Juliana Lavell lives with a situation that she says has a huge effect on her day-to-day life.
“Just to have a bowel movement, it can almost bring me to tears just to even empty myself,” Juliana stated. “It’s very painful.”
The 39-year-old West Kelowna lady has Crohn’s illness.
She misplaced her total giant gut and most of her rectum and now lives with an added complication after growing what are referred to as fistulas.
“They’re just little tunnels that are like leaks that come out and burrow, like fecal matter that finds its way down through other holes of my skin down there,” she advised Global News.
The situation has left her with little to no bowel management.
“It’s horrible,” Juliana stated. “I just have a lot of accidents now and I kind of hide out at home.”
If she desires to work, do yoga, socialize, or hike she should not eat that day, and should take anti-diarrhea remedy.
The yoga instructor and mom stated if she desires to work, socialize or hike, she avoids consuming.
“Basically if I want to do anything in the evening, I just can’t eat that day,” she said.
Juliana had an ostomy bag however developed a severe allergic response to the adhesive inflicting irritation and rashes.
The fistulas additionally comes with their very own dangers.
They can worsen and create abscesses and sepsis, which might be life-threatening.
“It’s been excruciating…to see her suffering,” stated Julianna’s mom, Shan Lavell.
But there’s some hope on the horizon.
After a lot analysis, Julianna found a colorectal surgeon at a clinic in Pune, India, who has developed a method to heal fistulas utilizing a specialised laser.
Julianna stated it’s given her an ‘incredible amount’ of hope.
“I found a group through Facebook actually that have people from all over the world that have travelled to Pune, India, to this clinic, where they are receiving surgery for their fistulas within 99 per cent success rate,” Julianna stated.
“So the success rate is really high and I’ve only heard like really positive results.”
But the India possibility isn’t low cost.
Julianna stated the process itself is at the least $20,000 adopted by as much as three months of publish surgical procedure care-a expensive medical journey the household is now fundraising for.
“It’s been hard to ask for help,” stated Shan Lavell. “We’re enormously grateful. We have had an outpouring in the short 10 days or so that we’ve had the GoFundMe. We’re just overwhelmed with the appreciation.”
Juliana plans on travelling to India within the new yr, hoping for a brand new lease on life.
“I was really depressed…so it would be incredible if I can get this done,” she stated.
For extra data or to donate, the GoFundMe hyperlink might be discovered right here.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/10147741/west-kelowna-woman-life-changing-surgery/
