Over the past year I have fallen more and more in love with Twitter. I follow hundreds of celebrities who all have nothing important or useful to say. At first, this is all I believed Twitter consisted of but slowly, I built up a friendship circle of Crohnies.
Twitter is an amazing way of talking directly to other sufferers without having to embarrassingly stand face to face. It is a pretty faceless medium and you can be honest about everything without fear. I quite regularly tweet about my bowel movements and will have a dozen or more replies from other IBD sufferers commenting on how their movements are on that day. It is all a bit odd at first but you soon learn to love them.
Twitter helps you realise that there are lots of people in the world who are suffering in a similar way to you. There is a whole community who all have something in common. A subject that we struggle to discuss with our loved ones due to nature of the subject. I am very lucky to have an understanding wife, circle of friends and family but it is still not quite the same as talking to someone who has been through a similar experience.
I believe it would also be a great way for my friends and family to talk to other observers. These are the people who are inadvertently affected by our IBD issues. They are the ones who have help us through the pain, emotions and embarrassments that IBD can bring. They do this with little complaint. They are affected and often go unnoticed. It can be physically and emotionally draining for them too. They are unable to remove the pain we suffer but are there for us no matter what.
Using the medium of Twitter I found a guy who is looking to create a short film/documentary on the subject of Ulcerative Colitis (UC). He has watched his mother suffer and has felt helpless at times.
He intends to create a 15 minute documentary in order to show how UC affects not only the sufferer but the people around the sufferer.
I offered him my assistance in any way he needed. I have a diary, here on the Internet that tells the story of my IBD life. I also present a hospital radio show in Leicester. So as well as my IBD story, I have offered him my services in trying to find other willing candidates who are willing to help. So please read the information below and contact Harry if you would like to help in any possible way. (also, why not Tweet me and we can talk about bowels! @mrawesomeben)
Stay well Ben x
My Colon, My Life and Me
Our Story
My name is Harry and I am making a documentary about Ulcerative Colitis, an illness that is certainly life changing and potentially life threatening. I will follow somebody who has recently been diagnosed with this condition and see their journey as they begin to understand and come to terms with what their future holds for them. I have a small production team that will be travelling around the UK in March 2012 to film this 15-minute documentary.
Most definitely life changing and potentially life threatening, we set out on a journey to discover how an idyllic lifestyle will change forever.
Making this Documentary
I have always been keen to make a documentary about Ulcerative Colitis because it is a subject very close to my heart and still remains a very important issue in my life. My mother, Tina, was diagnosed with the illness in 2003, when there was even less information about it around. My mother had an ostomy pouch for many years and I was bought up with helping her change it and looking after her. It has been such a big part of my life and it seems to be all I know, but as a family we have grown closer and we like to draw upon the positives rather than indulging ourselves in the negative impacts it has had. Therefore I wish to tell the story of David’s journey, because in my own special way – I’ve been on the same journey as him.
Get Involved If you want to be involved in this documentary and would like to share your experiences with us, please get in touch by either emailing or tweeting us.
Email: hjlawton@hotmail.co.uk Twitter: @UC_Documentary