Darren Fletcher

[silverlining]

Getting negged is boss.

 

It's nice to take pleasure in what you do.

[Bjornebye]

Getting bummed is boss.

 

knew it.

[Tony Moanero]

knew it.

 

Ha Ha

 

Funny that.

[Karl_b]

It's obviously the in-thing to have:

 

BBC News - Hardtalk - Lewis Moody's private battle with bowel disease

 

 

Lewis Moody's private battle with bowel disease

 

The former England rugby captain Lewis Moody was used to some tough battles on the pitch but none were to prove harder than coping with a bowel disease.

 

Ulcerative Colitis is a long-term inflammatory disorder that causes ulceration of the rectum and the colon.

 

When symptoms of the condition - which can mean bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain, a frequent need to go to the toilet and weight loss - first appeared, the rugby star put off going to the doctor for four weeks.

 

It was very debilitating and humiliating as a young man because you expect it to be an old person's disease

Lewis Moody

 

Then once he was diagnosed he feared it would wreck his rugby career.

 

So he hid it from his teammates - but the frequent need to visit the toilet was not always an easy thing to conceal.

 

"That was really tough to be fair. I don't know anyone that openly talks about their toilet habits.

 

"So for a young man - I was 25 at the time - all of a sudden you are going to the loo 20 or 30 times a day.

 

"You are losing a relentless amount of blood and being a classic bloke I left it a month before I went to see the doctor even though this was a daily routine," he told the BBC's HARDtalk programme.

 

Moody, known affectionately by teammates and fans as "Mad Dog" retired from rugby in March following a shoulder injury.

 

He is now supporting the work of the charity Crohn's and Colitis UK and urging other sufferers to get treatment quickly and to try to lift the taboo surrounding the subject.

 

He said: "It was very debilitating and humiliating as a young man because you expect it to be an old person's disease but it is the complete opposite I have learnt since - most people are diagnosed under the age of 30."

 

Doctors say the most vulnerable age groups for the disease are those aged between 15 and 30.

 

"For me not having any information was the hardest thing and trying to hide it from my teammates.

 

"I had such an array of injuries I didn't want there to be another reason for the guys to say 'well we are not going to be able to pick Lewis because he will never make it to the start of the game because he might have to run off the loo'."

 

Covering the short distance from his home to training ground could be a battle in itself.

 

He recalled: "I was struggling to leave the house sometimes. I only lived four minutes away from the training ground and sometimes I would have to plan my route so that I could stop three or four times en route just to go to the loo.

 

"Some of the poor people in the establishments on the way probably wondered what on earth was going on as I pulled in every morning."

 

Moody wrote in his autobiography that he believed his rugby career could have played a part in him developing the condition.

 

He was plagued by injuries throughout his 15 years at the top and this led to an over-exposure to anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and painkillers.

 

To keep the disease under control he now takes tablets daily and has to stick to a special diet.

 

Being more open about his condition eventually made it easier to cope with.

 

"I have to admit it was probably a couple of years until I told my good mates and they probably knew anyway because it was obvious. I had lost weight. I was gaunt.

 

"But it became much easier when I did tell the guys...

 

"That was one of the learning curves for me with the disease. The more I spoke about it, the easier it became."

 

HARDtalk is broadcast on the BBC News Channel and on BBC World News.

[ZonkoVille77]

It's obviously the in-thing to have:

 

BBC News - Hardtalk - Lewis Moody's private battle with bowel disease

 

I have it myself and I can assure you it's a terrible condition.

Nothing like an "in-thing" to have.

[The Golden Eel]

"So for a young man - I was 25 at the time - all of a sudden you are going to the loo 20 or 30 times a day.

 

"You are losing a relentless amount of blood and being a classic bloke I left it a month before I went to see the doctor even though this was a daily routine," he told the BBC's HARDtalk programme.

 

Can't believe that. I'd have been there after two days.

[Karl_b]

I have it myself and I can assure you it's a terrible condition.

Nothing like an "in-thing" to have.

 

I'd suggest reading the whole thread, particularly the bottom of page 2.

[lifetime fan]

Fletcher is in todays squad for the mancs.

[Section_31]

Wouldn't fancy sitting next to him on the coach, smelly man.

[mht1892]

he'll be sponsored by Imodium this year.

[VladimirIlyich]

I was diagnosed with it and 24 and its no fun whatsoever.

 

Had to give up my Cup Final ticket in '92 because I was in hospital with it too.

[sm9]

Man Utd have just announced that he's had surgery and will miss the rest of the season as he recovers: Darren Fletcher to miss rest of season - Official Manchester United Website

 

Fletcher misses rest of season

 

Darren Fletcher will be unavailable for the remainder of this season having undergone surgery to resolve his Ulcerative Colitis condition.

 

We wish to stress this was a planned procedure undertaken at the optimal time having achieved a period of sustained good general health, as illustrated by the fact that Darren has trained with the team regularly this season and been available for selection right up to the operation.

 

Whilst it is frustrating for both Darren and the Club that he won’t be able to contribute further during this campaign, this decision has been taken with our full support in the best interests of his long-term health and we look forward to him returning next season with this problem firmly behind him.

 

We would be grateful if his privacy could be respected at this time and in the coming months in order to aid his recuperation.

 

Unfortunate wording for the bit in bold there.

[Whelan]

Couldn't give a shit!

 

Me, not him.

[Section_31]

Smelly man.

[Jim H]

you can see it here at the end, inadvertently caught on the big screen. However they are obviously just joining in with the 'support' and probably aren't bright enough to be thinking anything of it.

 

Pity they can't sing the same for the F,A Cup.

[Cardie]

Man Utd have just announced that he's had surgery and will miss the rest of the season as he recovers: Darren Fletcher to miss rest of season - Official Manchester United Website

 

 

 

Unfortunate wording for the bit in bold there.

 

Lucky for him he can afford to take extended breaks off with it when most people ahve to work through it.

[chauncey]

Irrespective of who he plays for, it's always sad to see a player's career go down the toilet.

[RedRazor]

Heard some american guy describe Darren Fletcher as a bad ass motherfucker.