19 May 2023 , 14:44
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Your teenage years are supposed to be freeing, fun and liberating - but for 14-year-old Katie Harpur, her life was completely controlled by pain and nausea.
Going to the toilet 30 times a day and vomiting after every meal became the norm, and stopped her socialising for fear of there not being facilities nearby.
When her weight dangerously plummeted, doctors suspected that Katie had bulimia and she claims one professional even called her a 'hypochondriac' - but she knew something wasn't right.
As her health rapidly deteriorated, Katie persevered with medical appointments until she was admitted to hospital for two weeks - where she finally got a diagnosis.
Katie became so weak she was unable to walk and was hospitalised (PA Real Life)
She was finally diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 16 (PA Real Life)"I lost a dangerous amount of weight and weighed just five stone, but I didn't have an eating disorder, it was just too painful for me to eat and if I did eat, I would vomit," Katie, from Belfast, said.
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"I remember one doctor told me I was a hypochondriac, but I knew something wasn’t right.
"I couldn't physically walk anywhere, I was so weak, and I ended up in hospital."
The then 16-year-old had a colonoscopy and the biopsy revealed that she had Crohn's disease, a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
In 2014, Katie was put on medication and told it was inevitable that she would eventually need a stoma bag.
"Going into it, I obviously had body image concerns because I'm still quite young and people tend to have a false idea that stoma bags are dirty," she explained.
"I knew I would end up with a giant scar too and that made me nervous."
When she was 21, Katie underwent a procedure to have a temporary stoma bag fitted, but complications led to her having it reversed.
Battling infections and prolapse, her stoma was removed the year after, and in 2022, she made the decision to have a permanent stoma bag fitted.
Katie had a permanent stoma bag fitted last year and it changed her life (PA Real Life)
She was nervous before the surgery but it was the 'best thing' she's done (PA Real Life)"Because there were so many issues with the first one, I was really nervous, especially as this stoma couldn't be reversed," she said.
"But my condition had gotten so bad and I was in so much pain, that this was really the only option for me at this point."
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One year later, she said the procedure has "changed her life" as she is now able to travel and socialise with friends.
"I've had no issues at all with it and it's honestly the best thing I've ever done," Katie, who works as a nurse, said.
"Growing up, I was so excited to travel but Crohn's made it impossible. I always said I wouldn't travel far until I had my stoma fitted."
Since her op, Katie has booked the trip of a lifetime to Tokyo, and is excited to visit Mount Fuji and Super Nintendo World.
"Not being able to speak Japanese, I would have found it very hard to find a public toilet so wouldn't have been able to do the trip before," she said.
Now Katie, 25, is raising awareness for Crohn's disease and hopes to break the stigma around stoma bags.
"A lot of people think having a stoma bag is the end of the world," she said.
"I was so young getting mine done and I was nervous about how my body would change but it's the best thing I've ever done, I wish I'd done it sooner.
Katie is now able to go on the trip of a lifetime and travel with friends (PA Real Life)
Nurse Katie wants to break the stigma surrounding stoma bags (PA Real Life)"I hope people can see my experience and know that stoma bags aren't scary, mine has greatly improved my life and enabled me to start enjoying life again."
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Crohn's & Colitis UK, said: "There are more than 500,000 people living with Crohn's and colitis in the UK.
"Every day we hear about more who are experiencing symptoms and waiting for a diagnosis.
"Since the pandemic, the already lengthy waiting times for tests like endoscopies and colonoscopies have soared.
"Such delays can be devastating for people, affecting their ability to work, study, socialise and live the lives they want to.
"We really need to do more to help young people stay in control of their health, and that means providing them with the tools to get the right diagnosis from their GP as early as possible.
"If you're experiencing blood in your poo, tummy pain or frequent, urgent diarrhoea, then the symptom checker on our website is a good place to start.
"It's designed to give people the confidence to go to their GP with a letter detailing their symptoms, to help them get the right diagnosis and get back on the road to recovery."
For more information on Crohn's and colitis, visit the charity's website.
Do you have a rare health condition? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.