24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease)
So, somehow I managed to complete the 24 hour comic within 24 hours. I’ve scanned it in and left it pretty much untouched in terms of spelling errors and the like. Editing it in that way seems to go against the principles of the thing. I have, however, made the colours sync up in photoshop. Some of my pens ran out forcing me to adopt different coloured pens during the process. Felt a shame to not correct this. I have to say, it’s fairly bad but I’m just quite elated I managed to make it though to the finishline. Let alone make anything readable.
Was it worth it? I certainly feel the challenge was a useful learning curve that has made me question how I produce comics normally. We’ll see how this affects my work over the next few months…
I may publish the comic later - as part of my anthology collection next year.
And here’s my very own 24 hour comic completion certificate…
Tom, you’ve been busy ‘aigh! Well done on the 24 hr comic. Had a read - turned out fab. Have fun at the next event you’re doing. x
tom this is brilliant. funny but very moving.
J.
this is hot shit thomas.
There’s more !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/just1page/sets/72157602556024748/
for photos of the event (and shortly a final report on the 24 Hour Comics Day website
excellent stuff.
Hey Tom,
Jesus man, that’s some comic. Amazing. Honest, funny and really moving. You’ve got some talent mate.
[...] [Comics] Tom Humberstone presents his 24-hour comic, in which he explains living with Chohns Disease. (Above: sequence from the comic, ©2007 Tom Humberstone. Link via the Forbidden Planet Blog.) [...]
Hey man, I really enjoyed this piece. Some nice brush work, good art and engaging story. Loved the way you did thought ballons and the minimal color palette.
Wow, it’s great to read this! I’ve suffered stomach problems since I was about 12, too…never been diagnosed with Crohns, but people bring it up all the time. So, I turned into a work-from-home cartoonist, and all is well!
A good friend of mine who had Chrohns, went to film school and made movies and went on long shoots and somehow managed okay. There’s hope!
Thanks for writing this comic.
Great comic, Tom, and cheers for having the guts to draw attention to your Crohn’s. I’ve got it too … not severely, but it’s given me the opportunity to be on a first name basis with most of Western Canada’s better washrooms. I’ll send you a report, if you like.
I have nothing to add, really, except to say this is good. Keep doing your thing, man. You have a lot of talent.
I was diagnosed with crohns 20 years ago and I have to say just described my life. Especially the energy the prednisone gave me.
Thanks for doing this.
Tom,
Excellent comic. I have a GI condition and empathize with your struggles.
There is something you need to know.
There are emerging theories about GI diseases that show much promise but are not given the attention they merit. At present, the group most involved in this research is at a clinic in Sydney, Australia called the Center for Digestive Diseases. They are headed by Dr. Thomas Borody. Unfortunately, their web site, cdd.com.au, is mediocre, and they don’t have the staff to maintain it. They also do not consult with overseas patients, though I believe they will see you if you fly there.
In my experience, no one can really help you but you. So I urge you to visit their web site, read up on Dr. Borody’s work (you can Google it and get some results), and consider if there are potential treaments for you that your local gastroenterologist isn’t familiar with, or can’t/won’t offer.
I have no financial interest in this clinic, and no other interest besides seeing the research advanced and patients get better.
Disclaimer: I am not suggesting that all doctors are bad, or that they don’t have your best interests in mind. But Western medicine moves very slowly, and treatments that have potential don’t necessarily move to the top of the list. And doctors have egos.
If you need to chat further, post your email here and I’ll check back.
I’m weening off the pred right now, I will have to try and contain myself. It’s been 10 years since I was diagnosed and it’s great to read you comic. I’m sending it to my friends - cause no matter how much you explain it, people never understand. I actually video taped my colonoscopy last year and it was traumatic to watch but an attempt to understand my condition more (could you believe peter gabreils “Sledge Hammer” came on the radio in the O.R. during the procedure! ) Oh and nice brush strokes and all that stuff too! Amazing that was made in 24 hours. Mazel tov!
ps I got a stupid card from the crohns and colitis foundation of America that says “I NEED to use the bathroom” and the back explains crohns disease - like if a place won’t let you go then you show them that and they will?!?! I’ll send you a copy of it cause it’s not worth the $40 bucks I paid to join the CCFA
wow. you just described many years of my life. i have a similar IBD. nearly died from it. the bit about the alternative medicines and diet restrictions hit home for me. i remember eating rice bread, rice cheese, and rice for 3 months… turns out i’m deathly intolerant to soy! anyways. keep up the good work. loved the comic!
[...] 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease) | ventedspleen (tags: crohns crohnsdisease comic health medicine illness humor) [...]
Thanks, I know the feeling, and about the comment on the card CCFA puts out it mainly for lads in school and the teacher is being a wanker and not letting you go. Then you pull the card like a trump. As for the CCFA they are far worth more then $40 year. They have been a hugh support system for me.
This is really great stuff.
This is great. I’ve known a couple of people with Crohn’s disease, but they’ve never really talked about it to me before. Thanks for the insight. Also, really great comic and I’d love to read more. I hope you put out a book someday.
Yes, thanks for the candid account. I’ll be passing this on to a friend with Crohn’s.
I like your comics very much. We have tryed to perform similar 24 hours for 24 pages of comics run here in Prague, but it turned out in one big party. Sure, it was fun and everything, but it was supposed to be comics drawing session ^_^
So well done, good work and keep it up. It’s awsome comics.
[...] 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease) | ventedspleen art comics disease-crohns health medicine gastrointestinal [...]
[...] 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease) | ventedspleen (tags: howto) [...]
Tom, I love your comic. I have lived with Crohn’s disease for the past 15ish years. At the beginning of this year I started a diet which has gotten me into remission and off the meds (6MP), and I’m pregnant, due in Decemeber and feeling great. The diet is called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet–maybe you’ve already heard of it or even have tried it. In any case, it has helped me and many others I know. Here’s the website if you are interested. Take care! http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info
Wow. I have a severe form of ulcerative colitis, and I’ve basically gone through all of the above, except for the nose-to-stomach nutrition. I’m doing much better these days, but well, we’re never w/o IBD for too long! Great work!
thank you everyone for reading and taking the time to let me know what you thought of the comic.
really appreciate all the feedback and it’s great to know people are reacting well to this.
i’m looking into possibly publishing it as a mini-comic soon.
thanks again for the support.
I really found that both entertaining and enlightening. Thanks for shedding light on this condition.
Wow, this is a excellent piece of work. As someone who grewup with Colitis I felt like I was reading my past! Over the course of 6 terrible years, lasting through high school and college, I tried so many different things to try to make it go away. At 21, around the time I became a vegetarian, all signs of it went away and it’s been 11+ years now. While Crohns and Colitis are different beasts I guess what I’m saying is, don’t give up hope!
I have Crohn’s as well and currently get remicade infusions every 8 weeks. I was as bad as you were at one point, but since i started it all of my symptoms have gone the way of the dinosaurs. I learned a few things along the way:
1.) Smoking cigarettes are the worst possible thing you can do with Crohn’s. Nicotine acts as an aggravating agent, causing symptoms to appear and worsen. (Conversely, nicotine has shown improvement in patients with Colitis.)
2.) Drinking alcohol isn’t much better than smoking, but unless you’re an alcoholic you don’t have to worry about that too much.
3.) I am stronger now than I have ever been and that is in part due to my bouts of illness and overcoming them.
I wish you the best of health and luck, and, please, look into remicade, it truly is a wonder drug.
I found the link to this post from waxy.org and at the risk of seeming like comment spam, I wanted to offer up this link for you to read more about stem cell therapy and Crohn’s… http://www.osiris.com/clinical_trials_prochymal_crohns.php
Good luck and great comic.
[...] 2. i just read a ‘made in 24 hours’ comic about crohns disease. it’s really good and sums up a lot of the experiences i had prior to surgery. unfortunately, crohns doesn’t have the ‘cure’ colitis does — namely, removing the offending organ (because crohns impacts both the large and the small intestines). the only exception to my experience in this story was the energy fro ‘roids. i was so sick by the time they threw me on them that i didn’t even notice — in fact, most of them seemed to almost make me feel worse. [...]
A friend of mine passed this along to me. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s eleven years ago at the age of 22, though I had symptoms for years before that without realizing what it was.
This spoke to me in a very real, poignant way. Just wanted to tell you I thought it was fantastic - insightful, funny, kind of sad, but ultimately upbeat.
Aren’t auto-immune conditions just FUN? I’ve got some form of IBD but it takes something of a back seat to everything else, which I won’t enumerate for fear of people thinking I’m starting a dick-measuring contest. (But whoever said they roam in packs had it spot on.)
I’m glad they took you off the prenisolone (I assume); a friend of mine in her 40s has cataracts from prolonged use of it for her Crohns … which has understandably made me avoid it like the plague every time a doctor has suggested it to me for my efforts - besides the wondeful side effects I had in my youth of Must Eat Everything In Sight and, oh yeah, Can Bounce Off The Ceiling For Hours (which was at least helpful with those last-minute assignment-writing evenings).
I’ll be forwarding this to my friend, and I’d like to put it up on some of the other pain and other disability fora I’m on if you wouldn’t mind. (I assume that the reason I had to enter my email address was so you at least knew a real person sent this - if you could let me know if you’re cool with that it would be nice.)
Anyway, I always write novels in replies, so I’ll stop this one here.
Happy hunting.
[...] ventedspleen placed an interesting blog post on 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns ….Here’s a brief overview:So, somehow I managed to complete the 24 hour comic within 24 hours. I’ve scanned it in and left it pretty much untouched in terms of spelling errors and the like. Editing it in that way seems to go against the principles of the thing. … [...]
I am usually hesitant to comment on this that I read, but this comic compelled me to write. First, lovely minimal use of color and fantastic, seamless narrative flow in the manner in which you have presented this comic.
