"Ulcerative Colitis"

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was in my late teens. Flare ups came every couple of years and last a few months. After the age of 24 I could spot the warning signs of a flare up and could avoid full flare ups.

In 2014 after years of my UC just popping up for a few weeks to remind me it was still there, a flare up decided to really take hold. I was treated as an outpatient with regular 6 month visits to a specialist to monitor. My last appointment in Nov 2015 had been cancelled and rescheduled for three months later. I was comfortable in how to increase dosage of Pentasa and decrease down to what from previous meetings so I did not mind this. Over the next 2 years this appointment was constantly being postponed.

My health, although not 100%, had not deteriorated so I continued on, fighting off teh flare up until late 2017. Then I lost the ability to control it at all. In January, I went to my GP to advise that I really needed to see a specialist and I could not let the next appointment cancel on me. He re-referred me to see a specialist and in April 2018 I met Seth, who put me on to a new medicine regiment, explained future possibilities and gave me comfort to know that I was not fighting alone.

One of the greatest things Seth did, was introduce me to the NHS email service. This has been life altering and given me a much more efficient way to communicate. Ulcerative Colitis can quickly change, and through an email, I can give this information straight to the correct people who know what can be done next. I dont need to make an appointment with a GP to make an appointment with a specialist as I previously had to. Now I could email the IBD Nurse specialist team to advice when significant changes had occurred. Important tests could be arranged much quicker, and appointments with the specialist could be done in days instead of months. 

During this period my UC went from mild to moderate/severe. Within a couple of weeks I had the camera up the bum a scope, and a whole new regime of meds that finally seem to be doing the job. 

I cannot rave about this service enough. Cutting out the needless middlemen and being able to go direct to the people who need the information direct,not only provides faster treatment, I am no longer tying up the time of my GP. I can send an email in the morning and later that day, I have an answer that previously would take months. 

Without this service I know my mental health would have suffered a lot more too. Last night I emailed to update the team, mentioning the symptoms were all but gone but I was not feeling great fro the past week and very lethargic and slightly constipated. This morning I found out that I showing signs I am slightly anaemic and the next letter I will get will be an appointment to get this sorted. That's less than 12 hours without first a GP appointment then wait for the laborious to and for to arrange an appointment to talk about it. I am so happy to know that its not just in my head and there is a physical reason why I am feeling this way. And now that I know I can adjust what I eat to help compensate. No more coffee to try and boost by waning energy levels. No more pushing my exercise to try and break this invisible limit.  

If you have ever had the thought, I don;t need to see the doctor, I don't need to take all that time, I just want to ask a simple question, this service is ideal.