Zoe’s battle with Crohn’s

I didn't have an understanding or knowledge of Crohn’s disease before being with Zoe, and I’ve seen first-hand how cruel and quickly it can escalate; making the person suffering from it very sick.

No one wants to be carrying their girlfriend from a car to a hospital bed while they are crying in pain. I have the utmost sympathy and consideration to anyone suffering from any disease and definitely Crohn’s disease.

Seeing Zoe restricted from eating, exercising, working or partaking in normal daily activities has been extremely heartbreaking to watch.

Zoe’s life has been put on hold countless time’s and she’s missed multiple opportunities of living a normal life as a result of this debilitating disease.

Crohn's is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract where It can affect any part of the tract, which runs from your mouth to your anus.

This disease usually affects your small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and there is no cure for it.

There are so many life-threatening complications for which Crohn’s sufferers are at risk and in Zoe’s case this has now aggressively affected her mouth, stomach, small intestine, rectum, joints, her eyes and even her skin.

Finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was 14, she was having symptoms related to Crohn’s from the age of 10 but specialists said that she was fine despite repeated visits to many different doctors.

Zoe had a surgery when she was 15 which involved the removal of 30cm of her bowel and a fistula connected to her small intestine and bladder.

This gave Zoe some relief from the symptoms caused by Crohn’s for a few years, but there is no guarantee it will not return in a different location and this is what happened in Zoe's case .

Zoe has had countless open bowel procedures to treat obstructions in her intestinal tract caused by the long-term damage to her bowel from this uncontrollable disease, which has included high doses of steroids, immunosuppressants and multiple different biological immunomodulator drugs.

Zoe has been dependent on high-dose IV steroids, but within days of switching from these to oral steroids her condition deteriorates, and the disease attacks her body with a vengeance.

She has been limited in the amount of work she can not only attend but perform over the past twelve months, which has not only caused financial stress, but a burden on her mental health and doubt of any future stability.

Zoe has spent more time in hospital than at home over the last few months, and this has resulted in Zoe missing out on the opportunity to work, exercise, socialise and do the things she loves.

Being unable to work has drained her saved finances through rent, day-to-day expenses plus medical expenses that are not covered by Medicare and increased her stress levels to the point where she is not in a secure position to be able to recover from surgery, stress free.

The last 24 months have been extremely challenging for Zoe.

Her disease has become progressively worse in that short amount of time.

Changing her lifestyle, and her diet numerous times and even natural medicines. Sadly, these changes haven’t helped Zoe or her symptoms.

Zoe has tried every alternative possible with no success, this resulting in surgeons advising Zoe with the only option to have surgery.

Zoe’s mental health has deteriorated she no longer likes to look in the mirror, she's unwillingly lost a significant amount of weight due to not being able to consume any solid food leading into her surgery as it would result in Zoe falling extremely sick and, in most cases, ending up in hospital from the agonising pain. Zoe was on a liquid diet which was not only taxing on her mental but also her physical health.

Zoe has felt like she has not been able to live a normal life and do basic things that healthy people do day to day.

On the 15th of august 2023 Zoe had surgery at the Alfred hospital this involving a bowel resection procedure. The surgery was a successful procedure. There was a possibility of Zoe finishing the surgery with a colostomy bag. Zoe is spending the next seven to ten days at the Alfred hospital recovering from the surgery.

The next eight to ten weeks Zoe will be recovering from surgery which will hinder her from working, exercising and day to day activities. Unfortunately, in the first 2 weeks of her recovery Zoe presented twice to the emergency room at the Alfred Hospital, she picked up an infection in her wound, which has prolonged her healing.

With limited opportunity to work leading into Zoe’s surgery from this chronic illness and not being able to work post-surgery, she needs financial assistance to support her whilst in recovery from this surgery. Those that know Zoe know how much this has deeply affected her and any support in any way shape or form would help her through this really hard time.