The greatest comics I have read have been deeply personal stories of a person’s own life and personal travails, and this is one of the best. You know your subject matter (obviously) and this is a story that I can tell has been gathering for years in your brain, biding its time.
This release you describe as cathartic, but it is easily related-to by all humans; many do not have Crohn’s, but the underlying humanity of the message is universal.
Thank you for writing this and sharing it sir.
Loved your work. The way those simple lines of text convey true emotions and your overall positive way of thinking is truly admirable. Due to a somewhat similar childhood, I can truly relate to this and honestly wish you all the best. Be well.
Hi:
My step-father had Crohn’s. He died recently from complications from the strokes he’s been having for years; my mom (a nurse) suspects the medication he had to be on for the Crohn’s may have contributed to the TIAs. I never realized what he went through- he just dealt with it. This made me see what it must have been like for him. I was recently diagnosed with IBS (after having random attacks for years) so that also gives me a taste of what you are going through, esp. the part about the stomach pain, then the cold sweat, then the mad panic to find a bathroom QUICK! Luckily it doesn’t hit me very often, but I don’t think I could ever go back to teaching or working with kids, or any type of work where I wouldn’t be able to run to the bathroom when necessary. (I have medication but it only works some of the time.) It definitely gives you pause before you plan activities!
Best of luck to you- here’s hoping for a cure for all of these bowel problems. :)
The comic is fantastic! I’ve had Crohn’s for a year and a half, and I’m 18 now. What you described is exactly what I feel a lot of the time. Thankfully, I’ve never had to do the nose to stomach feedings, but I do get to give myself Humira injections, after failing every other medication (including Remicade) in this short time. Thanks so much for making this, and congratulations on completing it in 24 hours!
My mother has had Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis for over thirty-five years. It began when a doctor misdiagnosed her ruptured appendix. Ultimately, ten feet of her intestines were removed because they were completely shredded; for a while, she had an ostomy bag, while her transverse ileostomy was healing, but I never knew her when that was going on. She has had some exacerbations over the years. She takes medication (currently, Asacol, and something else), and though it impacts her life significantly, she literally refuses to slow down.
I have colitis and IBS. And several other irritating auto-immune things (fibromyalgia, blah blah blah). What the hell ever, this isn’t the end of the world for me, it’s just an annoyance, compared to what my mom’s gone through and goes through. But I used to be afraid for my mom because it was such a scary illness. Unpredictable. Secretive. Exhausting. Urgent.
My mom’s been happily married for just about 40 years. She and my father got married right before she got sick for the first time. Point being, I know how excruciating it can be to feel embarrassed and alienated socially because of a bowel illness/disease, firsthand and secondhand. But my mom has a high-profile job, a wonderful lifepartner, and all the friendship and family time she wants. I know things would have been very different if she had been sick starting as a kid. But I just wanted you to know that there are a lot of people (for instance, people who grew up with or in a family living with Crohn’s or another AI/bowel disease) who aren’t fazed by colonic interruptions. My father and my spouse are certainly amongst those people who know that a normal part of everyday life includes frequent trips to the bathroom and GI gymnastics.
Just thought I’d add my personal, normalized experience to my sincere appreciation of your comic. It’s fabulous. Congratulations, and thank you!
I have crohn’s disease. I urge you to get the book ‘Patient Heal Thyself’ by Justin Ruben.
I was in the hospital for a week because I had become severely anemic and dehydrated and my rest pulse was over 150 and I was having sever chest pains.
When I got out, I began to follow the diet and use the supplements, and I started improving almost immediately.
It’s been over a year and I have regained the 40 pounds that I lost, and I am competely recovered.
I have it too.. but not nearly as bad, because I don’t randomly poop.
But lying on the floor of the bathroom wanting to rip out your stomach or die isn’t fancy pants either.
Anyway, I have the raccoon eyes going on.. feel your pain :)
really enjoyed the comic..
xoxox
Sam.
Tom,
I too have Crohn’s, I really enjoyed your comic! I have to say my favorite part is “but all I can really think about is ‘ow ow ow ow’” I laughed, YES, I know this.
I plan on sending your URL to a few, so they can maybe understand it a bit more.
I have ulcerative colitis for about a year now. And I’m showing to my friends.
This made me happy, I have Ulcerative Colitis, and I understand the conversation with friends thing, I have had to hang up on my boyfriend numerous times because when you have to go you have to go now. I don’t know if this will reassure you, but it did me, there are people researching these diseases, I know of a few at my school (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul) and I also know of a few out in California. There’s hope yet.
Again, I really enjoyed the comic, very accurately and accessably said.
Yet another IBD (Ulcerative Colitis) sufferer(er-er) here. If there’s one thing that always makes me happy, it’s that someone else understands the mad bathroom smackdown dash, and has also possibly suffered the consequences of not making it. And it can always get worse, right? At least we’ve got the run of all the shitty puns.
Thanks for this.
This is an incredible way to describe exactly what it’s like to have Crohn’s! I’ve had it for over 20 years (I was diagnosed when I was 21 but had it a few years before- they couldn’t figure out what it was!). I wanted to share that last year I had a flare-up that wouldn’t stop, and I ended up having to have my colon removed. I now have a permanent ileostomy and I’ve never felt better in my life! No more bathroom ‘issues’ to deal with, no more pain and anxiety. I’m completely back in control of my body for the first time in over twenty years and it’s absolutely amazing. I guess I’m trying to say that ‘going under the knife’ and having an ostomy doesn’t have to be the end of the world, sometimes it can be the beginning of a new life. I thought having an ostomy would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me, now I think I might have saved myself a lot of pain and sorrow if I’d done it sooner.
Brilliant, I have UC but can really identify with with this cartoon, good to get it out and about! :>
Hi,
Recently diagnosed and really needed a good laugh. Could relate to some of what you were talking about. I hope to go into remission sometime soon. It get’s old real fast.
Awesome job dude. I’m in my 19th year of Crohn’s, so I can definitely relate…If you need ammo for expanding the comic here are some of my “favorites”:
1. Annual colonscopies, especially the vile stuff you have to drink to purge your system, which I can longer tolerate.
2. Small Bowel Series, anyone for a lead-laced strawberry shake?
3. Gas, gas, and more gas, I accidentally farted in some ladies face the other day at a Halloween party I was at with my kids. Good thing the music was loud, but what an embarrassment!
4. Not being able to finish what I’m eating before having to rush to the bathroom.
5. And my new number 1 “favorite”….kidney stones. Man I thought the pain from cramping was unbearable, that is until I experienced this IBD gift.
Well I don’t want to ramble, most of my other “favorites” you nailed already, so once again, great job!
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really enjoyed your comic, and I’d love to see more from you!
[...] I don’t normally read comics, but given that this one was about the joys of Crohn’s which I have had for the past 15 years, it struck a chord. I think the only thing he missed out was the fact that you can produce pretty much any colour under the sun, when they are “investigating” what is wrong with you - though I am still working on blue! [...]
I have Crohns for nearly 10 years and I do talk about it openly. It has really helped.
My husband forwarded me this website and it was fantastic to read and encompassed the pain, embarrassment and shredding of your dignity very well. It is hard to get the balance of pushing forward with your life and minding the disease right but it is worth the effort.
I got married in April of this year and had surgery 3 weeks later. An NG tube was a lovely image for my husband to have of his blushing bride. But he, my family and friends are brilliant.
We are planning on going travelling for a few years so I guess I will become acquainted with toilets the world over. I am not looking forward to the squats.
Greetings
Awesome, I speak as a 56 yo crohny whose fought the shit since was teenager.
Fight on, it gets better I found a soul mate despite it all
you have talent and voice thanx for sharing your vision its needed for those who have none to see
Enjoy the journey
WarLord
[...] [...]
Fantastic work! I’d love to see this published by a Crohn’s advocacy/education organization - I think it would really help those newly diagnosed and their loved ones.
Yet another fellow digestive distress buddy here. I guess I’m lucky that I’ve never had a tube in my stomach, but we’ve never known what was wrong with me until these last few months… My doctor has called it “probably extremely severe IBS” after years of trying to find out what’s wrong with me. No specific disease with a name (we checked for colitis and crohn’s). Just the constant guess and check of “does this make me sick? yes. this? yes.” At my worst it was rice and veggies making me hurt.
So much of the last ten years has been what you described, and my parents just always thought I was “kinda sickly” and never looked into it. I hope see this comic and realize to pay attention to their kids and themselves. And to have some sympathy! If my folks had just been paying attention… sigh.
this cartoon will help my friends understand what chrohns is all about i was dignosed in 1994 have been through 2 pregnancys which put it in remission .but it is back.good work on the cartoon it tells it all . hopefully it will help people out the understand what chrohns is all about . for me i live on meds and take painkillers just so i can go out somedays.
Applause and more applause.
Excellent bit of educational comic write-ary.
[...] I did not realize the extreme personal pain a person with the disease lives with every day. [...]
Tom–Excellent, moving comic. I’ve had Crohn’s for about 12 years, but fortunately didn’t become active till my 30s. Before my diagnosis, I spent much of year in misery and barely able to take care of my newborn son. But at least as an adult, you feel like you have a smidge more control over your life than when you’re in school–I really empathize with how diffiicult it must have been for you. (I “fired” a couple of doctors, for instance, which is something a kid usually isn’t in a position to do.)
I was also a total pred patient (for nearly six years) and almost laughed out loud at your description of how much energy you have (a big contrast to how lethargic I was before diagnosis/meds). After two rounds of Remicade, however, I went into a remission that’s lasted nearly six years (”remission” being defined as no Crohn’s meds–I still see my GI regularly and deal with some lasting artifacts of the active disease). Knock on wood for remission!
