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Being an adolescent isn’t always easy. As straight forward as it should be, most teens find it hard to deal with everyday problems like a broken phone, fitting in at school or keeping up-to-date with the latest trends.

My name is Reed Simpson. I’m 22 years of age and this short story is about my health battle over the past 7 years and how I deal with my everyday problems.
At the age of 15, I was a very healthy teenager. I played in a high league of soccer and was working towards reaching my goal to become a professional soccer player like my idol, David Beckham. Whilst playing with an elite club and having different clubs seeking me out to join their teams, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Although this type of diabetes doesn’t limit you from sports, I felt as if I didn’t belong anymore. Almost as if I were damaged goods. I attempted to keep my diabetes a secret, continuing to play soccer and working even harder to achieve my goal which wasn’t too far out of reach.
Just 6 weeks from my diabetes diagnoses, I was back in hospital being examined and tested for, what I didn’t know at the time, signs of Ulcerative Colitis. A second chronic illness. I was soon diagnosed; a shock to not only my family, but doctors as well. At 15 years of age this wasn’t common. To make matters worse the family was expecting to be departing on a cruise 3 days after my admission on a long awaited and very much deserved holiday unfortunately not wanting to leave me behind they didn’t go which made me feel guilty.

I was prescribed a series of strong medication in an attempt to get my Ulcerative Colitis under control. Paediatricians did not agree with the medication being issued to children, but being the age I was, and with my body possibly fully developed, my doctor stated he didn’t see any problems with me taking it.
After 5 months I was bed ridden with a Nasogastric Intubation (being fed through a tube) and also a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line used to deliver food/liquid fats and medication into my blood stream for faster absorption this had formed a blood clot just before my deep system in my left arm; this could be potentially life threatening to someone in my condition as it was located so close to my heart. I had fluid on my lungs. I had Ulcers not only in my stomach but my mouth as well as thrush throughout my throat. I was so ill the decision was made to cut the proceeding doctor off and transport me from John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle to a Paediatric ward in Sydney where a Paediatric doctor would take over my care. It took 3 weeks for me to reach a state where they could finally consider working on the current problem of Ulcerative Colitis. After another 2 weeks (just in time for my 16th birthday) I was finally released and prescribed a liquid diet; I was to consume liquids based on proteins and vitamins for all meals and snacks to give my bowel a rest for 3 months.

When I finally was able to return to school I was bombarded with people asking questions, making it even more difficult to feel comfortable. Every day was a struggle. One of the prescribed drugs I had to take was called Prednisone, the side effects of which were very harsh. One of the side effects included being swollen; so swollen that I had moon face and found it hard to walk without suffering pain through my knees. Every day I would look in the mirror and want to cry. I had ghost white skin from spending so much time in a bed and now a round face. People looked at me different. I felt ugly. Although it got to me, I never gave in and tried hard to exercise, get fit again and to look in shape and healthy.
My Ulcerative Colitis became very aggressive and put me in hospital every 7 months. I took a range of drugs to battle against it and to get back to school, but by this time the Prednisone had affected my left hip and had caused Avascular Necrosis (death to bone tissue due to lack of blood supply) which made it painful to walk and kneel down. Once it was diagnosed, I was put on the waiting list to have surgery to help repair the new disease that was occurring in my body.
The surgery was to take place on the 30th of March 2012, 2 days before my 18th birthday. I found it difficult to comprehend the thought of being on crutches for 6 weeks and resting post-surgery when I really wanted to be out with my friends doing normal 18 year old things. This was another hurdle I would have to overcome not just physically, but mentally. On top of all that was happening to my body, the medication I was on to fix one problem disturbed another. My diabetes at this time was hard to manage. I had given up the dream of becoming a famous soccer player long ago and had started a Chef Apprenticeship a year earlier. Just prior to the surgery I had transferred for the second year of my apprenticeship to a new job in a fine dining restaurant located in Port Stephens, NSW. I saw this job as an opportunity to advance my skills. I’m grateful I wasn’t turned down for the position as the manager was aware of my condition and knew I would need to take time off for surgery.
Equipped with even more knowledge and skills obtained in my new role, I entered a cooking competition through a Recruitment company. I placed 2nd in my Region. Although only 1st place progressed to the Grand Final, I was offered a wild card by the judges due to the high level of competition in our category. I travelled to Sydney to cook against 12 of the best 3rd year apprentices in Australia. I had been training for the past 3 weeks attempting to perfect some of the ideas I had. On the day the pressure was enormous. I remember a camera walking around getting in my face and people watching through the window. Adrenaline, fear and nerves mixed with excitement almost became too overwhelming. I began to feel like it was all too much but managed to pull myself together. The competition was fierce with the other contestants producing amazing meals. I felt happy that I had made it this far but felt I had no chance at winning. Later that day they announced the winners. When they called my name for 1st place I was in shock. I couldn’t believe I had come this far, been through so much, yet managed to win such a title. It felt like a dream come true. My family was so proud I had made it this far, but making the phone call to my Father that day to let him know was the best feeling.

