Stephen Button

I was having a Crohns episode from last November 2022. In early 2023 I was admitted to hospital with malnutrition. Two weeks after release I was readmitted with a perforated bowel which led to sepsis. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel)

I was placed in an induced coma for about a week then moved to ICU. I have very little memory of this as I was in and out of consciousness and having hallucinations. What happened and what I remember were not the same and some of my “memories” were clearly fantasy and impossible. after a couple of weeks I was moved to HDU as I was unable to walk or do anything independently. It took me a couple af months to get back to any sense of normality which didn’t help with the fact that a biopsy of the bowel they removed found to contain a stage 4 small bowel tumor.

I realize that I was close to death and am thankful that had I not had the bowel perforation the cancer may have escalated and became terminal. I am currently concentrated on the cancer and the surgery and perhaps the stoma has enabled me to eat properly for the first time in over a year, Having lost around 7stone and nearly died, I feel I’m on a new path and just waiting for the cancer to be cleared to be able to start a new life. 2024 is now looking more positive than I could have expected a year ago thanks to the hospitals.