Charlie Ryan said she now felt stronger than ever after multiple health battles
A runner who was plagued by the need to visit the loo an astonishing 40 times a day has triumphed over adversity following life-saving bowel removal surgery. Charlie Ryan, aged 37, endured what she termed a “minefield” of gut diseases, but now celebrates feeling like a “new woman” after undergoing stoma surgery to have her entire bowel removed.
Initially, Charlie required a temporary colostomy – a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the abdomen for stool to leave the body. However, when her bowel became perforated due to disease, her doctor advised that the whole organ needed to be taken out.
Now equipped with a permanent stoma and ostomy bag, Charlie, a fitness professional from Salisbury, Wiltshire, is embracing life with gusto despite initial trepidation. She expressed her newfound strength and comfort, saying: “I’d describe myself as the strongest and most comfortable I’ve ever been. Which is weird, considering I’ve got this horrendous scar and bag. As a woman, I’ve always had wobbles, but I’ve stepped into this – I’m owning it.”
Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a long-term condition causing inflammation of the bowel and rectum, at 33, Charlie also faced a battle with irritable bowel disease (IBD), a cluster of conditions known for triggering intense abdominal pain or diarrhoea.
“My health has been a bit of a minefield,” she said. “In 2020, just as we were going into lockdown, I was diagnosed with IBD.
“Then, in October 2022, things got really bad. I was really poorly, in and out of hospital constantly.”
Charlie’s entire body would react to the inflammation caused by her IBD and ulcerative colitis. She developed a skin condition called Sweet syndrome – which causes fever and red, raised cysts all over the body.
Her joints also developed “reactive arthritis” – which led to her being prescribed steroids. The most severe issue caused by the diseases was malnourishment – which saw Charlie being admitted back into hospital in May 2024.
“I was malnourished to the point where my brain was shutting down,” she said. “My doctors said I’d need a temporary colostomy to help the inflammation.
“But I kept going downhill, after a couple of days, I started being fed through a PICC line. I was going to the toilet 40 times a day – by this time, I was in nappies.”
Charlie’s care team said they’d need to get an MRI of her bowel to determine when would be best to go ahead with the surgery. But while in the MRI, her bowel became perforated through inflammation – and Charlie underwent an emergency procedure to remove the entire organ. This meant she needed a permanent stoma and ostomy bag, but was reassured she’d feel “amazing” after her recovery.
Charlie said: “My gastro doctor told me: ