Embarrassing Illnesses

Joseph Barr, 24, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in January 2007. Although he won’t be cured, he is able to manage his condition with medication, and he can still play the sports he loves.

"I started getting symptoms in February 2006. I had diarrhoea, weight loss, and I was unable to keep my food down. I threw up three or four times a day. Eventually, I ended up in hospital for two weeks where doctors carried out tests, including stomach X-rays, a colonoscopy and a barium meal test.  

"For the barium meal test, I had to swallow a liquid, and 20 minutes later my stomach was X-rayed. Under the X-ray, the liquid highlights everything that's going on in the stomach. A colonoscopy isn’t the greatest experience. A camera is attached to a microscope and inserted into the back passage. It goes quite far up into the colon and everything is recorded on video, which I was able to watch on a screen beside me. 

"I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory disease of the gut. It affects the small and large intestine and can lead to internal bleeding.  

"Initially I was given steroids. It made a big difference straight away and reduced the inflammation a lot. I now take anti-inflammatory drugs every day, and I'll have to take them for the rest of my life. There's no cure for Crohn’s disease, so the treatment I've been given helps me manage my condition. My life is now back on track. 

"I still do a lot of the things that I used to do. I still go out with my friends, I can drink alcohol and I don’t need to avoid any types of food. I’m still quite active. I can play football and cricket, and I go to the gym as often as I can."