AN ENTREPRENEUR was left bedbound in immense pain after eating a steak at her dad’s anniversary dinner due to her hidden condition.
Collette Beckett, 27, from Chester, Cheshire, was left confined to her bed for three days after consuming the red meat dish when dining with her family.
Collette Beckett’s life was turned upside down by her Crohn’s disease diagnosis[/caption]
The businesswoman struggled in intense pain while waiting for a diagnosis[/caption]
She previously worse a hot water bottle around her waist as it was the only way to help alleviate her agony[/caption]
The businesswoman, who loved sewing from a young age, began her own venture aged just 24 before quitting her makeup counter job to focus on her brand Jet Black Clothing full-time.
Collette described experiencing an extreme stabbing sensation in her hipbone, so painful that it would “take your breath away”.
She initially thought she had an appendicitis, but whenever she approached a doctor she says her concerns were brushed away, she told Manchester Evening News.
The designer says she could only get through the pain by strapping a hot water bottle to her waist and by taking codeine throughout the day.
She was eventually rushed to A&E by her family after her suffering became so severe, and she was told she would have a colonoscopy six months after first arriving in hospital.
But Collette was left in tears and further agony as her appointment allegedly kept being pushed further back, describing how she felt trapped at home like a “hermit”.
She also described how she struggled to eat, barely moved in bed as she was surrounded by pillows, and only drank water.
After crying to a receptionist on the phone, Collette fortunately received a last-minute appointment where she learnt she had Crohn’s disease in her small bowel.
She explained it was hard to diagnose her issue as she only had pain as a symptom.
Crohn’s disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the digestive system – it most often begins slowly and may get worse over time.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe but come in intermittent periods, with some patients having periods of remission where symptoms can disappear for anywhere from weeks to years.
While incurable, there are treatments to help control the symptoms of Crohn’s.
Collette described how grieved the life she once knew, following her diagnosis.
She said: “I felt like I was grieving my old life and the idea of knowing that whenever I go on holiday now, I have to think about what I can eat at an all-inclusive, whether I can take my injections with me.”
The 27-year-old said she has now had to learn which types of food trigger her pain, with red meats being the worst.
After consuming a Miller & Carter steak, which had been delivered, she ended up in bed for three days, unable to move.
The family had gotten together on the anniversary of her dad’s death and Collette said they always have steak for the occasion.
She described the horrific pain she went through over the multiple day period, saying: “It’s the kind of pain where you’re lying there, hoping it will go away.”
What is Crohn’s disease?
CROHN’S Disease is a lifelong condition that causes parts of the digestive system to become inflamed.
It’s estimated that over 155,000 UK adults are currently living with it and it is named after a New York doctor, Burrill Crohn, who reported a number of cases back in 1932.
It is a condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system.
The inflammation is the body’s reaction to injury or irritation, and can cause redness, swelling and pain.
Although sufferers will have periods of good health, there are flare-ups where symptoms are more active.
The main symptoms are digestive – such as diarrhoea and stomach cramps – but sufferers also experience fatigue and weight loss.
Unintended weight loss and blood and mucus in your stools are also common symptoms.
People may only experience one of the above symptoms and some experience severe symptoms or mild problems.
There may also be weeks or months where symptoms are mild or non-existent.
Less common symptoms include a high temperature, feeling sick and being sick, joint pain and swelling, inflammation and irritation of the eyes and mouth ulcers.
If you have persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss or blood in your stools, visit your GP.
It is one of the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease – the other is a condition known as Ulcerative Colitis.
It can be caused by the genes a person has inherited, an abnormal reaction of the immune system and is probably triggered by something in the environment.
People who suffer from Crohn’s disease can find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Weight loss and weight gain are both symptoms of Crohn’s.
Certain medicines for the condition can also affect weight.
A common one, prednisone, is known to cause temporary weight gain.
Often weight loss is one of the main symptoms, which cause be caused by a lack of appetite.
Medication can also cause nausea and abdominal pain, further reducing appetite.
People may also fail to properly absorb nutrients due to their condition, again leading to weight loss.
And if a certain food or food group is known to exacerbate someone’s symptoms, they may avoid it entirely.
If you have lost a lot of weight or are failing to maintain a healthy weight, your doctor will likely work out a diet and nutrition plan.
There is no cure for the disease, so treatment aims to reduce symptoms and maintain remission.
Drugs and surgery can give long periods of relief from symptoms, and some may cause temporary weight gain.
Some people say smoking cannabis eases the symptoms.
Simpler things like eating different foods and working out what might be causing flare-ups can be helpful.
However, Collette has now been put on medication for her agonising symptoms that have helped to dramatically reduce her pain.
Her last attack of pain came in July and she’s been able to do “everything” she wants since then.
The 27-year-old added that while she still feels fatigued, that her joints hurt, and that she gets fairly frequent headaches, these side effects are normal and manageable for her.
Collette has joined a WhatsApp group chat with many other women who also have the condition, which can vary greatly between cases.
She described how some girls struggle with dairy, while she does not, and said she has had to reduce both red meat and curries from her diet as they can cause gas in her stomach.
Collette’s clothing line, Jet Black, was also affected by her diagnosis as the designer struggled to handmake clothes to order.
This led her to become a manufactured brand last year, meaning her clothes are now made in a factory.
Collette’s brand Jet Black now produces its clothes in factories as a result of her struggles with Crohn’s[/caption]
