Brave Ben from Perth is learning to live with Crohn’s disease – just like his dad

When Ben Fothergill was a baby he had a lot of difficulties with constipation.

Ben, who lives in Perth, says his parents took him to the doctor who prescribed a liquid laxative.

The medication worked, so he continued taking it over the next few years.

But when he started having issues again as a teenager, his parents decided it was time for his health condition to be investigated more thoroughly.

“For a long time it was just accepted that I had difficulties with constipation and that was it,” the 24-year-old says.

“It was just something I grew up with.

“But then when I was 13, my parents thought it was something that had gone on for far too long.

“So they decided to take me back to the doctor’s to find out what was causing it.

“Initially I was put on another medication – a stronger powder laxative – but I would get constipation and diarrhoea along with stomach cramps.

“I also started having more flare ups – it was like having constant soreness in my gut.”

He ended up attending hospital in Oban, where he lived at the time, and seeing a specialist.

And this led to Ben learning he had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Later on he was diagnosed with early onset Crohn’s Disease.

Today the Lidl store customer assistant still struggles with flare-ups.

But he has praised the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK for all the information and support it has given him –  to help make living with the conditions easier.

Being diagnosed with IBS

When Ben – who also works a session musician – was 13, he saw a specialist at a hospital in Oban.

And this was when he was first told he had IBS.

“The specialist asked me if I had ever considered the problems I was having might be caused by what I was eating,” he explains.

“I told him not really.

“And that’s when he said I should start studying my diet.

“I told him one of the things I noticed causing me issues was dairy products and he said from what I was telling him it sounded like I had IBS.”

After being given that diagnosis, Ben started noting which foods were giving him a reaction so he could avoid eating them.

When was Ben told he had early onset Crohn’s disease?

A few years later Ben left high school and went to college in Oban.

But he started having more regular painful flare-ups which would see him experience both constipation and urgent diarrhoea.

And this prompted him to go back to the doctor’s in 2016.

“I explained my situation – how I was getting more soreness in my gut and that it was starting to concern me,” he says.

“I also told the doctor that the issues I was having were similar to my dad’s.

“And I explained that he had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.”

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.

There’s no cure, but treatment can help reduce or control symptoms.

Ben was then referred to hospital for more tests including a colonoscopy and an ultrasound.

He continues: “I was told it was nothing to worry about just now.

“But, at some stage later on, I was likely to develop Crohn’s disease, like my dad, and this was the early stages of that happening.

“To get this diagnosis was a relief – the worst thing is the not knowing.”

How does Ben treat IBS and Crohn’s disease?

To help manage his pain relief when experiencing flare-ups, Ben usually takes  paracetamol, ibuprofen or buscopan.

And he is able to get these on prescription.

But he says apart from taking painkillers, trying to avoid stress and monitoring the foods he eats, there isn’t much else he can do to treat his conditions.

“One day I can be fine and then the next morning I can wake up and I can be sore,” he explains.

Support from Crohn’s and Colitis UK

However, Ben has been able to find support through a charity.

And this has made living with IBS and onset Crohn’s Disease easier.

“I came across the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

“It has Facebook groups with people going through the same issues,” he explains.

“These have been great for support.

“There are people in these groups who offer dietary advice of what foods to try and to avoid.

“And the charity also has people to talk to if you need advice about anything.

“It’s good because it is helping to raise more awareness of conditions like IBS and Crohn’s Disease.”

Using the ‘Can’t Wait’ card

One thing Ben has found really helpful is getting a ‘Can’t Wait’ card through the charity.

Members of Crohn’s and Colitis UK can register for the card which makes it easier for them to use toilets in shops, restaurants and other venues – without having to give a long explanation about their condition.

Urgent diarrhoea is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis.

And a major anxiety for people living with the condition is being refused access to toilets.

So having the Can’t Wait card allows members to show it to staff if they urgently need to use a toilet whilst out in public.

Ben says: “This is still relatively new.

“But it’s a card you can use which lets people know you really need to use the restroom because you have an illness.

“I have used it quite a lot.”

Family support

As well as having support from Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Ben is also thankful to have had the support of his mum and dad over the years.

“My parents have been there for me every step of the way and I am grateful for that.

“Thankfully my condition has developed a lot slower than it has for other people.

“And I am fortunate because there are people worse off than me with Crohn’s who have to take supplements or injections – which I don’t.”

He adds: “I’m just grateful it’s not as bad as it could be.

“And I hope my story and the information I have learned can help other people who might be experiencing the same conditions.”