Thanks so much to this. And good luck to all of us with Crohn’s–we need all the understanding we can get. :-)
Tom,
I was sweating just reading your comic. I have suffered from Ulcerative colitis for years and have struggled to keep my sanity. My wife also struggles with IBD and we are hoping that none of our 3 kids are affected in the future. Just the mental anguish of having a disease that you can’t talk about at a cocktail party can become quite depressing over the years. Sounds like you have struck a balance with it however. I just got a grip on mine this year. Decided to nix the steroids - so far so good. Good luck to you in the future. I love the comic and the drawings- definitely sets the mood.
I “only” have IBS, but I can totally sympathise with the whole “being hyper-observant about toilets” thing.
Thanks so much for doing this - it’s really nice to know that other people deal with this sort of thing too.
[...] 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease) | ventedspleen [...]
Tom,
As a fellow sufferer I can totally relate although mine didn’t start until my late 20s. Could you make a PDF version of this? I’d love to have a copy of it to share when people ask “what’s it like?”
Jim
Thanks for making such a wonderful comic. I have Crohn’s (diagnosed at 21) and I do comics also. I can’t think of what else to say. Thanks so much for creating this.
Thanks for sharing your talent! Your honesty made me laugh and cry. My 11 yr old son has fought Crohn’s for 2 yrs. He’s already done everything you mentioned including tube feedings… He also spends a lot of time reading and escaping into the sci-fi literature fantasy world. He’s now on anti-MAP meds and has regained 90% of his health. But the battle is not over. Keep up the good work. The more people understand the emotional side of the disease, the more they are likely to support research for a cure.
Tom,
I echo Amy’s sentiments (Amy said, on October 26th, 2007 at 1:49 pm) about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I too have Crohn’s and found great relief - the pain and diarrhea are gone. Think about that for awhile. I go out in public without thinking about it anymore. The diet can be tough as it demands complete adherence - no cheating at all, but it is so, so worth it. Again the website is http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info . The website is supplimental to the book “Breaking the Vicious Cycle”. Check out the book from your library and give it a read.
Good luck,
Paul Stocker
My partner was diagnosed with Crohns shortly after we met. This is the best description of what the disease can do both physically and emotionally that I’ve seen. I really hope you publish it and make it widely available. It would have been very helpful to have seen this in the early days, grim though it is.
Tom,
As a person dealing with IBS, so much of your work struck home. I luckily have not developed Chron’s, because IBS is difficult enough. Your art really hit a chord with me. The not wanting people to know, the akward social situations, the discomfort, the dread of the next attack, etc. It was honest, direct and heartfilled art, and I want to thank you for daring to put yourself out there. Best of luck with Chron’s and your work. Thank you again. Tracy
Wow! The artwork is beautiful, and I appreciated your honesty. Thank you for sharing your story with the world!
Well done - nothing to be embarrassed about….people should be supportive and compassionate of people with Crohns, IBS, colitis and other such things. I’m hopeful the the SC diet may be of help to folks…great job, Tom!
Thanks for doing this. People need to know what’s happening — those who have it, and those who are around them.
I got the C, had it begin around the age of 19. A doc told me it was stress, since I was just starting college. So I had a lot of stress for a few years, painful, cramping stress. I had amazingly toxic gas attacks, heard a lot of “Dude, what crawled up your ass and died?!?” It went away, came back, went away. At age of 35 I passed out in the middle of a play (couldn’t get up to use the restroom) due to massive internal hemorrhaging. Only then was I diagnosed.
I was able to ignore it for so long because it wasn’t as bad as other cases. Pills (prednisone for a year, now I just take Asacol) made it vanish, and a very careful diet is helping keep me in remission (five years now). A lot of yogurt, no abrasive fibrous things, no red meat, no ground meat (serious, stay away from that crap), lot of fish, no exotic beers (microbrew always gives me the bad trots), no milk. I’d recommend studying diet theories — some seem extreme, but I feel (again, my case is mild) that it’s just a matter of avoiding some things, going for others.
I really enjoyed your the cascade of images and your use of text in the comic was masterful.
well done.
Thanks for giving me a window into what my friend with Crohn’s has to deal with.
She doesn’t like to talk about it either.
Paradoxically, the more people understand, the less humiliating it would be to talk about… you do her and us a great service.
Oh and - nice style too!
I have Crohn’s, too. Thanks for doing this. I especially identify with what you say about others having it worse and feeling self-indulgent for complaining - I say that all the time. You know what? You’re the person who has it worse than me. I wasn’t diagnosed until an emergency resection at 25. Surgery made the Crohn’s all but go into remission (I recommend it over the SD diet any day). Complain away! Crohn’s sucks. I send you positive healing vibes and much gratitude and sympathy. And remember: everybody poops. Some of us just do it more than others.
did the comic get taken down? i would like to read it but no image(s) seem to appear.
Unfortunately I can’t see any images on your site; infuriating, as a friend sent me this link due to my interest in both Crohn’s (fifteen years and counting) and comics (obsessed!). I’ve read graphic novels where people used the medium to get across how life is lived with complex health problems, and how they effect us emotionally, and sometimes I’ve wondered about trying to do something like that myself. I love the fact that someone else has already done so. I’ve asked a friend to copy/paste the image link so I can see your comic for myself - looking forward to it!
Well, what do you know? The images appeared after I posted my comment! :) Maybe you just can’t see them at first if you came via an external link?
Anyway… words fail me. I nearly cried reading this, but you should think of that as a good thing. I recognised so much… the effect of steroids, the way your parents have to think ahead about stuff you don’t want to know about when you’re a kid, feeding tubes (amazing how perfect strangers of all ages feel they have the right to demand your medical history when you go around with an NG tube; nowdays I have a PEG, and though it has its problems, at least it’s hidden), embarrassment, wishing you had a mutant healing factor like Wolverine (I got into the X-Men when I was twelve, a couple of years into the Crohn’s - I’m 26 now), the gap between people not understanding and not always wanting to have to tell them stuff that would make them understand…
I think what you’ve done is very important, and I really hope you can get it published. It will help a lot of us by showing just how hard it is to live with Crohn’s, in effect saying the unsayable for many people. My boyfriend and I are big comic fans and will be buying our copies…
Whatever happened to the worms cure? Did that not work out? (Google: “Crohn’s+worms”).
I have it too. Thanks Tom.
Will leaving a reply make the images appear for me?
Hey Tom, good on ya.
For you and everyone else out there with Crohn’s, look into Humira if you haven’t. It works as well as Remicade without the infusion hassles. It isn’t perfect but I am at least down to 15mg of prednisone down from 60 or 80 pretty much daily for the last 10 years. I’ve had probably 8 resections so my particular case is somewhat aggressive but I actually found myself laying on my stomach the other day. It may not work for everyone, but I swear it is worth looking in to.
very nice
Hi - just wanted to say I think your comic is great - touching and true. I hope it helps you feel more at ease with your Crohn’s.
I was diagnosed a few years ago, in my early 20’s, and it was the hardest year of my life, in and out of hospital while they continued to mis-diagnose it, followed by surgery when they did.
Luckily I’ve not have a relapse yet, but it’s always stressful knowing it could reappear any day :(
Thanks for writing such an honest account. It’s good to know there are other people in a similar position :)
Cheers,
Hannah
Well done sir. I actually teared up a bit near the end, as I too have no social life and suffer from the agrophobia due to crohns… Been diagnosed now for 14 years, and thankfully no surgery. Thank you for doing this comic.
I don’t have Crohn’s, I have Ulcerative Colitis, but I suffer through the same things every day and this comic nearly brought me to tears in the middle of the University computer lab I’m sitting in right now. Thankfully your witty writing and excellent humor about the situation kept me from that. I’ve gone through so many of the things you depicted in this comic that it’s almost frightening.
But you’re absolutely right. It could be worse. Crohn’s and UC are two diseases you don’t hear a lot about not to mention diseases that are hard to talk about with other people because they’re so embarrassing. You did an excellent job of portraying what it’s like to have the disease without being whiny or depressing.
I can’t thank you enough for creating this comic… I’m certainly going to use it to help explain my own condition to people in the future.
It looks interesting but I can’t seem to see the comic!
[...] Anyway, here’s the link [...]
Good art, but more importantly, great story. I’d heard about Crohn’s disease before, but never really understood what it was about. I’m glad you wrote this- the more we can understand about conditions like this, for which there is no cure, the harder we can work to cure them and ease the lives of people living with them.
Thanx for doing this great comic.
Bjorn from the Netherlands
Hey, thanks for the great comic! I’m 23, and I’ve had Crohn’s for almost 7 years. Most publications about the disease are so corny, but this one really hit close to home for me.
It can be hard to describe the intensity of the Crohn’s. People hear the word “stomachache” and figure it ‘aint no thing. When I was younger, I found ER nurses to be unsympathetic even after I explained my diagnoses. Teenagers have a hard time being taken seriously, and it is unfortunate that this disease usually appears around that time. You pretty much touched upon all of my common complaints (especially the “ow ow ow ow ow”). However, I also think one the greatest tragedies of the disease is how it effects your relationship with food. You either have to give up all the foods you love, or suffer every time you sneak that bowl of ice cream. I try to walk a middle ground between the two extremes, and I really admire the people who have managed to stick with the specific carbohydrate diet. Remicade has so far been the best option for me. Anyway, great job again, and best of luck with both your Crohn’s and your drawings!
Hey I really I would like to see this but the photos aren’t displaying.
thanks!
I have crohn’s as well. Mine didn’t manifest as ‘intestinal pain’ till I was around 30. Before that I had “extra-intestinal” symptoms such as asthma , eye problems and chronic upper respiratory infections. I spent much of my youth under a tent in a hospital trying to breath.
