A big warm hello!

A big warm hello to all! As I'm new on here I thought I should introduce myself!

I'm Ruth, 28 and currently living in the glorious and amazing french alps. Every day that I am here I count myself totally blessed and believe that God (or someone) is smiling down on me! As well as living in a beautiful place, I have several special people in my life who I hold dear, and I would describe my love life as a little “complicated but interesting”. I currently have no children.

I was diagnosed with severe Crohn's disease back in 1991 when I was just a kid, although I had suffered with various symptoms since the age of about 3. When I was 11 my condition suddenly progressed till I was only a skeleton, couldn't walk, couldn't keep anything down – not even water, and was in severe agonising pain. When my dad presented me at the local A&E, the paediatrician doc said I would have probably only had another week to live at the most. Thankfully my prayers to God had worked! Since then, I've had a fair few more brushes with death, and I count myself incredibly lucky to be alive and enjoying life today.

Since my diagnosis, I have been on total nasal gastric (ng) tube feeding – was on that for around 8 years throughout my childhood and have been on elemental diets ever since – sometimes as a supplement, have been on copious amounts of steroids which has caused me to develop osteoporosis (was on steroids Crohn's for my asthma as well as Crohn's), have been on various other medications including non-steroidal anti- inflammatories and immunosuppressants – all to no great effect (apart from one trial which I will tell you about another time), and have had 6 major operations, including an ileostomy which has since been reversed. My Crohn's is mainly in my small bowel, and as I understand it, I don't have a lot of it left due to many bowel resections and am in the “danger zone”. Thankfully in my last op, my surgeon managed to conserve the bowel instead of remove part of it.

Although Crohn's has been played a big part in my life, I have always tried my best to stay positive and to live life to the fullest as possible. I'm a great believer that you only have one life, so it is up to us to make the most of it. Obviously there have been many a times when I've just not been well enough to do the things I've wanted to do, and have had to reluctantly sit back and be patient. Admittedly learning to be patient when you are a bit of a go-oer like me, can be one of the hardest things to do! I'm nearly always cramming my life full of things I enjoy doing, sometimes in the past to the detriment of my health, and so various friends and family have to sometimes remind me to slow down and take it a bit easier! To be honest I know that having been in pain for a good chunk of my childhood and beyond, I developed a way of almost blocking out the pain so that I could continue with my life and try not let it get in my way. Unfortunately, at times I have become so apt at blocking out pain that I haven't always noticed when my condition has been getting progressively worse, and again it's taken other people – sometimes health professionals, to point it out to me. Some people might like to call this blocking out “denial” but I don't think it's quite like that, as if I knew I was so ill I certainly wouldn't beat about the bush in getting myself help. I just think that I have lived with it for so long that I have kind of become immune. Although things are starting to change now I'm living in France, as my health has taken a wondeful “up” turn, for the first time in my life, and although I'm not 100 % well, in comparison to how I've felt before, I feel pretty damn wonderful! I pray that long may this last!

Right, I think that's enough for now as I've written you an essay! Lol. Looking forward to popping in again sometime soon. Take care and hugs to all, Ruth x