"Ulcerative Colitis-things didn't go well"

I had been suffering with a few stomach issues that I had just dismissed as being food related until they became unbearably worse after I received a vaccination. I can only presume my immune system didn’t like what was happening with my digestive tract I began passing quite a lot of blood that was initially dismissed as food poisoning, after another 3 weeks of this I was eventually seen by the nurse at the GPs after I uploaded a picture of the blood in the pan via the GP online contact tool

I had to do a FIT test & have in an internal check after the results of this I was then referred to hospital for a colonoscopy within two weeks. This confirmed that I had Ulcerative Colitis, I was then referred to the Gastro dept in Jun 21.

This didn’t go well, after receiving a letter saying I would be seen I waited & waited, I chased this up via the gastro dept & PALS several times to be told I would have to wait longer due to the pandemic. As my symptoms were calming a little I duly did.

Then another vaccination Jul 21 triggered the symptoms again, I continued to suffer until this flare subsided where 4 months later & it all repeated after another vaccine in Dec 21 This flare lasted around 8 months, it was so bad I was permanently drained & I couldn’t function, all I could do was go to work being relatively unproductive due to the constant toilet breaks & being unable to focus on any task. both my private life & work suffered, thank fully my employer was very understanding. If they hadn’t been I could have rightfully been let go for the work output I was delivering.

My GP was unable to help with any medication for my symptoms as I was under ‘the care’ of a consultant. Things got so bad that I had to write a letter listing all the issues I was suffering to the GP, eventually I was given a 3-month supply of folic acid & a loading course of B12 injections, this helped massively with the constant fatigue that had plagued me & I eventually began to be able to get some sort of normality to my work & private life.

In mid Sep 22 I received a call to see if I still needed to see someone & I had an appointment with a private hospital in Oct 22. This was the first gastro contact I’d had from anyone & I was prescribed medication that finally started to bring things under control. I was referred back into the care of the NHS in Feb 23 & have eventually seen a consultant 3 Mar 24.

The consultant I saw has given me hope that I can get quicker treatment for when I’m misfortunate enough to go back into a flare (a referral/contact point for the IBD nurses) & has ordered more tests to check on how my body is coping with the condition & the medication.

I understand that the NHS is under a massive amount of pressure & they are doing their best with what they have but I can’t help feeling that I’ve been lost in the system due to the Pandemic & I effectively lost part of myself for two years because of my symptoms that I’m only just getting back. It was so bad at one point I was considering if I’d be better of if I’d passed away.