A SINGLE mum-of-one who has been battling Crohn's disease for 30 years has revealed how her weight plummeted to just four stone during one flare-up.
Sophie Cooper, 36, from Hampshire, was diagnosed with the incurable condition – which causes inflammation of the digestive system – when she was just seven years old.
Her lowest moment was in 2009, when Sophie was forced to resort to an all-liquid diet for months at a time to heal her flare-ups.
Sophie, who used to work as a nutritionist, fell so ill she struggled to even drink water and couldn't be put on an IV drip because were veins were collapsing from muscle wastage.
She told Fabulous Digital: "I was exhausted, malnourished and in agony most of the time – it felt like I was dying.
"My veins were collapsing which meant doctors couldn’t even administer intravenous nutrition and I couldn’t stand-up unaided due to muscle wastage.
"I was told that my only option was to try surgery and I jumped at the chance, I was desperate not to die."
Sophie had her life-saving bowel surgery at St Thomas' Hospital, London.
She had an eight-hour ileostomy op, where the small intestine is diverted through an opening in the tummy to collect waste products in a stoma bag – which in Sophie's case is temporary.
Feeling embarrassed, Sophie was keen to find a pair of trousers which would hide her stoma bag away while fitting comfortably on top.
I was told that my only option was to try surgery – I was desperate not to die
She said: "Being able to create jeans that help ease the psychological impact of getting dressed after surgery is really special and important to me.
"Struggling with something as simple as finding a great pair of jeans that fit comfortably made me feel really different and affected my confidence.
"I didn’t want others to feel like I had and so it set me on a path to create my collection of inclusive jeans from scratch.
''What's most amazing is how versatile they are, people are now buying them for all sorts of stomach related issues, it's amazing to be able to help more people with such a variety of problems.''
What is Crohn's disease?
It is a condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system. The inflammation is the body's reaction to injury or irritation, and can cause redness, swelling and pain.
It is often described as a chronic condition and although sufferers will have periods of good health, there are flare-ups where symptoms are more active.
It can be caused by the genes a person has inherited, an abnormal reaction of the immune system and is probably triggered by something in the environment.
A few celebrities have gone public with their diagnosis, including magician Dynamo, real name Stephen Frayne, who shocked fans with his dramatic weight gain due to the illness.
Common symptoms include:
- diarrhoea
- abdominal pain and cramping (usually worse after eating)
- extreme tiredness
- unintended weight loss or gain
- blood in poo
- mouth ulcers
- inflammation
- feeling ill
- joint pain
Sophie's company I AM DENIM was born – offering jeans which can be worn post C-section, pregnancy, kidney surgery or tummy tucks, and are also popular with IBS and IBD sufferers.
Made here in Britain, they can be shipped worldwide and cost £95 for women or £99 for men.
She said: "I really wanted to make them as affordable as possible whist having them made in the UK and by workers who are being paid properly.
"The response we’ve had has been amazing and I’ve already shipped as far as Spain, USA and Australia.
"The mix of soft denims that I’ve chosen for the jeans is perfect for anyone with a stoma bag.
"I Am Denim's ethos is all centred around no judgement – we are all about self-confidence, and self-love.
"Although surgery can be life-saving it can also life-changing – I want people to realise they can be happy and confident again, like me."
Last week, we spoke to a woman who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and had stoma bag fitted after routine dental appointment.
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