billieanderson1

TW: Mental health, anxiety, depression, trauma. One thing I never counted on was the mental implications of a physical illness. When I was diagnosed with UC, I’d been flat bound for nearly three months. I wasn’t eating properly, I couldn’t stand on my own and spent most of my time either in bed or on […]

Lauren was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2018. Here she talks about her experience with the condition for the first time. While she’s still searching for a magical medicine to make her feel better, she has found the community to be a lifeline in getting her through the ups and downs of living with a […]

“Are you a runner?” This is a question I’ve heard multiple times in my life, and while I enjoy running (and health and fitness in general), I haven’t been able to run for about 15 years because of my UC. My body has some weird reaction to it. I break out in painful, itchy hives.  So, […]

From not being taken seriously, to having over 10 surgeries before the age of 30; Anna takes us through her pregnancy and recovering from permanent ileostomy surgery. Read her story below. TW: One graphic image that includes a clear stoma bag – intestines and poo.

Jenny McGibbon is a freelance graphic designer from Scotland. She created a chronic illness platform, This Thing They Call Recovery to reach others within the community. Jenny offers realism, support, humour and comfort to the thousands of people all over the globe suffering with a chronic condition. Here we talked about everything from managing her […]

Jasmine was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 10 years old. Here she discusses the impact of living with an illness that is considered invisible.

Angelina was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged 12 and had her ileostomy formed aged 13 after 11 months of unsuccessful treatment. Due to her own struggles with her stoma and finding stoma-friendly clothing, she founded Aura Clothing; a fashion brand that creates custom clothing for those with an ostomy. I interviewed her about her experiences […]

Kate was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged 14. She fought a long 3 years while her doctors eliminated medical treatment after medical treatment, searching for one that would stop her body from attacking itself. There is no cure for Crohn’s and Kate was told the best case scenario was long-term remission, where she would have […]

Amy is a nurse on a General Surgery/Digestive Diseases ward in Brighton, U.K. I interviewed her about her experience as a nurse, looking after patients and how social media has helped her understand her patients. 

While I’ve got a very good medical team now, it hasn’t been an easy ride to find the care I have at the moment.