For the past 16+ years I’ve been battling intestinal pain and related symptoms. It does get better (and sometimes worse.) Remicade is great, but I had some reaction to it, so I’ve just switched to Humira. Now I get to learn how to self inject into my stomach — what joy.
Before reading your strip, I was feeling quite bad, but your words, wit and wisdom made me feel better today — thank you. I think I’ll share it with a couple of associates.
brilliant. i’m just discovering the wonders of ibs myself (yes i’m being ironic), and my partner has suffered it for the last 9 years, although he’s doing great almost witout symptoms for the last 2 years. people like him and you are my role models!!
thank you for your work, hope you get to publish it soon, putting it in a comic is so nice and helpful!!
all the best :)
….
Thanks for doing this. I also have Crohn’s but am very lucky in that my experiences along the lines of what you describe were confined to a period of mere months. Then I got remicade and have been 100% symptom-free for years. Crohn’s patients sometimes forget what 100% symptom-free really is but I mean it quite literally. I can eat absolutely anything and am a better endurance athlete than I was before Crohn’s hit. The progress on research and new drugs is quite amazing — rapidly approaching a cure. Support the CCFA (ccfa.org)!
I give a big thumbs down to the alternative therapies and magic diets though. One reason people get so convinced that these “worked for them” is because, like many chronic illnesses, Crohn’s has random ups and downs. When you hit a particularly low low is when you feel most desperate and try (IMHO) silly stuff like the “specific carbohydrate diet”. But after a low low is when you’ll naturally fluctuate back (called “regression to the mean”). So in your mind the crazy desperate therapy worked like magic. The plural of anecdote is not “data”!
Good luck and thanks again for the comic.
i have uc, and am trying to cram all my life into my remission as i can.
[...] Crohn’s comic from 24 Hour Comic day.More about the Wikipedia deletions as they relate to webcomics and the resulting protests. Slashdot has more. The Inquirer UK chimes in too. [...]
this is really amazing! nice work.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you so much for this. It is so difficult to express what it is we go through, and you have done a wonderful job. And congrats on the 24-hour comic, too!
Crohn’s is fun. What is the real drag is when you get diabetes from the medication that isn’t really controlling the crohn’s.
I get to choose between healthy high fiber foods that rip through me, and soft fatty foods that crank up my blood sugar. Unlike most crohn’s people, my stomach pains seem to feel better when I eat, so I eat, and eat.
Great comic, wonderful drawings, dialog and lettering are top notch. Nothing is better than authenticity.
Thank you for sharing. I can see some teenagers printing it out and sliding it across the table when the questions come up. As for lucky: The more guts they take, the more I get. Keep truckin, brother.
I suffered with Crohn’s disease for years, from the age of 16 - 24. Then I got tested for food allergies — and I was allergic to a LOT more than just milk. Once I started avoiding all those allergens (eggs, soy, sugar, milk and a few other things) my so-called Crohn’s disease cleared up and has never been back since. The food allergy test cost me three drops of blood and $200 — and was the best money I ever spent. I encourage anyone else also suffering from digestive problems of any kind to have the same test done. See an allergist or a naturepath.
Wow. An excellent comic. I will keep my eyes open for your work.
I have a relatively bad case of ulcerative colitis. I was first diagnosed about 4-5 years ago after 1-2 months of what you describe. (I remember those days and I can’t help but sympathize, especially with the mad dash.) Meds (asacol and others like it) and enemas (ugh) led to a pretty long “good” stretch until Dec. 2005 when I began developing arthritis-like symptoms. It got worse and worse - half days of work then not going to work, doctors not knowing, tests for lyme disease, etc. It ended one Saturday in Feb. 2006 with me unable to get out of the easychair followed by an ambulance ride to the hospital. A rheumatologist there shocked me by saying it was my ulcerative colitis. Who’d have thought my colitis would lead to pseudo-arthritis? (Nobody told me!) Although prednisone proved my saving grace, all told I spent a week in the hospital, the vast majority of it bedridden (I hate bedpans). Afterwards I was only on prednisone for 6-7 months since weekly doses of methotrexate and a regiment of remicade seems to cover it.
These days I feel fine. I’m in remission and have been for quite a while (1.5 years or so?) thanks to methotrexate and remicade. I remember the pre-diagnosis and hospital days as if they were vague nightmares - things that happened to other people in other places. Sometimes my joints or limbs ache or my stomach is upset, but compared to the old days or my hospital stay.. well, there is no comparison.
Also, being a latecomer to this page, I must profess that it’s great hearing about other people’s experiences with IBD, colitis and Crohn’s. Nowadays, with remission it’s easy for me to forget about it (a luxury to be sure), but I never had an appreciation that there are other people out there with a similar condition. It’s easy to forget you’re not alone. Beyond being informative, I think that is one of the greatest gifts of your comic. Thank you.
That comic is LONG for 24 hours. How the hell did you do that? It’s also quite good.
Nice artwork!
I’m writing to you from a computer on a desk next to a bench where I do IBD research for MGH and Harvard. Reading your comic and all of the comments on it has been really inspiring. My sympathies, friend. I’m going to get back to work!
Wow,
That was great. You need to get affiliated with a hospital.
Excellent. I have had Crohns disease for years and you hit the nail right on the head. Thank you.
That is the best synopsis of Crohn’s. I was diagnosed at 13 after a year and a half of the dr.’s wondering what was wrong, with 2 more years before that with no wieght gain or growth. I was on non stop steroids and sulfa drugs for the first six years and thus leading to a major resection of my small and large intestine because the meds couldn’t keep up. I am now 36 and have never been off meds for long. I am now just on remicade since many of the other meds have messed with my bloodcounts and all. I am still not in remission but manage to get by. Do need to find a job from home though. Thanks for the comic, I can’t wait to tell my friends.
Holy Crap!… you nailed the Chrons experience in comic form. My Chrons manifestation and treatment followed much of the same path. Can’t say I miss those epic mood swings during my steroid taking days. Chrons won’t kill you, but it is a pain in the ass to live with. I now get Remicade treatments to keep my condition in remission. Your comic is brilliant. Cheers!
Awesome 24hr comic, well done, that is such an achievement!
Struck a chord with me too, I have UC and a bad episode last year led to having my colon removed. Am just recovering from my third and final op, I had a pouch reconstructed and I just started going for a poo again after 15 months with a stoma! Feels weird. Great to see someone put these issues to comic form. Joe Sacco’s excellent comics have been keeping me going through my latest recovery. Palestine. Wow. Keep up the good work Tom, and hope your Crohns improves.
Thank you…for putting down in words (and pictures) how i feel everyday…and now giving me a way to tell people about this disease..
thank u.
I totally sympathize. I had IBS through my twenties and while other people don’t think twice about going to a party, taking a car ride, going somewhere in a group, or going out to dinner, I was ALWAYS worried, looking for escape routes, and trying not to eat (cause that brings on the symptoms). I was so jealous of everyone else who could go about their lives normally. I couldn’t go on a date or out to dinner with people without worrying for days before about whether I was going to have an attack. For some reason the thought of people knowing my problem was my biggest fear. Thanks for sharing. You made me feel better.
Neato! I really appreciated that. Thanks for being so open and honest.
I have it too. This is fabulous and funny. Sweet and poignant. Thanks for putting my thoughts into words.
Excellent comic. You nailed the life of a person with awful bowel diseases. I had UC and finally had to have surgery. I had the fun experience of being allergic to the drugs that help most people. I spent nights with fluids shooting out of both ends of me. Nothing says embarassment like crapping yourself on a date. Thanks for the comic.
I’ve forwarded this to Professeur Jacques Cosnes, Hopital Rothschild, Paris - a foremost expert on Crohns Disease. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. à bientôt, Malkie, Paris.
I related to this comic so much, now I have to poop!
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s when I was 13 (nearly 13 years ago). High school was the hardest… being 90 lbs with a puffy face and always having to run to the bathroom was not good for the ol’ self confidence.
I had a bowel resection almost two years ago after suffering with fistulas, being laid up in bed for a year, and spending two months in the hospital. I’ve been in remission since then, and hoping to stay that way.
Thanks for telling your story. It was really well done and touching, and a great way to spread awareness about what so many people have to go through.
What a relief to read this comic! It’s an awesome accomplishment. I wish I’d read it fifteen years ago, that would have helped me to understand faster. The rhythm in the story and drawings are super. Very sincere, honest and utterly true in a concise way, you really caught it in depth. Many thanks for creating this and letting others read it.
[...] 24 hour comic (everything you never wanted to know about crohns disease) (tags: comics health) [...]
What an excellent job! My son sent me the link to your wonderful comic. I am 60-developed an unusual form of Crohn’s in my 40’s- am finally pretty fine. You reminded me of my nutty prednisone episode which made me clean out my closets all night and then crash like a lunatic…and the doc told me it was because I had psychiatric problems. Anyway, I’m a therapist and a big part of my work is helping patients who have chronic or fatal illnesses. I plan to recommend your comic.
I got through a lot of it by writing dark funny pieces called “Right Lower Quadrant”. I’d be happy to share them with you if you are interested and send me your address.
Take good care of yourself. You are a wonderful artist and have done a lot for Crohn’s sufferers and others.
I have a friend at work who has Crohn’s and I knew that it was life altering and serious, but I was never able to have a deep conversation with him to explain what he was going through - thanks so much for giving me some insight into his issues in a straightforward and personal way, and explaining in easy terms what must be a very painful and socially altering disease.
I found this witty, whimsical, and silly. Naturally, I loved it. You put it into words that I was unable to. I think this piece is BRILIANT, and I’m sorry, but I’m recommending it to all my friends who know I have it as well.
Thank you for your hard work.
