About the Author :

Hello. I have been blogging about Crohn’s DIsease and related issues since 2010, when I was about to undergo a life-changing operation, but my IBD history goes back a lot further.

I started suffering unexplained symptoms in 1977 and was diagnosed, initially, with “spastic colon” now called IBS. This was later amended to Crohn’s Disease. I was just 22.

As I started writing it became apparent that there were large gaps in my medical history. By filling these gaps I might be able to answer some basic questions about the progression of the disease and subsequent, related conditions.

Surprisingly I was able to obtain records, from three Health Authorities, going all the way back to my initial encounter with a GP in October 1977. I started piecing together the story…….and decided, for my own benefit, to turn what I found into a book – “Wrestling The Octopus”.

It has meant that I now have a definitive record that I can refer to whenever needed and not have to rely on my ever fading memory.

Having made the effort to author the book it seemed worthwhile to make it available, for free, to anyone who wanted to read it . Maybe it will give hope to those who follow a similar path and help them come to terms with what they might face.

Details of how to download the book are shown on “The Book” tab.

In February 2025, with Rachel, a fellow Crohn’s patient, we started  “Wrestling The Octopus – The IBD Patient’s Podcast”. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and other podcast providers.