“I have Crohn’s disease and am awaiting surgery to try and get me into remission. It’s been three years but the medications alone aren’t getting me there. Due to Covid-19, my surgery has been delayed and I don’t know how long it will be until I get to have it.

 

In the meantime, I am on a liquid-only diet and must continue to take my other medications in order to try and control the pain and avoid any unplanned admissions into hospital. My medications (tablets and infusions) mean I am immunosuppressed, so I’m in the vulnerable group, which has added extra limitations on what I can do in lockdown. The irony is that chronic illness can put so many limitations on what you can do in your normal life anyway.

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Still, not knowing how long the wait will be is overwhelming. Not knowing what extra damage is being done to my bowel while I wait is worrying. Chronic illness is never straightforward, but right now it really is very complicated.”