Pardon the pun,
Gotta Go
As a comic artist with Crohns disease I just found this absolutely fantastic. I also participated in 24hour Comic day for the second year now but didn’t manage to finish this time. What a wonderfully clever way to tackle the challenge!
Next time someone asks me to try to explain Crohn’s I’ll probably point them over here. Thank you!
I had a Buddy while I was in the service develop Crohn’s. It was a very stressful time for him and the rest of his buddies until they figured out what was causing his problems. Your comic was an excellent way to explain the problems of this disease. Good Luck
Chuck
Congrats on an amazing 24-hour comic, and bringing to light the plight of anyone suffering with Crohns disease or other IB symptoms. Please consider turning this into a book so more can find it at http://www.Amazon.com
Thank you for making this wonderful comic. I have IBS, and despite being in near-remission since giving up cow’s milk products, still suffer from the lingering agoraphobia. Someone up a ways commented about how saying “stomachache” results in people underestimating your pain; being an American and prone to hyperbole, I liked to use such phrases as “The Hand of DOOM is squeezing my guts” and “assplosion” to drive home the seriousness of what I was going through.
I hope perhaps you can find some social life on the internet to compensate for the lack of it in the physical world. I’ve found it helps me quite a lot. Plus there are support groups for just about every disease under the sun online. Don’t be afraid to live your life, even if you have to live it on your terms.
Thanks for doing this and congrats on such a great comic. I suffer from IBS and go through a very similar hell as you. It IS embarrassing, especially when my stomach randomly swells up to a size which makes me look like I’m expecting. Imagine wearing clothing or the sorts of comments I might get on a regular basis. Gah. In any event, it’s good to know that I’m not alone, and I really wish that the doctors would get a clue and soon about how to cure such stuff versus asking me my sexual orientation and whether or not I had a sexually traumatizing experience as a child (gosh I love doctors–not).
Andrea, and everyone else. I’ve had Crohns Disease for the past 10 years. While its not fun to live with, there is hope. There are special diets you can go on, that make it so you don’t have to run off to the restroom every 15 minutes, and swell up like that.
It doesn’t cure the disease, there is no cure for Crohns, and probably never will be, because little is understood about the immune system. The best thing we can do is just learn to live with it, as I have.
think about it this way, it could be worse. I was born with Rubella, and have aleays been legally blind, but I also reciently came down with Glaucoma on top of that, which is taking the remainder of my vision little by little. Glaucoma is basically inflammation of the eyes, which they suspect is from the crohns, so as I said, it could be worse :) ehe
Best advice I can give. be tall, stand up for who you are. Never be embarrassed about having crohns. Its an illness we can’t do nothing about, thats all you have to tell people and they understand that. never be ashamed of who you are, and bathroom stories are always funny to talk about with family anyways :)
Tom! First, CONGRATULATIONS on the completion of this magnum opus. Cheers, to you for hammering through and getting it done ON TIME and in so fabulous a manner!! ( Drum rolls and sounding trumpets).
Secondly (but none-the-less importantly) Thank you so much for the effort and honesty you have put into this work of art. I am the wife of one with Crohns and the mother of two with same, and have watched them all struggle through Everything you have put down SO WELL! I will be “advertising” your work to everyone I know, and I hope that it will become standard reading for whole populations of people who have no idea how pervasively difficult it is to deal, every day, with a problem which no one wants to know about. Maybe then we can “get real” with the whole thing and give it as much acceptance and attention as other “nicer” diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
That will be a good day, won’t it?
That was a really cool and creative thing to do. Thank you - Its rare enough you find something on the good ol’ random net that makes you think this kind of sharing of *real* information wasnt’t possible 15 years ago.
More! More! :)
Hi Tom,
Thanks for making me laugh. Does your bathroom have an easel? : )
Listen, I’m not sure you’re familiar with it, but one treatment option for autoimmune diseases– one which I’ve used with good success– is antibiotic-based and called the Marshall Protocol. There are currently patients on it with Crohn’s, and they’re doing really well. I believe in it enough to have started a website, Bacteriality.com (see link) where I interview patients, doctors, and researchers about it.
One thing about being ill is you’re never short of people telling you how to beat it, but I figured I’d take the risk of annoying you and say you might want to check this treatment out.
Amy
Thank you for writing about something so intensely personal. My amazing eleven year-old nephew Taylor was just diagnosed with Crohn’s weeks ago. He is still very much in a dangerous spot with his illness. We are waiting to see if the med’s will take hold and prevent him from needing surgery.
I am weighing whether or not to show this to him now, or wait til we get through this rough patch and things hopefully aren’t quite as scary for him. He has had his school schedule severely reduced and has limitations that seem so cruel in one so young. He is adjusting, and now takes his huge pills with an ease that is reassuring and horrifying at the same time. The pain he has gone through far surpasses what I could bear, so I truly feel for you.
I can’t tell you how much it means to us that you have written this, and it’s in a way he will be able to understand AND relate. Thanks again for your bravery, and congrats on doing such an amazing job, in such a short period of time!
Beautiful artwork, great story. I wish I could have come up with something like this to illustrate the horrible daily grind of of an IBD. I was hospitalized early this year with a bad UC flareup, and it was the first time I realized how serious these conditions can become– I especially appreciate the panel about pretending to listen to friends who have no idea what you’re experiencing.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for this incredible work. I am the President and Founder of the IBD Support Foundation (and also a Crohn’s disease patient). The IBD Support Foundation is a non-profit healthcare foundation established to provide psychosocial services for IBD patients (kids and adults). We are based in Los Angeles, although we have many programs that are international (via internet). I hope this can be a resource to your readers. Wishing you good health,
Marci
I have ALWAYS been a firm believer in using humor mixed with reality to get a point across and deal with “issues”. I’ve been a Type I diabetic (also an autoimmune disease) for 35+ years (diagnosed at age 7) and a Crohn’s/Colitis (the doc isn’t sure which) for 2 years and loved this comic. thanks for creating it and sharing!
Jenny
Tom-
Nice job telling your Crohn’s story, great graphic style too. Nice to read a story I can relate to. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2000 and have been through a similar journey as yourself.
~wayne
Thank you. I no longer have to explain my condition, my idiosyncrasies or my daily struggles - I’ll just forward on your comic to those who want a better explanation of what it is to have UC/Chrons.
Found you via BoingBoing and just wanted to drop a quick note. I have Crohn’s and have been on Remicade for six years. It works for me but there are risks.
Thanks for sharing your work. I’ll be linking this.
Tom,
Amazing work. A window into the isolated world. The aestheitc fits the mental state. Kind of wrote itself I imagine. We all with the CD know all of this very well. My personal experience includes many hospital stints and two surgeries. Found a great doctor in Los Angeles http://www.drgruenn.com/index.asp?page=gruennHome
who tested me alergic for dairy, wheat, many things and crafted a diet that has kept me drug and symptom free for 8 years! Good luck and thank you. I now can show my loved ones how it is.
As a sufferer of Eosinophilic Esophagitis/Gastroenteritis/colonitis, I can relate. Good on you for this!
Ian
My wife also has Crohn’s disease — shes been taking a strong regimen of Humira (2 vials/weekly) after becoming allergic to Remicade. The specialist took her off of Imuran a few months ago and she’s doing well still. It’s a relief for her to be off of Imuran, at least.
The toughest part right now for her is joint related pain — the wear and tear of constant inflammation in her gut has caused severe secondary effects through her joints. It’s a challenge working through managing pain without becoming addicted to painkillers or being in constant pain. If someone reading this is in this situation, be sure to get expert help at a reputable pain clinic rather than trusting your doctors — lots of them fear using drugs because of US law and many don’t have the training to do much else than that in response to pain.
Tom! Brilliant! I’m rather envious of your comic…I dropped out of art school and ended up a radio DJ, but still yearn to be an illustrator! Love your art.
I didn’t get a diagnosis until I was 19 (back in 1991)…it’s funny how parallel people’s lives can be. My intestine finally blew out while I was working a super stressful job. Now 3 years later and minus 2 1/2 feet of intestine, things have been great. Knock on wood…
St. Louis has a pretty great gastrointestinal facility at Washington University. I had gone to the Mayo clinic and was referred here. Still on Pentasa, but that’s it. If you are interested in more info, feel free to email me.
And for God’s sake keep up the artwork! Cheers!
Hi Tom
Thanks for this very well done reminder of a very bad period in my life. However, I have not had any symptoms in 8 years. Was diagnosed in the early 90s as middle to severe Croh’s, and planned my life from toilet to toilet. I was so lucky to find a book by Eleine Gottschall, Food and the Gut reaction, lilely after seeing a PBS program with her in it. She had a kid with Crohn’s and started studying biochemistry to find out what it was, what caused it and what to do about it. Through that she developed a diet that is brutal in the beginning (cooked carrots, cooked carrots and more of those). But, after even a week I saw improvement. Followed it rigorously, and found out that I could sin occasionally without effects and eating already far more tasty stuff by that time, but still according to the diet. Now I can eat what I want, and where, and have not had any symptoms in years. One little shrimp used to be back at the other end within minutes, now I can eat a plate. I had Pentasa in the beginning, thank heavens no prednison, but that was only a few months and no medication since that. Have less the runs than my healthy wife! I know one woman who had Crohn’s far worse than I and she followed that diet and is free of symptoms. And there are many others like her. One thing I do still religiously is eating home-made yoghurt every morning. Every time something useful is found out about Crohn’s, Gottschall is proven right, and the medics do not want to accept her ideas even for testing, no, they have to find something against the side-effects of the medication. The book with the diet is about $15 and has some delicious recipes in it, and there is also a website from which to get it. If you want to know more, do not hesitate to contact me. I have no financial connection to her, just extremely deep gratitude, she gave me back my life. She passed away two years ago.
You do not need to suffer this, fight it! And publish this cartoon, it will help other talk about it, and that is the first step.
