I haven't blogged since before Christmas; which was a post called 'Stranger Danger'. Needless to say, big apologies on being oh so silent...still.
But I have decided to start blogging again due to Crohn's having a rare moment in the spotlight, what with Samantha Faiers' (off of TOWIE) recent diagnosis.
I'm in two minds about the whole thing, as naturally I really feel for the girl as I was 20 when I got diagnosed and you have that moment of OH MY GOD I'M ONLY YOUNG. WHAT HAPPENS NOW?! AND FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?! But I'm also torn as to why it takes a celebrity to bring Crohn's Disease to the attention of the masses.
Which is why I am starting a trend on Twitter (unlikely to be successful, but roll with it...)
#PooTaboo
And that my friends is why I think Crohn's is hardly ever discussed publicly.
I believe I said it way back when I started my blog, that because Crohn's is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease...it means there will be talk of the toilet. And poop. And wind. And all things that are usually, well, private.
But also the other symptoms that are part of having an IBD; pain, cramping, extreme fatigue, nausea. These are the ones that contribute to the memes on the internet like "You don't look sick...And you don't look stupid" etc. etc. These are part of the invisible illness side of it all. However this one did make me laugh today...
Maybe we're all a bit too British and we don't like to talk openly about what happens during our time alone in the toilet? Wahh. That sounds a tad too off topic. But you know what I mean!
Even with regards to Crohn's and IBD Charities; they can only do so much with their findings/research, as it can be of such a sensitive and personal nature.
Take for instance last Friday:
I was emailed by the Crohn's and Colitis press office to see if I'd be interested in talking to Star magazine about my Crohn's (due to the spiked interest in Sam Faiers' diagnosis).
Being in a post-holiday, disorganised state I missed the call...and hence missed the opportunity to do so. I then emailed the press office to say that I would be open to future opportunities to talk about Crohn's, to which they replied "We really appreciate your candid support, since you can go where the charity cannot."
Now I'm not daft in thinking that we can all hold hands and sing about poo at the top of our lungs in a park together. And equally, I can't expect everyone to automatically know/understand what Crohn's is.
But generally being a bit more open to the idea of an IBD and what it entails wouldn't go amiss?
And hopefully in the not too distance future, it won't take a reality TV star to highlight just what us Crohnies are going through. People will already understand.
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