Chronic constipation: This woman suffers from rare syndrome that left her with no colon

A woman has been battling chronic constipation for most of her life, says the only thing keeping her alive is her family. She has had the rare condition for over 20 years, leaving her with no colon. She has been diagnosed with a rare disease known as solitary rectal ulcer syndrome.

‘Everyday is hell’

Elaine Doherty, 47, believes the condition may have been as a result of a severe case of appendicitis she had when she just two years old. Doctors said, at the time, she was lucky to be alive. She told The Sun:

My appendix ruptured , and my parents were told there was enough poison in my body to kill three grown men. I had surgery to remove my appendix but I was left with a lot of internal scarring on my bowel.

Since then, she has had problems with her bowel, eventually leading to a surgery to remove her colon and parts of the small intestine. She’s currently on her third stoma bag. She has suffered three cardiac arrests, had six blood transfusions, been on hospital admission for more than 150 times and now weighs less than 7st.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome

The mum-of-three, says the disease has ruined her life. Her daughters grew watching her in pain most of the time, while her husband had to quit his job to take care of her.

Every day at the moment is hell. Whenever I eat I’m sick or it causes bleeding. I’m in so much pain, I only sleep every three or four nights. I just want to be in less pain and be able to live a more normal life.

This is a rare condition that affects 1 in 100,000 people. It often occurs in people who suffer from chronic constipation. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include constipation, rectal bleeding, passing mucus from the rectum, faecal incontinence and straining during bowel movement.

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