I was too embarrassed to seek help after finding blood in my poo – then my life completely unravelled
WHEN 15-year-old Molly O'Donoghue noticed blood in her poo, she was too embarrassed to tell anyone.
The shy teen thought her classmates might laugh at her and that it was probably nothing to worry about.
But weeks passed and her life slowly started to spiral out of control.
She was rapidly losing weight and she was becoming so tired she could barely make it up a flight of stairs.
Eventually, Molly confided in her mum - but she too agreed that her daughter was probably just straining too hard on the loo.
It wasn't until Molly's headteacher phoned home to ask if everything was OK that they realised something more serious might be going on.
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Molly, from Southport, Merseyside, said: "I was really too embarrassed to say anything, especially at that age, so I did keep it to myself for quite some time.
"But then I started developing fatigue, and I couldn't do my usual activities.
"I was a big tennis player and runner, but it got to the point where I couldn't even make it up a flight of stairs.
"The blood was just getting worse and worse and the weight loss was increasing. And it all kind of just unravelled."
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The student slowly became more and more withdrawn.
She stopped seeing her friends and avoided going out in public for fear of needing to rush to the toilet.
"I had the anxiety of meeting people in public and not knowing where a toilet was because I had that symptom of urgency," she said.
"When I had to go, I had to go, so I avoided social interaction at all costs."
Several months after her initial symptoms, people started asking Molly if she had an eating disorder.
Her school then contacted her parents to raise its concerns.
Now worried themselves, the family visited their GP and, after several tests at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital over the following weeks, Molly learned she had ulcerative colitis - an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
"I'd never heard of it," Molly, who was studying for her GCSEs, said.
"It was a big learning curve for my entire family."
When I had to go, I had to go, so I avoided social interaction at all costs.
Molly
Molly tried eight different medications before eventually finding one that worked for her.
For months, she wasn't able to live like her friends, which really took a toll on her mental health.
But after trying an at-home treatment which she administers herself fortnightly, she finally has most of her symptoms under control.
Molly said: "I was very sporty and had a big friendship group surrounding sport so obviously when the fatigue hit, I couldn't really do that anymore.
"It actually made me sad to go and watch and not be able to play, so it definitely took me down a spiral of anxiety and depression.
"It really affected my studies as well. I missed a lot of my final GCSE year so it was all very rushed.
"After coming out of hospital, I was slowly able to go back to my old life, but there was always that worry of, 'will I need to go to the toilet?'
"Now though, I am basically who I was pre-diagnosis.
"I do still experience fatigue a lot, which is such a big symptom, but other than that, I'm completely in remission."
'MY LIFE UNRAVELLED'
Molly, who is now studying English literature and language at the University of Edinburgh, is back to playing tennis and is hoping to spend 12 months studying in Melbourne, Australia, next year.
"I never would have been able to do that before," she added.
"If you'd told me five years ago that was even an option, I probably would have laughed.
"For a while, even the thought of going to university was so far away in the picture for me when I was first ill, so to actually be able to live away from home and with friends is just life-changing."
But she wants to remind people that having an invisible illness isn't easy, and there are still good and bad days.
"I do always have the fatigue and low energy levels and it's kind of just overcoming them every day," she said.
"There is also an aspect of having to say no to certain things, but I've learned that that is OK.
"I know I'm ill and I don't want to push myself too far."
She also wants to urge others to seek help if they notice worrying symptoms like blood in their stool.
"Don't be afraid to reach out for help - for the illness and mentally," Molly added.
"I really struggled with the anxiety and the sadness that came with mourning an old life that I'd lost from being diagnosed.
"I think it's coming to understand that yes, there is a stigma around the illness, but you can break that and overcome it.
"And if you reach out for help, there's always going to be someone there."
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Molly shared her story on World IBD Day, in partnership with Celltrion Healthcare and the European Federation of Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis Associations.
Together, they've launched a campaign, , to shine a light on how Crohn's and colitis can be difficult to spot.
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a long-term health condition that causes severe tummy pain and diarrhoea.
The two main types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
The main symptoms include:
- Diarrhoea that lasts longer than four weeks
- Tummy pain
- Blood or mucus (clear slime) in your poo
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Feeling tired all the time
- Losing weight without trying
There are a range of treatments available to help manage symptoms.
These can include steroids and other medications, as well as surgery to remove part of your bowel.
It is not clear what causes IBD, but you are more likely to be diagnosed if a close relative has it.
Research conducted by Crohn's & Colitis UK in 2022 suggests one in every 123 people in the UK has IBD.
Source: NHS