Introduce yourself. Who are you, and what’s your connection to BFAC?
I’m Carley, I’m a friend of Helmut’s. My connection would be that I have Crohn’s disease, one of the charities that he does BFAC for.
I know nothing about Crohn’s. What is it, and how does it affect your daily life?
It’s an auto-immune disease that effects the gastro-intestinal system. It ranges in severity - I have it all the way through, from the mouth all the way down. It causes inflammation of all those areas. A lot of days I wake up and I’m just too sick to leave the house - when you’re running to the toilet fifty times a day, it makes things a bit difficult.
Why are Crohn’s and Colitis talked about in conjunction? What is Colitis?
Colitis is similar to Crohn’s, but it’s in smaller areas of the bowel, whereas Crohn’s can be anywhere in the gastrointestinal system. I think they just put them together cause they’re similar.
What is the most difficult thing about living with Crohn’s?
It’s an embarrassing disease, to be honest. I struggle with telling people about it, and talking about it, because nobody wants to hear that shit. I was fifteen when I was diagnosed, so it wasn’t a great time to be dealing with that.
What do you wish people understood about Crohn’s/Colitis?
Honestly, I just wish people knew it existed. When you say “I have Crohn’s,” people say, “what the fuck is that?” Because cancer is so well-known, but there are so many other things that just aren’t in the spotlight.
What has been helpful to you?
So, I had to have surgery - which was extremely helpful, but not fun. I now have an ileostomy - they brought part of my bowel out to the outside of my stomach, and I have a bag now. Because I was at a point where I was in hospital for months and months at a time, and there was nothing that they could do. There are people I know who are like, "I've got this, it's great!" but it was also a bit shit.
Why did you suggest that BFAC also support Crohn's and Colitis Australia (CCA)?
I didn’t, actually. I’ll tell you the story. One night, me and Helmut got really drunk. And you know when you get drunk you have D&Ms? So we had one of those, and Helmut was talking all about his mum, and then I was talking all about my stuff, and we had a great moment. And then later on, he told me that he was doing the BFAC thing for his mum, and he wanted to include me in it as well, so that was awesome.
What do you think is the importance/significance of BFAC?
Well, I think it’s very important for Helmut to tell his story and to - you know, when things get out of hand, and you need to able to tell your story and do something. And it’s just great for people to be part of that, and he’s just so fucking lovely, that guy. You can put that in quotes.
"He's just so fucking lovely, that guy." - CarleyWhat’s your dream for the future?
Seriously? Really, I just take it day by day.
Anything else you want to add?
I’m very happy that Helmut is doing this so that CCA gets some kind of recognition. Even when I’m just talking to you about it, that’s one more person. And I guarantee you that in your life, you’ll meet other people, and it’ll be like, “Oh my God, here’s another person who has it!” It’s great.
As always, I want to really thank Carley for giving her time for this interview. I really appreciated her honesty and openness about what she was dealing with. Not all of us have to deal with this in our own lives - but the vast majority of us know someone that does. Who struggles with Crohn's, or Colitis, or Cancer - and there are so many others as well. This Saturday, join us at Busk For A Cure in Newtown, as we raise funds to support Crohn's and Colitis Australia, and Cancer Council NSW. You can find out more details here, or if you prefer, donate directly online here.
No comments:
Post a Comment