A woman who’s diagnosed with Crohn’s disease has revealed how she was devastated by a fat-shaming text which led her weight to plummet, causing her to be admitted to hospital.
Jane Beaumont, from Manchester, was diagnosed with the debilitating illness at the age of 11, and was already self-conscious about the weight gain caused by her medication before she received the anonymous message.
Her weight began to dwindle, and Jane’s bowel suffered severe damage, so much so, her doctors told her it would have to be removed, and she would need to be fitted with a colostomy bag.
She now recalls being shocked by her skeletal figure in the weeks following the surgery, and has now rebuilt her life and moved on from the ordeal.
Jane is now sharing her story, as well as the images of her weight loss, to help others realise the dangers of not taking medication properly.
She said:
I was already self conscious of my weight before I received the spiteful text message.
I had been on holiday the week before with my friends and after feeling good about myself I had uploaded a few bikini photos.
The message told me that I was fat and that I needed to stop uploading bikini photos. I tried to brush it off as we had no idea who’d sent it. It was sent from the web anonymously.
She continued:
But it did make me more aware of my appearance so I began skipping the medication that I knew caused me to gain weight.
I didn’t realise that by doing this my body was creating more anti-bodies so any medication I did then start taking would be ineffective.
I had battled Crohns since I was 11 but as I turned 20 things took a turn for the worse. No medication was working and my only option was to have a colostomy bag to save my life.
Jane said after the operation, her weight continued to plummet because it wasn’t absorbing any nutrients, she even lost half of her hair.
Jane continued:
When I looked at myself in the mirror I was so shocked by how skeletal I looked. I was so unwell at this point and I genuinely thought I was going to die.
But after being tube fed for eight weeks I was finally allowed home in June 2014, two months after my first surgery on April 14th.
I have spent the last few years rebuilding my life and getting to grips with my bag. I am so much more positive about my Crohn’s since having my colostomy bag. I am pain free, I no longer take steroids and I’m now back to a healthy weight.
I would tell anyone who is conscious of their appearance to ignore any negative comments as your health is far more important. I am now living my life to the full and have just completed my degree to become a dance teacher.
Jane’s story is proof of how destructive our words can be, but also testament to the fact self-worth and internal happiness do not stem from other’s perceptions of you.
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