#auguts hard to talk about
Eric experienced sepsis after diverticular disease caused his bowel to rupture. He spoke to Dr Madusha Peiris, a researcher from Queen Mary University of London, about their experiences living with bowel disease and working within the field.
Eric Douglin was diagnosed with diverticulitis two years ago, leading to his bowel rupturing and developing sepsis. In this emergency situation, he underwent surgery to have a stoma created and was told he would have died within twelve hours had it been left any later.
Dr Madusha Peiris is a Lecturer in Neuroscience at Queen Mary University of London. Her research centres on how the nervous system in the gut controls digestive function and the ways it is impacted by the environment. This includes work on appetite regulation and how pain is sensed within the gut.
On his work with Bowel Research UK, Eric says: “Without the work Bowel Research UK funds I would not be here today to share my journey with other people.”
Madusha talks about the importance of inclusive research: “We try really hard to get a whole range of people into our studies, so men and women, people from different ethnic backgrounds because the more we have a diverse background of people, the better it is in terms of getting data that is applicable to everybody rather than a single population.”
Read more about Dr Peiris’ work here:
bowelresearchuk.org/research-hub/nutrient-sensing-and-obesity/
bowelresearchuk.org/latest-news/lower-bowel-holds-secret-to-weight-loss-new-research-reveals/
Watch Eric and Madusha discuss the difficulties of talking about health issues within the Black community and the importance of conducting research that includes people of different genders and from different ethnic backgrounds.
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Donate nowGut health is unique to you, so hear from experts, people with lived experience and the community to find out ways they manage their gut health. Scientists believe that, from birth, the gut microbiome is linked to virtually every aspect of our health. There is still much more to discover but take your first step here.
I am 71 years old. Diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal adenoma in March 2022. I had chemoradiotherapy and Contact Radiotherapy (Papillon treatment) as due to a rare neurological disorder, which compromises my daily living activities, I did not feel I would cope well with the proposed surgery and permanent stoma.
I had been ignoring an intermittent pain/ache in my left-hand side for over a year. The pain became more permanent and I started to notice my bowel habits change. I was a one time a day in the morning regular as clockwork for all my life. It then went up to 3 times and urgent and painful.
My bowel stopped working due to diverticulitis which caused a stricture. My caecum ballooned and this was removed together with 2/3 rds of the colon & a colostomy bag attached for 6 months. This was reversed after 6 months at St Thomas’s Hospital 6 years ago.
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Welcome to our #auguts campaign. This year we are focussing on the MicrobioME because gut health is unique to you. Discover our recipes, share your tips and get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
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