Offer ‘empathy not pity’ when dealing with all IBD sufferers

A woman who opened up about life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) invited everyone to “be curious in a respectful way”.

When she was 15, Lucan woman Tammy Strickland (31) was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is a condition grouped under IBD along Crohn’s disease.

She received the diagnosis after suffering from a severe gastrointestinal infection and a year of debilitating symptoms, jaundice and extreme weight loss.

Living with ulcerative colitis, explained Tammy, means going through “very random” flares with symptoms like diarrhoea and abdominal pain, but “it’s not only about running to the bathroom, it’s a real hidden illness and it takes a mental toll too.”

She “can’t remember a time where she wasn’t taking tablets,” but she was also relieved to find out that her condition is treatable and is now in control thanks to biweekly injections, a healthy diet and vitamins integration, and only needing the hospital in case of acute flares or emergencies.

IBD also affects the immune system with the body attacking itself causing ulcers, swelling and inflammation of the gut.

As she is ‘immunocompromised’ by the disease, Tammy got Covid six times and also suffered from fatigue and kidney stones.

“People can be a bit impatient, if you want to stay away from crowded places to avoid picking something up,” said Tammy.

On the other hand, talking about the symptoms with which it is associated is not always easy.

“When I was younger, I found it extremely difficult to talk about my illness with anyone, including my own family, because there was always a sense of shame and blame associated with the disease,” said Tammy.

“I always felt like there was something deficient in me and I had to make up for it in school and hobbies. I also had to cancel a lot of plans with friends due to the nature of my disease and not everyone understood this. It can be exhausting to always have to explain yourself and the disease and what flares lead to.”

A lot surer than herself today, Tammy thinks nobody should be afraid to talk about it and that people around her can be aware of it without going into the “gory details.”

Her partner Steve “went beyond the ick factor,” she said, they joke about the condition together and he “has always been patient and loving when any health issue arises.”

About to get married this year, Tammy is pursuing her dream to be a scientist and a science educator and is three quarters of the way through her PhD in neuroimmunology.

She is part of a voluntary education programme and offers free science grinds in her local community.

Marking World IBD Day, Tammy sent an encouraging message to fellow people with the condition, “You can do anything you want at the pace that suits you best. Don’t let flares hold you back and don’t be hard on yourself when you need to take rest periods to heal, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

She also renewed her call to people around those affected to be patient with changes of plans and respectful of the full story they might not know.

According to Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland, IBD affects 50,000 people in Ireland. A separate condition from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is a disorder of the gut-brain communication but doesn’t affect the immune system, IBD can be inherited from genetics but also from a combination of factors such as stress, food choices, environment or underlying immune system issues.

On May 19, Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland will host webinar “IBD 101” from 6.30-8.30pm on www.crohnscolitis.ie with speakers including psychologist Dr Jennifer Wilson O’Raghallaigh, celebrities living with IBD, Armagh GAA star Niall Grimley and Gogglebox Ireland TV critic Sarah Reilly, and consultant gastroenterologist Prof. Anthony O’Connor based at Tallaght University Hospital. Registration is free and available on the website.

The charity offered some guidelines for people to be more aware of the condition in a respectful manner, such as “Offer empathy not pity,” “Avoid blaming the person or trivialising what they are going through,” and “Offer practical help with chores, errands and travel to medical appointments.”

It suggested to teachers dealing with students with IBD to allow them leave the class without having to ask for permission, and to employers to adjust workloads and provide flexible hours to help employees with IBD.

Anyone concerned about IBD can call the Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland Support Line on 01 531 2983 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 12.30pm or visit Crohnscolitis for information.