Hans
Educational and touching. Thank you.
Very nice facial expressions! I’m a muso with Crohn’s and had a good laugh at the truth that only poeple with Crohn’s can fully appreciate. Its a nightmare at times (like the awkward attack while on a date) but it aint too bad because it gives you enough depth and drive and inspiration to fuel dreams worth living for. Keep up the comics passion!
wow i loved this. very informative as well as funny.
I have a friend with Chron’s too, I’m sure this will make their day when I show them!!! thank you!!!!!!
[...] I’ve kept an eye on the blogs, and a lot of folks are posting and talking about their own 24 Hour Comics Day output, and there’s plenty of folks talking about others’ 24HCD works. But there’s one comic that has gotten far and away the most blog attention… Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohns Disease. [...]
Missed you at the Comic Fair on Sunday. Your comic is brilliant, beautifully drawn and poignant and wry.
Hope you’re OK and see you at the next event maybe.
hi Tom,
I really like the style of your drawings. They are very expressive. Also, the dialogue flows well throughout and gets the ideas and feelings across without being too wordy. I had to laugh when I read the very last frame…how accurate! Being able to laugh about it does make it a little easier to deal with.
I was diagnosed with Crohns back in July and can totally relate to your experience. I’m in the process of tapering off the Prednisone right now. (FINALLY!) I ‘ve had some of the extra energy you talked about but for the most part I’ve been riding the ‘Roid Roller Coaster of Moodiness. To quote a guy that I talked to about it recently…Prednisone is PMS in a bottle! I am noticing the distinct lack of energy going off the steroids however. I feel worse now that I’m getting better. Just great! *sigh* I have my fingers crossed that Remicade will keep me in remission for a while. Ok, I’ll stop complaining now…
Thanks for sharing you story and talent. If there is going to be a cure it is essential that there be more awareness of the disease in general. Your comic is sure to help. Maybe the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation would want to publish it — either as one of their regular publications or as a fundraiser?! Just a thought. All the best to you and everyone else out there in the same boat.
Take care and keep up the great work. :)
Wonderful, I look forward to reading another, I was misdiagnosed as having irratable bowel disease for about 23 years only when I collasped and got rushed into hospital did they discover it was crohns. Sadly not responsding to meds very well and the disease is spread throughout my whole digestive system but raising awareness of this illness may prevent others suffering for years and being thought of as a hypocondriac. So as humour is a excellent medium to raise awareness of this illness, I think you have done an excellent job.
I have been through all that too bar the steroids. I have Ulcerative Colitis, which, although not as bad as Crohns, is still bad enough to need the toilet 30 times a day when it’s active.
My heart goes out to you and I understand your pain.
K
My friend in high school had Crohn’s disease. He missed over half of 8th grade with it, and always drank “Silk” instead of milk. He got the puffy face too, for awhile, but seems to be doing better lately.
really good to read. my boyfriend has chrons disease and its really hard to understand why he is the way he is at times. Thanks for that.
hello,
thank you forn the comic.
I also do have crohn disease and I know everything I saw and read a few minutes ago.
A really great comic.
I hope we all crohn diseas people will get better soon.
24 hours!?! Holy crap. Merlin Mann sent me here, and I thought it was just b/c of the topic.
Another late-life Crohn’s onset, here. Problems for years–you’d think my dad having it would’ve prompted all of us to be more alert. Oh, well.
I’m still on small amounts of maintenance immunosuppressants, but what did the trick for me was the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Doesn’t work for everyone and it is WAY hard to follow at first, but it was the only thing that stopped the downward weight spiral after my initial hospitalization. Anyone who’s interested can find info on my site or via a quick Google.
Best of luck to you (and you and you and you, dear readers.) Really fine comic.
When I was in high school I thought I had Crohn’s but later I found out it was just severe lactose intolerance. I know that pain and embarassment as well. Great comic!
[...] Just a quick message to say thank you to everyone who has commented on my 24hr comic Everything you never wanted to know about crohn’s disease and left such supportive, positive messages. I really appreciate it. Thanks also to those of you have linked to the post, told/emailed friends about it, or emailed me personally. I’m overwhelmed by the response to this comic and hope any new readers out there continue to keep checking back and enjoy the rest of my output. Apologies if I haven’t replied to some of you yet but I’m working my way through my inbox and will do so soon. [...]
My daughter had ulcerative colitis as a young child and eventually had her whole large intestine removed, which is the “cure” for UC, but not really: she still deals with a lot of the same problems and with being different from most people. She saw your comic and emailed it to me. It is touching and hilarious and very well painted. It’s interesting to see how many people are identifying with your problem. What a good way to get it out there. Thanks for doing that, and good luck.
I’ve had Crohn’s for over 6 years, and if I had listened to doctors by now, I wouldn’t have a lower intestine. When I was originally diagnosed, I didn’t have symptoms, I was just anemic. Afer taking pills to treat my “mild” Crohns, my condition became worse and I started getting symptoms. I got my first flare up and was put on Prednisone which caused a blockage. My condition went from mild to severe, and surgery was a requirement. By that time I had stopped trusting doctors and researched Crohn’s, I found out that it is attracted to Scar tisuse, and so having surgery would only worsen matters. Again, another bad doing planned by what our society calls “Medical Doctors”.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and refused surgery. I then found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/). Thanks to the diet I’ve managed to heal my intestine and cure my Crohn’s.
I don’t trust doctors and never will after my experience with Crohn’s disease. Medicine is a profitable industry that want to make sure their patients remain ill so that revenue keeps flowing. Spread the word.
This is fantastic. The sooner you bring this to published fruition the better. My son was diagnosed earlier this year with Crohns and he is 12. This would be awesome to have for enlightening others - especially teens - about his condition. It is funky and cool and gives a very human look at this debilitating disease in a way that would help other teens to understand what goes on with a mate who has CD.
Thanks again and would love to know when you are going to publish.
hey…this is weird, I’m not sure how this person at my place of work found your blog, but they sent it out in a work email linking to this comic. I work at a pharmaceutical ad agency and one of our clients makes a drug for Crohn’s disease, so that must be why this person sent it out. But anyway, I wanted to tell you I love this comic and as someone who has had life-long stomach problems (I was diagnosed with IBS years ago, but who knows what’s actually wrong) , it’s nice to know there are other young adults out there going through the same thing and doing something positive with the pain. Moreover, your drawings are lovely! I really hope you stay well!
Cheers!
Heather
This is great. I can certainly relate as I have had Crohn’s since I was 14. You and others who suffer should study up on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It completely healed my disease. I had two surgeries in the past but I am 32 now, disease free and take no meds for the disease. This diet can heal you! Check into it.
My son, who has Crohns, and I read this together. Thanks for the laugh!
Hey man - I was gonna write an email but this seems like a good place to tell you: you traded a comic with me at TCAF this year, and it got into a pile and buried with a few others in my house; I found it and read it tonight - the How to Date a Girl in 10 Days part 2 - and I was amazed at how great it was. So I checked out your site, found the above comic, and need to say Wow. I’m a big fan. Great great stuff.
Great comic and great insight into Crohn’s! My son has it and for a few minutes there I thought maybe he had some input into the content of your story line. He was 11, loves movies and books……is 33 now and an English Lit prof here in the States! Missed most of his secondary school and makes up for it now being there as a teacher! Still picks classrooms by the toilets, always as a ‘plan B’, always compensates as needed. He is actually married and has a little girl now who is 2. Your comics are very good. Keep up the good work and I am so glad that you spoke up on the subject you did. Apparently it had a huge affect on many people in this situation!!! I wish you well! Good job on all levels.
Well done! Thanks so much for your comic; I’m sure it will help promote public understanding of what we who have IBD go through on a daily basis.
I also highly recommend the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that was developed by Elaine Gottschall. I stick to it as much as as I can…and when I don’t I usually pay for it!
Good luck to you in your endeavors!
Great stuff! I’m just going through another flare-up and this has helped me explain a few things to people at work - especially the weird side-effects of prednisone.
Great bit. I think it would really help to show folks who don’t understand the trials of dealing with Crohns. I was diagnosed 33 years ago (after being told I had the flu, “Just take some Kaopectate”). My wife has IBD, so for her, it’s reassuring to know that she can just give me that panicked look while we’re driving somewhere, and I know what it means without having to ask. I really have gotten to the place where I realize that a lot of people are worse off than me, though, and don’t let it rule my life. Soldier on.
Well done, comicman. And cheers to all crohnsouls who live so courageously.
So as a fellow Chrohn’s sufferer what i want to know is how many toilt breaks do you need in the 24 hours you took to do this cartoon?
Thanks for the great cartoon explanation of life with Crohn’s. You did a wonderful job capturing the agony and embarrassment of living with Crohn’s.
I too have Crohn’s, but have been symptom-free for 6 years while on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Although the diet is strict, I’ve taken back my life with it and now live a NORMAL, pain-free, medication-free, running to the bathroom-free life. I’m so grateful for the new lease on life that I wanted to encourage others to thrive on the diet too; so I started a website of recipes and more at http://www.nomorecrohns.com . There is HOPE in Elaine Gottschall’s book!
ya i think it’s realy embarasing always loooking and or runing to the toilet. im 14 and my friend are always wondering where i am when im sick. good job, cuz think comic is my life in a nut shell (ouch cant eat nuts =)
great job! this is almost exactly what ive been going through the past 3 years and finally got diagnosed with colitis last month. I’m really grateful that some aren’t as shy about this then others, to help the quite ones know that they are not alone.
