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IBD Facebook Q&A Session a Great Success!

Announcement posted by The Gut Foundation 25 May 2016

Professor Terry Bolin teamed up with social media success story ‘Bag Lady Mama’

Gastroenterologist Professor Terry Bolin teamed up with social media success story ‘Bag Lady Mama’ on Facebook on Thursday 19 May to answer questions and alleviate the concerns of those currently suffering with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“We want them to not lose hope, living with IBD may involve you making lifestyle adjustments, but should not stop you from leading a fulfilling, productive and happy life,” said Prof Bolin.

‘Bag Lady Mama’ (Krystal Miller) was diagnosed with crohn’s disease when she was 15, after a tough battle with the illness she had her bowel removed at age 22, and now has a permanent ileostomy bag. Krystal flew to Sydney for the event and said she was happy to be involved “My dreams are for those with IBD to feel empowered and in control of something when it feels like it's all spinning out of control”.

Some of the questions on the day were “Can IBD be passed on to children?”  “Can you have IBS and IBD” “How difficult is it dating - how do you tell someone you have a bag for the first time?”

“Often diagnosed young between 15-30 years of age, it can be hard to come to terms with the lifelong condition, we hope to have more Q&A sessions in the future to help anyone with IBD” said Prof Bolin.

Please contact Avril 0421 049 879 or avril.cronk@gmail.com to arrange an interview with Bag Lady Mama or Prof Bolin.


About Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

The term inflammatory bowel disease is used to describe two chronic disorders, crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which both cause inflammation of the small and/or the large bowel, they can also affect parts of the body outside the bowel.

 

Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever and fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, reduced appetite, blood in the stool and weight loss. IBD can’t be seen by the naked eye, and thus is referred to as an ‘invisible disease’.  Treatments include a range of drugs which treat inflammation. Sometimes surgery is also required when these treatments are proving ineffective.

 

About the Gut Foundation:  The Gut Foundation specialises in medical research to understand the causes of gut problems, better methods of prevention and treatment, and continually educating the public on the latest findings.

 

Twitter: @GutFoundation  #IBD2016

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Website: www.gutfoundation.com.au

Fact Sheet and other resources on IBD:

http://www.gutfoundation.com.au/resources/inflammatory-bowel-disease