PITY IF YOU MISSED THE MEETING ON 10 SEPTEMBER

Nearly 30 of us gathered at the Farnborough Rugby Club on Tuesday night. Jayne Lifford, IBD Biologics Nurse Specialist educated and entertained us on the subject of Biologic Drugs. We started off with a Quiz and part of the challenge was to come up with a name for our team. HONESTLY. These were our names: CROHN’S COLLECTIVE; THE GUT WRENCHERS; S–T HAPPENS!; THE RUNNERS; TRIO TOILETTE; FAILED MISERABLY (because they couldn’t think of anything else in the time available!) By going through the answers, we learned so much about the drugs, how they work on IBD, possible side effects, the costs (truly ranging from a few hundred pounds a year to £20,000 a year (75 patients are on that one!) and how the hospital monitors the effects they have. Jayne was kind enough to award a box of chocolates as a prize. In IT wonderful democratic fashion, it was passed around all of us there.

It was great also to have Sophie with us. She is the first point of contact now when you ring or email the IBD nurses and she was able to put more faces to names and helped to answer several queries on the night. I think she also took away a few more issues to resolve the next day!

Many were there for the first time and, although a bit nervous about what they were letting themselves in for, they soon realised we were very welcoming and friendly. After Jaynes’ talk we had ample opportunity to mingle and chat and share our IBD experiences – all done with our usual sense of humour and sympathetic understanding. It’s good to know you are not on your own!

Thanks to everyone who came along and a special thanks to Jayne and Sophie.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT MEETING. IT WILL BE ON 10 DECEMBER AND OF COURSE IT WILL HAVE A CHRISTMAS THEME!