Life in my eyes was getting better. My health was finally under control and I was succeeding in my career. However, this was short lived. I was in hospital again within 3 months. My medication was no longer working as well. I was able to then leave hospital on a manageable status and again I soon took another turn for the worse and I was once again back in hospital just in time for the 2012 Christmas holidays. I spent 7 weeks at John Hunter Hospital over this period. My medication was becoming weak and my blood levels were not good, I also developed another blood clot, this time in my right arm. After 2 weeks of treatment and with my body not responding, I was told surgery was my only hope.
This surgery was my biggest fear. Over the last 7 years I had tried everything I could to ensure I would not need a colostomy bag. At 21 years of age, I felt I was too young for this but it was my only option. I soon came to terms with what had to come and thankfully, due to my young age, was offered a different option that meant the colostomy bag could possibly be temporary. The surgery would be a 3 step procedure that in the long run would leave me with no large bowl, no colostomy bag and no stoma. My first surgery consisted of removing the large bowel which left me with a 15cm scar running south from my belly button down and a bag to my right of this. The second surgery was 7 months after the first. I was so happy for this because it was the first stage of reversing the bag. Doctors created a J-pouch out of my small intestine and allowed it to heal over the coming 3 months. In this second major surgery I had more serious consequences. The estimated 4 hour procedure turned into 8 hours. As I woke, I had no feeling in my arms. It was at this moment I felt I had cracked. I had finally let my illness get the better of me. I could deal with having a colostomy bag, having agonising stomach pain when I was having a flair up… but to be paralysed was something different. I did not know whether I would ever regain feeling in my arms again. To just simply lift my arm to scratch my nose is something taken for granted every day. It didn’t help that I had just completed major surgery; the pain I was in was something different. I even overheard the nurses discussing my situation “This isn’t normal. I don’t care what the doctor has said we need to cover our own back.”
It was during this time that I really had time to think. I was basically a vegetable for 5 days in the Intensive Care Unit. I don’t often cry, but I burst into tears 3 times during this period. I tried so hard to hold my appearance and not cry in front of people. I spoke about depression with my nurse who I had grown close to. She could tell I was in a bad state of mind. I was prescribed medication for depression but did not take it. I was sure my theory worked better than any other drug. I remembered back to when I was 15 and had just been diagnosed with diabetes. At this point I felt my life was in ruins. But as you read through my story I hope you can see that I am able to adapt to what life has thrown at me. For me now, diabetes is such a small part of my journey so when I look back it seems petty that I felt the world around me was crumbling down at that moment in time. Well, this is how I approach life. It’s not how much has happened, or how bad it is, but how you process it. I see no point in being down, no point in winging, no point in complaining. I have had very hard moments in my short life to overcome. No matter what we are given in life we must keep fighting. The situation will not always get better but you can’t give up. Believe what you have had has been more then what some people will ever have in a lifetime. Look for the little things in life rather than the bad. Wake up every day with a smile. Appreciate the blue sky, the fresh air and the green grass.

I continued extensive Physiotherapy on my arms and within 3 months was able to do most day to day activities such as driving. I was close to being able to go back to work. I had the 3rd surgery to complete the reversal on my bowel and now have control over my internal J-pouch. The only evidence visible from the outside is 2 large scars. I still have a sore hip from time to time and type 1diabetes but it is all manageable.

In the future I will need a permanent colostomy bag also a hip replacement. I hope my body will continue to cope with the diabetes and no complications arise. For now I need to focus on enjoying my life to the fullest and experience what I can, my dream is to travel the world and see as much as possible and to someday have a family.

My family has always been there to offer me support. Without them this journey would have been a lot harder. I know it has been hard for them too watching their son, brother, nephew and grandson in so much pain and having to endure everything thrown his way. I am truly blessed to have them. My girlfriend who I met in 2013 supports me with everyday issues, and my friends don’t look at me any different which I am grateful for. I am back at work and am enjoying cooking again. I try to make the most of every day by taking time out, taking in the view and thinking about what makes me happy and doing it!
Although someone’s problem might seem minuscule to you, it may be hard to overcome for that person. I believe everyone needs to have compassion and an understanding toward others. Lend a caring hand where you can and be considerate.
My life has been a roller coaster ride and although I wasn’t given a cure or an easy option out, I am thankful I am still here. I’d like to think in the near future young children like myself won’t have to deal with such grief and so I would like to donate any proceedings from this short story to JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) in the hope that one day a cure or better solution for type 1 diabetes can be found.