I thought I was just stressed — then doctors told me I had 24 hours to live

health

To Brooke Kato

11 July 2023 | 8:40 PM

Victoria Danson thought she was just under a lot of stress.

She was then given 24 hours to live.

The 33-year-old British mother of one was experiencing fatigue and ‘unbearable’ abdominal pain, which she dismissed as a typical form of stress.

That was until she was diagnosed with irritable bowel disease and later Crohn’s disease. An abscess formed in her abdomen, causing fatal sepsis.

A life-threatening infection ravaged her, requiring surgery to remove an abscess on her ovary, and the hospital gave her only 24 hours to live.

“We didn’t even have time to really understand what was going on,” Danson, from Chorley, Lancashire, told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “All I knew was that I was in pain and would do anything to take the pain away.”

Doctors removed 18 inches of her intestines, resulting in her receiving an ileostomy bag.

“I said I didn’t want an ileostomy bag, but that was my only option to survive,” she said.

After surgery in 2014, her “easy-going” lifestyle was out of sight, and she feared being “different.”

“At first, I didn’t think I could survive, and I didn’t know how I could maintain an active lifestyle,” she admitted.

Her symptoms have forced her to change her diet, but this time the disease has recurred in her small intestine, requiring further surgical intervention.

Avoiding high-fiber foods, drinking green tea, taking supplements, and avoiding caffeine reduced the symptoms.

“I had to put in a lot of internal effort to come to terms with my condition,” added Danson, a mother of a 7-year-old son.

Today, she is giving back to her newfound community and has founded her own support group, Crohn’s and Colitis Support Lancashire, helping hundreds of people.

“I feel like I had to restructure my life around my bag, so I want to empower myself and give myself confidence in my body,” says Jim. Danson, a “savior” of her body confidence, said. “I started this group because I didn’t have any moral support.”

She hosts workshops at colleges to educate others about her “invisible illness” while managing her illness without drugs.

“I’m living proof that with the right mindset, you can achieve your goals no matter what. But if you’re unsure, always seek medical advice,” she said. . “It might save your life.”