Introductions

So I have seen many people blogging and always felt I did not have the time or need to do the same, however suddenly I now feel this is the time to start! 

So here is a bit of an "about me"...

I'm Kelsea, a 24 year old from south london/surrey. I am a qualified gym instructor who worked in the leisure industry for 5 years (this will be relevant later on!) And enjoy swimming, exercise classes and the typical "socialising" that everyone mentions.

My life was pretty normal up until my diagnosis, I was a normal teenage girl doing normal (maybe a bit naughty) teenage things!

At the age of 19/20 after approximately 6 months of constant abdominal pain and vomiting, I was diagnosed with crohn's disease (November 2010). This was during my final year of an IT degree, resulting in me not being able to complete exams, however I was still given a degree (just not an honors degree).

I had my first operation (a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy) in April 2011, after being on a liquid diet for 8 weeks prior. This seemed to be a great success in removing a hugely ulcerated and narrowed section of my bowel. I believed this was the start of getting back to normal, with the help of my medication.

Things very quickly went downhill in May 2011, when I developed my first perianal abscess. Between May and now, I have had approximately 10 operations due to perianal crohns disease, such as insertion of seton stitches, laying open of fistulas and abscess drainage. I currently have 4 fistulas with seton stitches in situ.

Going back slightly, I decided to start a degree in midwifery which commenced in 2011 which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, during my second year I started to notice the strain a course like this was putting on my health, however I decided to ignore it. In 2013, whilst in Canada seeing family (and being in remission bowels wise since my hemicolectomy), I had a bowel obstruction which resulted in me being close to death on the plane home and being blue lighted to hospital for an emergency laparotomy. 

My (very neat, thanks to my surgeon) laparotomy scar

It was a few months after this (beginning of 2014) that I decided I needed to have a break from midwifery with the possibility of returning in 2015. My health was deteriorating, my perianal crohns meant my mobility was affected, and my anxiety and depression was getting worse, resulting in me having to be medicated for this for the first time and having to return to counselling (which I hadn't had since 2011). I was completely stuck in a rut with no idea what my next move would be health wise,  what I would do for money etc. It wasn't a fun time!

The decision was made with my surgeon to go for a temporary ileostomy to give my bottom end a rest, and hope that the fistulas may heal with time.

Present day: i had my ileostomy surgery on 21st August, so just over 2 weeks ago. It was a keyhole procedure and I surprisingly feel pretty good, just tired and not enjoying waking up covered in my own mess or having accidents in restaurants! However i appreciate it is still very early days and luckily I have a huge support network, including people with ileostomies, who ensure me it will improve!

3 days post op at hospital with Jimmy, looking very rough and bloated!

I was discharged from counselling at the beginning of August and mentally I feel better than I have in ages. I of course have down days as I am having to completely adapt to life with Jimmy (my stoma), however as a whole I am ready to get my life back. I'm waiting to see my surgeon for a follow up and see what the plan of action is now the ileostomy has been done.

I have been offered a job as a front of house manager/member service manager for a leisure centre which is brilliant as leisure is my forte! I am due to start this at the end of this month which is very exciting. I feel this role will be less stressful and suit me better for now in my road to recovery.

I have also decided to try for the second time to quit smoking,  with my set of e-cigs currently in transit. 

This blog will mostly be me probably talking a lot of rubbish about how I am getting on, mainly focusing on my road to a healthy lifestyle and getting back into fitness, starting with swimming (as I will need to do my lifeguard qualification at some point soon!) And my determination to stay off the fags this time!

I appreciate some terms on here may not make sense to some, but I plan to write something a bit more factual about crohn's disease as well as ileostomies at some point, probably tomorrow. Or you can comment and ask me what certain things mean.

I hope you enjoy reading about my journey!

Much love :) xx