life with Crohn’s Disease

12:00pm Thursday 17th February 2011

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A BURNHAM teenager has this week given a compelling account of her life with Crohn’s Disease.

Rebecca Stevenson, aged 18, was diagnosed with the inflammatory bowel disease last August – the same day the former King Alfred student picked up her A-level results.

Here, she describes how she has coped living with the disease since that day: “Despite being something I feared, a clear diagnosis gave me peace of mind.

My symptoms were extremely prominent because my increased lack of appetite led me to lose three stone within a relatively short amount of time. I also suffered from acute abdominal pain – perhaps the most predominant symptom for sufferers.

Crohn’s Disease can also affect the sufferer mentally. I suffered constant fatigue and in turn became a shadow of my former bubbly self.

The nature and severity of these symptoms varies from person to person so each sufferer can document a different experience.

In order to diagnose Crohn’s Disease, patients typically have to undergo a colonoscopy. This basically involves the insertion of a small fishing rod type camera up your bottom to unearth the infected areas.

It wasn’t exactly my idea of a dream photo shoot so my consultant kindly offered alternatives that made me feel a lot more comfortable. Thankfully, I was able to get a diagnosis through undergoing a couple of MRI scans.

The thought of lying in a loud claustrophobic machine really worried me but the radiographers calmed me and kept me informed throughout.

These tests were extremely useful in the fact that they illustrated 30cm of inflammation within my small intestine – making it clear to them that it was active Crohn’s Disease.

My diagnosis took a weight off my mind but I still felt scared, confused and upset that I had a life-long illness to educate myself about and deal with.

despite the ongoing research, it’s still known as an idiopathic disease. This means that there is still no definitive factor when describing its sole cause.

many researchers theorise that it’s the fault of the immune system. they believe that the immune system accidentally treats good bacteria like it would a foreign body. This interference then prompts the white blood cells to gather in one area of the body therefore resulting in an inflammation.

they also believe that Crohn’s may be hereditary and may also be influenced by the environment.

I’ll be receiving treatment in its various forms for the rest of my life. This will involve ongoing medication, a possible operation to remove the infected area, blood tests and routine checks for colon cancer. however, despite all this Crohn’s patients can ultimately lead a normal and fulfilling life for the most part.

This is because Crohn’s isn’t known as a ‘constant disease’. It’s characterised by flare-ups followed by varying periods of remission.

I’ve been lucky enough to have not really felt the full affects of a flare-up just yet. by reducing my stress levels and eating little and often I can limit the probability.

I’ve been living with my diagnosis for six months so I’ve now come to terms with my medication and fortnightly blood tests. I’ve also met a couple of people that suffer from the same disease, which has given me the support I needed and has helped me to regain the self-confidence that I lost.

I also occasionally see a dietician for advice on how to get my body back to its full strength following my dramatic weight loss. It’s been an extremely tough time psychically and mentally but I know that I’ve got a huge support system around me for when things do flare up.

I urge anyone who has been feeling unwell with similar symptoms to book themselves in for a routine blood test. I dragged it out for far too long and now have to live with a stronger disease as a consequence. It really is better to be safe than sorry.

Whilst my condition isn’t curable, it is treatable and in my opinion that fact alone gives me a lot to live and be thankful for.”

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