I have a family member who was diagnosed with colitis last month, i know he will make it threw the good and bad times, and i am so happy the doctors found out what he had. now with the meds he is taking will take the pain away. my heart goes out to justin and i do think about him everyday, and hope the pain will all go away and he will get better:), cause he is a great guy and i do love him..
from your aunt Barb
Be stronge Justin
and I do care a whole lot about you:)
[...] 24 Hour Comic Day challenges artists to write and draw a comic within the confines of a single day. Artist and writer Tom Humberstone decided to make his comic about his struggle with Crohn’s disease. It’s an honest and touching account of what it can be like to live with IBD, including the pain, feelings of tiredness, medication side effects and the always-lovely embarrassing frequent trips to the bathroom. [...]
I’ve had Crohn’s too. I’m skinny and often sick. I’m bored to explain that I’m not anorectic. My mother have the same disease, and it’s good to talk with a person who understand the problem.
I’m a professional illustrator and a graphic designer. I really like the concept of the 24 hrs comic and I want to known if an other event like that will be organized. In this case, I will be very glad to participate.
I’m French from Quebec, this explain my bad english. :-)
I hope that you will be able to understand me. Thanks!
Marie-Eve
This is brilliant, Tom!
I’m a Crohnie too and a friend of mine linked to you on Facebook. Thanks for giving voice to the daily struggles of those affected by IBD around the world.
I am currently crying my eyes out.. thank you. I have colitis and it hurts and its embarassing and I hate it. But I feel better to know that other people know what I’m feeling. Hope you feel better.. you are so brave.
Anna
[...] The ridiculously delayed third part of How to Date a Girl in 10 Days will also be released early next year, and I’ll be publishing a cheap, but full-colour hard copy of my 24 hour comic Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohns Disease. [...]
Wow cheers! This really brings light to life with crohns. My Daughter is 17 has crohns, weighs 79 lbs and has just started remicade after many failed treatments. She is always having to explain how she does’nt have an eating disorder and latley has taken to isolating herself from the world. Hopefully your comic will educate many. Thank you.
I just wanted to say thank you for explaining Crohn’s in such a way that I can understand my 13 yr old son when he is having a “bad” day… As you know kids dont like to talk much about any kind of medical condition and to explain how they are feeling is at times; tedious for them. My son is on the steroids now and coming soon the remicad injections. I know he feels like “crap” (excuse the pun) at times and to be asked “how ya feeling?” is sometimes the wrong thing to ask. Reading your comic I can see my son’s condition in a different perspective. Its heartbreaking as a mother to watch my child in pain and not be able to do a thing for him but I am educating myself on the disease. So thank you for taking the time to show us all a closer look at the conditions and the lives of Crohns patients. I will be showing my son your comic in hopes that he will see he is not a “freak” or alone.
Alanna Smith
BC Canada
Sometimes a mother’s love is the best medicine.
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
Your comic is awesome! I remember vividly what I went through to get a diagonosis, all the tests and stays in hospital and the idiots that didn’t want to let me use their facilities. I had my whole colon removed in 1989 because of Crohn’s and so have been living with a bag for years and to tell you the truth I am glad I asked for he surgery. I can do any sport I like (skiing, swimming, pilates or whatever) and my intimate life with my husband is normal. No one knows I have a bag unless I tell them and people I have told actually forget I have it because my life is totally normal. I have no symptoms anymore although they say Crohn’s is a small intestine disease as well.
Anyway I just wanted to let you (and others) know that an illiostomy is not the end of the world if you ever have to face such a procedure.
Congratulations on a job well done.
Mona Rea
Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
That was i great comic. It really discribed what happend to me when i was diagnosed. i remeber when i was using NG tubes for a summer so that i could gain weight, i wouldnt call that my best summer.
Right now i am currently on Remicade. It has helped me alot, i have almost no symptoms. Although it’s a pretty powerful drug and raises concerns for me, i am glad i decided to go for the treatment. It made the quality of my life so much better!
I love this comic! You took the feeling right out of me and put it on paper. I can only imagine how you felt going through this as a boy. I was diagnosed just this past year and it has been hell. Especially being a mother of 2 small boys. I’ve went the past few years trying to get an answer for my problems. I’m glad to know that I am not alone in this fight. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, words and pictures!
This is such a terrible disease. It’s 2008 find a cure already!!!!!
I agree with Jake…This is pathetic IBD is sooo debilitating and the medical community has ignored it for far too long. I mean it is 2008…How do we not even know the cause to these diseases?Or is it just a scam for the medical community to profit off a chronic illness with drugs that hardly work??? who knows. ITS TIME FOR A CURE!
feel your pain man, i was diagnosed ten years ago and most meds didn’t work without drastic side effects. never experienced remission, but receive Remicade every six weeks seems to work, and of course an occasional dose of imodium AD (what i refer to anti-explosive diareaha medication) helps alot.
This has made me laugh out loud and cry at the same time. You have pretty much described my son’s life over the last 5 years. We too have found that humour helps so much.
What a fantastic comic-cant wait to show Phil.
Glad to see there is more to follow.
I wish you all long and pain free remissions
Viv
Wow, that was powerful for me. Been dealing with this since age 17 and you decribe just about everything but the erythma nodusum. That was awful! I’m glad to know I’m not alone in dealing with this. Thank you for the entertaining spin!
Jen
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
[...] Via Boing Boing I found: “Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Crohns Disease” by Tom Humberstone (21.10.2007). [...]
This is the best thing ive seen in a long time I was diagnosed when I was 19 but had many problems sice I was 10 so thank you for this reading materal that is so true for most out there with crohn’s.
I hope to read more in the future
hey man,
I have severe chron’s. Dude, don’t worry. this comic is excellent. Hope you make another 1.oh, and about the chron’s, you probably have it severe to, but keep taking meds and going every day. I have had it for 4 years, but i was diagnosed in 2007. it started with mouth sores, but the dum stupid german doctors said i was TO YOUNG. Yeah right you #@$$ *%$#. $#&# you germans!!!
Very honest but funny, Ive had chrons for 12 years (initiall cause stress) and had a couple of op’s, never have I heard such a real discription. I changed my diet completly a few years ago, appart from a bad gut in January (4 days) I haven’t been ill for around 3 years, so I can get easier.
Thanks for informing me, I never knew what Crohn’s was. I had a room mate in college that had colitis and I felt pretty bad for him too. Take care, and I hope they come up with some kind of cure too!
[...] Thanks to those of you who have been voting for me in the Eagle Awards this year. How to Date a Girl in 10 Days is now available to vote for in the drop down menu for Favourite black and white British comic. Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohns Disease can be found in the Favourite web-based comic section. [...]
thanks for writing this, i was diagnosed wit crohns after 2 years of the doctor thinkin i was mad!! have been through the same hungry and painful times as u but looking forward 2 remission!!
this is a great picture for people who dont realise what Chrons is. I was diagnosed last year with this, i am 19 now! My doctors tell me that me my mom and sis are very unique as we all have it and it is very rare to find it passed on from a mother to two daughters. Has never happened before apparantley supposed to skip generations.
Would like to thank you for doing this. you have described most of the past year for me!!
i would just like to say, if people have these symtoms tell a doctor and get tested as my mom had it for 25 years before they told her she had it. told her she was mad!! now she suffers daily and having her second operation…. she has had most of her intestines removed!!
look forward to your remission
it all sounds so familiar!! have just comeout of hospital, was losing so much blood from down there i had to have an iron transfusion. am seriously considering surgery just a bit worried about going on roller coasters with my kids if i have an ileostomy!!!!
I haven’t read all these replies, but if anyone out there doesn’t know about Remicade infusions, ASK YOUR DOCTOR. Nice comic strip, by the way.
Hi Tom,
I don’t know you but loved your comic. It was very informative as well as funny and touching.
All the best to you.
Kelley x
Love the comic. To take something I have suffered with for so long, and be able to laugh at it is wonderful. It really IS like that!
Perfect, now when someone asks me about Chrons - sick to death of explaining it, Ill get them to read your comic strip. Great work
I just found this, and it’s a great comic. I didn’t even think of it as a 24-hour comic, it was a great comic in general. Good work!
[...] Finally, a little plug for one of my new favourite web comics, Vented Spleen. Tom Humberstone is the artist responsible for this all-too-familiar stream of vitriol (I think this means I’m getting old) but he has also produced other works that could sit very nicely in a classroom context. His autobiographical “Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohns Disease” is a little gem and his upcoming “My Fellow Americans” about the 2008 race to the White House should be an excellent “Palestine”-esque piece of reportage (if the embryonic blog is anything to go by). [...]
spot on! after years of trying to explain myself - that no, i’m not anorexic, and no i’m not keeping of the booze because of any moral objection, and having to make excuses to vanish to the loo for the 5th time in an evening, and my mates getting used to me being doubled over, gripping my guts and going ‘yeah, hang on, just a mo…’ and having to sprint off buses into the nearest loo like a woman possessed - i can just forward this to friends and fam. love the style of drawing, and just want to say that this is great, so a big thank you!
Hi. I liked your comic and can relate to most of it since I also have to deal with this demon mistress we call Crohn’s. I was just wondering if you’re going to make copies/publish this comic in a paper form. If so I would like to find out about ordering a couple of copies. Thank you for your time.
thanks to everyone continuing to read this comic and post comments. i’m overwhelmed by your responses.
i’m planning on publishing a hardcopy edition of the comic in the next couple of months (or, at least, no later than september) so keep an eye out on my blog for updates on this.
best,
tom
Brilliant, I was diagnosed at 14 and missed alot of 9th grade, noone understood and i had letters sent to me from school because they thought i was dying. I have UC and i suffer usually 3 really bad bouts a year, one day I hope there will be a cure and I pray that my children dont suffer like I do, the worst part for me is having accidents and becoming so tired that I can not look after my children, this comic was fantastic and really put into perspective what us sufferers go through and that its not such a demeaning disease, I talk about poop all the time, if someone doesnt like it then thats their problem its apart of my life and if they want to be in my life they have to deal with it too.
all the best
emma
wow..thats a moving comic, must be so hard to live with a condition like that, really do feel for the sufferers :(
Being a fellow Crohnie, I can relate to every bit of this “comic” with the exception of the enemas. Thankfully I’ve not had to go that route. Great job!!
