Well, it would seem that I have finally done it. Finally, after many weeks of thinking about it I have got myself into gear and set up this blog, whether I am committed enough to write regularly time will only tell but I shall give it a go.

I have decided to write this after a difficult six years managing a chronic illness called Ulcerative Colitis which is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It’s been a nightmare managing to live with such a painful and crappy illness, particularly over the last two since getting pregnant with my second baby. To be honest, in the last two years I haven’t had much of a life, well, social life anyway (big ahhh!) but recently things have changed. I shall explain..

After an almighty flare up resulting in numerous hospital visits, admissions and various procedures (as well as the compulsory pain and discomfort) we, my consultant and I, finally got to the end of the road. I’d tried all the drugs, prednisolone, mezalazine, sulphasalazine, azathioprine and methetrexate, in various enema, oral and intravenous forms with no joy. I reacted to all and none even touched my illness. The only thing to do was to have my large intestine removed and an illiostomy (yep, I would then have a bag for my poo!). You can imagine, this was clearly something a young women would look forward to. Fortunately for me, there was one last drug we could try, it was a long shot but worth a go – cyclosporin.

Well, I could right an ode to cyclosporin as it amazingly worked and since November 2006 I have been in remission and finally able to lead a more normal life.

Recovery after sustained illness is a long road, and with a chronic illness like UC there is no telling how long remission will last and therefore if you will ever get to the end of the road to recovery – but I am trying.

One of the ways I am trying is hinted at in my blog title – Jive, Modern Jive to be precise. I am now, after 7 weeks, a confirmed addict and loving every minute of it.

Every Sunday, and most Tuesdays I put on my dancing shoes and head down to a Jive Class which has turned things around in ways they could never comprehend. In October I could barely walk out of my house due to associated inflammatory arthritis, a complication of UC. To now be dancing for 3-6 hours of the week is an absolute miracle and not only has it effected my fitness and general health in a hugely positive way but it has given me back my body confidence (something you lose when you have to go the toilet 12-20 times a day) and my social confidence, I haven’t been able to socialise in such a long time I wasn’t sure if I could do it anymore – but I can.

I guess over time I am just intending on writing about living with Ulcerative Colitis and the positive things in my life which get me through. It will be interesting – to me, anyhow.

Bye for now,

Lottie