Tag: idiopathic intracranial hypertension

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THE DISABILITY THING

I don’t like to class myself as disabled because people look at me and might even question me, which in turn makes me feel that I shouldn’t have that blue badge, or the orthotic for my foot drop or that my fistulas are not visible so therefore I don’t look ill or have chronic health issues.

I look like I can function as any healthy person might, but I do have health problems that you can’t see.

I have had neurological problems for many years which include foot drop which shows itself on many an occasion and can cause my foot to miss steps or even miss nothing in particular. If I walk any real distance my foot starts to drop and drag, it is tiring and awkward.

I fall and trip often.

I do worry that one of these days I might do something more serious than cuts and bruises, I have been close to hitting my head a few times.

They say it might be MS as I have a lot of clinical aspects but they won’t commit yet. They treat me as if I have got MS but I haven’t had a clear diagnosis, it can take years before they decided for sure.

I have a diagnosis of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension too, which means I have some mega headaches and awful pulsatile tinnitus because the fluid around my brain is more than it should be. I have had lumbar punctures to remove that pressure and all I can say is I am glad I don’t have it as severe as some. I was having a lumbar puncture for MS when they found my pressure to be high.

Then of course there are the fistulas that I have lived with alongside the stoma for nearly five years. I get pain and leakage and it generally makes me tired. I had a big chunk of muscle removed from my buttock and thigh which can have it’s own troubles.

I am not here to say look at me, feel sorry for me, my life is great even with my problems, I am happy and manage as best I can .I am here to ask everyone to accept others, and just because they look great, there may be hidden disabilities or health issues that you just cannot see. If someone gets out of a car with a blue badge, assume there is a hidden disability if it isn’t obvious. You don’t get given a blue badge without reason and it is not for anyone to judge if you need it or not, same for disabled toilets, and the worst culprits are usually other disabled people who’s disability or health issues are visible and don’t need to feel like they need to explain themselves.

 

I have actually never been approached by anyone but I can see the look. I know that some folk look at me and think I am just sneaking into the disabled toilets because I can’t be bothered to queue. If I don’t need to use them I won’t.

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4 year stomaversary

I started this post just before the coronavirus pandemic became more widespread  so that is why it hasn’t been mentioned in this post, yes I am worried as I have other health issues that mean I could be vulnerable if I do get the virus, stay safe everybody.

Sometimes it seems an age ago, sometimes just yesterday, but what is for certain is that it’s a rollercoaster ride having stoma surgery. 

Stomaversary 3rd April

How do I feel 4 years on ? Do I celebrate or commiserate? Well I am certainly still here, and mostly enjoying life. I say mostly just because of the little blips I keep having or have had since surgery. My stoma’s friend the fistula, that’s a big blip and so is my leaking bottom parts, that’s more than a blip, but in general I feel good.

 

All the years living with IBD make me realise things are so so much better with a stoma. I can go out and about without the worries that go with having a severely diseased colon and although I still need to use a toilet to empty my bag, the urgency isn’t there anymore.

What about body image after all these surgeries? I admit I don’t like the bottom of my abdomen scar and having my large bowel removed seems to have made me lose my power of a fast metabolism, that I don’t like, as I have a love of anything sugary. I am still going to the gym which I actually like when I am there, and I come away feeling much better. I have limitations at the gym but I work around them. ( Alas this is not to be anymore for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus)

I have met some wonderful people in the stoma community and have a new interest with my blog which has given me some great opportunities. I have brilliant family and friends so I manage my issues with support. I have been lucky enough to have helped others with my story and hope to keep helping others who need it. My story isn’t there to frighten but to prove life goes on with a stoma and it isn’t so scary after all once you are through the surgery and recovery period.

One thing to mention is that most stoma patients don’t just have the stoma to cope with, many of us have either complications from surgery or disease severity before surgery, and /or other auto immune diseases/ issues, so life can be difficult but with the right support, we can enjoy our lives.

I am awaiting for another MRI to see why I still leak and am on a different inhaler for my asthma. I still have foot drop after walking a distance and have been given various devices to help me, but to be honest they are not that great. I have had a confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension after two lumbar punctures found raised pressure, which I have pulsatile tinnitus and headaches, luckily for me I don’t appear to have papilledema which causes blindness due to the swelling of the optic nerve.

It would seem I am doomed to ill health, and believe me I felt that way when I started with all this and still do to some extent, why me ? who knows but it all happened in the last ten years ( apart from the Crohns colitis, that was when I was abut 20 years old.)  It could always be worse so for now I cope with what has happened.

Once again stay safe everybody and hopefully this awful time will pass quickly.