I’ve had crohns/UC for more years than I care to remember, and what you’ve done here is wonderful, inspirational and outstanding, Tom. This is a stunning contribution to public awareness. You are the tops - and thank you.
I was diagnosed with UC at age 21 - the doctor said “You have UC and in 10 years you will have a bag”. So sorry doc, I’m now 52 and the only surgery I’ve had is to have my gall bladder out. Prednisone and Azulfidine got me through 3 pregnancies, 4 kids, (twins first) and they are all grown now. Lots of people over the years thought I was asking for bathrooms for my kids - but it was really me that needed to GO NOW! Finally in 2001 I started the Remicade to get me acclimated to 6MP - my miracle drug. Sometime after taking the 6MP I developed a fistula - change the diagnosis from UC to Crohn’s. Wear a string that pierced the side of the vaginal wall and the vagina itself - nothing like a pierced butt - but they changed the diagnosis. Thank God and CCFA for finding my miracle cure in 6MP so the piercing doesn’t leak except when I prep for the colonoscopy. When I have those done - I get the pills now - none of that gallon “lemon” crap any more and new doc says two years between colonscopies not every year. YIPPEE!!! LOVED THE CARTOON. CCFA in Michigan tried years ago to develop a coloring book for the littler kids to understand better what they had to go through and why. Think about publishing your cartoon for their coloring pleasure. OR - contact CCFA to see if they’d pay for it through some kind of grant!!!
Love all you with these IBD’s - keep trying to find YOUR MIRACLE combination!!
Nita
I was just diagnosed with crohn’s disease less than a week ago and am going back to the doctor to discuss treatment this week. Thanks for your comic - it was actually a relief to realize other people feel the way I do.
Just one question…did you really get up and walk around during your colonoscopy? lol.
Tom, this made me want to cry. My beatiful daughter was diagnosed with crohn’s as a young teenager and your story is soooooo familiar. I don’t know how she has managed to achieve so much and remain so positive. Perhaps we can add a slot for mum’s - depicting the guilt, helplessness, recrimination (perhaps if I hadn’t eaten so many tomatoes/prawns/pickles when I was pregnant etc), anger, abillity to ‘take on’ the entire medical profession (to prevent her waking up again during a colonoscopy). I could go on, but I know what I probably have in common with all the mum’s - I would sell my soul to have it instead of her.
Good luck son, you are obviously very talented. I hope they publish this for friends, family, GPs, Schools etc etc.
Firstly, a reply to Isobel (above): Mum, please don’t ever feel guilty, it’s not your fault and you are AMAZING at helping me through this and have been for the past 12 years.
And Tom, your cartoon is the most concise and moving articulation of Crohn’s as I have experienced it since being diagnosed as a teenager. I go through phases where it completely saturates every aspect of my day-to-day life, but have managed to get some normality back through regular Infliximab infusions. I hope you can find something that works for you.
Your artwork is fantastic, you’re very talented. And thanks again for the cartoon. Fabulous.
Tom,
I have UC. This is soooo True. I capice entirely! And too this is funny; particularly the ending frame!
I was recently positively diagnosed with Crohn’s at the age of 48 - and it took seven years to reach that diagnosis. I spent my 46th birthday in a hospital bed, bleeding for 18 days after a colonoscopy…then I spent six months off work recovering. That was my introduction to the disease.
It’s funny to me that I can relate to so much of this, after only dealing with it for such a short time - and I’m very fortunate; my disease is mild at present, and under control. But I get it…kudos on the synopsis. And thanks.
I was diagnosed in 1976, had just givin birth to my third child. I thought my life was over. I wish someone could have explained the most important factor for me was to learn to deal with stress. An to accept I couldn’t be purfect. After 30 years if steriods, azulfidine, half the large intestines and about four feet of small bowel gone. I feel free of the fear of this disease is not killing me. I have been in remissiom 15 years and altho I still have to find a girls room, we all gotta go. DO NOT LET IT WIN YOU ARE IN CHARGE!!!!!!!!! Good Luck Marj
Tom,
Your comic is great and if you were to ever make a small book of them I guarantee that they would sell. How can you not laugh at a guy who stinks up the house at 3 am so bad that the dog barks to go outside in the cold and refuses to come back in. The only good thing about it is you know there is always lots of TP in every bathroom in my house. The flip side is we don’t look sick and no one understands how much it can hurt or how it can limit the things that we do.
I had what they said was UC since 1984 and they have rarely been able to keep me in remission very long. A few years ago I got sick and almost died when my colon perforated and they said if they couldn’t gut me like a fish and I didn’t get a bag that I would die so I told them tell my family and friends goodbye. It was then they decided that I had Crohn’s and not UC. Against medical and my families wishes I continued to REFUSE surgery for a month and finally recovered. It’s 4 years later, they say I am disabled and I am still fighting for my disability. Your comic gave me an idea,, if I shit my pants when I’m in court or at hearing I bet they approve me because with ASULFIDINE, with a good fart I can make your eyes water if you don’t toss your cookies!
Let me know when you have the book read because I wanted a signed copy!
You’re reminding me of the weekend of vacation I spent curled in a ball on the bathroom floor discovering I’m lactose intolerant. I stopped eating ice cream, drinking milk, and having milk shakes for about 3 years, just continuing to eat processed cheeses in moderation before I reintroduced more serious dairy into my diet. I could have a milkshake a week this summer, it was amazing. And then my intestines got all kinds of pissed at me for doing that. I eat cheese-less pizza now. There’s soy butter in the fridge. Soy cheese is nasty. I don’t know what my parents will do for Thanksgiving.
My boyfriend seems to have IBD (family history of Crohn’s as well, so…). Dairy, high-fat, meat…they all hurt him extra-bad. He says he’s had constant pain for over 2 years now, but it’s only recently become bad.
I’m a vegetarian, so we end up eating the same things for the most part. We have a friend with an Indian restaurant and he prepares vegan versions of his foods for us, using less oil than usual. We eat there a lot because he can tailor the food to us. Either that, or we go to a vegan restaurant. It’s like we’re naturally made to be vegan (though I’m not really vegan…I give in and let myself get sick for a bit of chocolate, and I can still eat eggs…vegetarianism is natural for me, meat tastes bad). When I cook, it’s either Rice-a-Roni or it’s ramen with tofu and vegetable broth. There’s not really much else that either of can digest.
nice comic.
having been through almost the exact same story/life I thought it was comical how similiar it was to my life story….but mine has a happier ending…since I had Colitis I had my colon removed and I no longer have the horrible bouts of sickness anymore
I have to tell you, I have Crohn’s, too, and this hit the nail on the head. I wish everyone could read it.
I have Crohn’s and you couldn’t of drawn it more exact, awesome dude
thanks for this. a lot of us out here know (more or less) what it’s like.
:)
This article really explains the battle that people with IBD have to endure. It perfectly summarizies the pain and embarrassment that comes with this disease which makes it easy for our relatives and family to comprehend. i have had chrons disease for one year now and some days its really hard to understand why we had to be infected with this but at the end of the day we must be thankful because we could have been infected with something much worst!!! i want everyone living with this disease to know that this disease isn’t in no way your fault and you are in no way less blessed than anyone else.WE WILL FIND A CURE!!!!
to the creater:Thank you for this amazing piece i’m using it to show a few friends and family members && the part were the main character ran to the public washroom and it said for customers only really brought some enlightment in regards to public facilities and their ignorance. I am actually in university for public health and will do my very best to make it illegal for those signs to be put anywhere available to the public. You really are talented and i thank you again for your brillance!!!!
Great job, so glad you took the time to do this. Hope you are doing well, and thanks for all of the emotion, humor, and power that you shared with us.
Peace,
Richard
wow funny,but so true.
thanks
you made me laugh in the middel of a crohn crisis!
good stuff…well…
..i’ll be back to tell you in 20 minutes!:)
Amazing!
I’m just on my last days of bed rest, was diagnosed with Crohn’s 3 weeks ago, although they had to cut me open to find that out! Getting my first colonoscopy in a few weeks and was really nervous but you have really cheered me up.
And to think the nervous sweats on the hour long journey into work weren’t from the dodgy curry the night before.
oxxxoox
thanks again for the very encouraging comments everyone! for those interested, the printed version of this comic is available to buy at my book launch @ Orbital Comics in London this friday (May 1st) and then from this website soon after. See the blog for more details
Oh man! Everything you drew was down to the letter of what it is like.
I’ve had it for 4 years and I’m in one of those “social ruts” right now. But thanks for drawing this, now when someone ask me what Crohn’s is, I’ll link them to you.
This is amazing! I’ve been dealing with Crohn’s for the last two years but was only diagnosed with it two weeks ago. Awesome comic!
I was diagnosed with Crohns for 13 years now, my mother and my nana all had it too, this comic was sent to me by a friend that also has it.
It’s funny that some people have no idea what Crohn’s or Colitis is yet when someone has known, been related too or friend of a friend they know how bad it can be.
Great job on the comic with having sense of humour about it but also reminding readers it is a serious condition.
Though I admit a comment above did irritated me that Crohns diets range some people CAN eat various meat, some cannot, some can eat ruffage others (like myself)cannot!
If I attempted to live on vegan or vegetarian diet I’m positive it would kill me…
I find it tad ironic dietary choices are brought up around people that do NOT have an option of choosing, we eat what doesn’t hurt us! :|
Because trust me I miss eating peanuts/other nuts and seeds, for the short while I could in my life but now that is as fun as idea of eating razorblades!