Hello, My name is Caroline Etheridge and I have been battling IBD ever since I can remember. I am 28 and only got diagnosed when I was 26 and have had symptoms ever since I was in primary school and then it gradually got worse the older I got. From aged 16 onwards is when it really got bad. I was going to the toilet sometimes over 20 times a day, constantly in stomach pain, fatigue was so bad. My mum would often hear me crying and screaming on the toilet and would sit in with me holding my hand until it passed. I kept going to my GP repeatedly and they just kept dismissing me over and over again saying I have IBS and that is all. When I was in my early 20s, I lived with friends and one day I had such a bad toilet episode that I crawled out of the bathroom because I didn’t have the energy to walk. One of my housemates then said to me “This isn’t normal, it isn’t IBS, you need to get help” I then really agreed that I did really need the help. I then asked my family if we had any big stomach conditions in the family. My dad said we had Crohn’s and Colitis on his side of the family, my grandad, uncle and cousins. I had never heard of Crohn’s or Colitis at this point. I googled them and I just remember reading all the symptoms and thinking, that is me, every single symptom is me. It all made so much sense to me after just reading the symptoms. I then went to my GP, sharing my family history and that I want to be tested. It sadly didn’t make them listen. I had to bagger them for a while until my mum came with me and made them listen to us. The GP then finally listened and put a referral in for me to tested. I finally felt listened to and that someone cared. I then had every possible stomach test over the next few months and the doctor then told me that nothing came back. I thought, how can I be this poorly and nothing shows up on tests? I was barely leaving my house at this point due to how bad I was. The specialist then left me for months with no help and I felt back to square one. After months and months being left and feeling at rock bottom, we then asked the Specialist to see me again. He tried then diagnosing me with IBS. My mum and I just cried in his office. We then asked for a second opinion because we knew it wasn’t IBS. He agreed and sent me to London to the big specialist there. After 2 months of tests with him, he then finally diagnosed me with Microscopic Colitis. It is a type of IBD that can only be seen under a microscope and does not show up on any other tests and can take years to show up because of this. I was so grateful to finally hear those words that it was finally found and I wasn’t going crazy, like some doctors had made me believe. As soon as I was diagnosed, I then finally got all the help I had wanted for years. I had a nutritionist that helped me eat the right foods, IBD nurses, treatment. If you are struggling right now through the diagnosing process, please keep strong, I promise you it will get better.

@carolineeetheridge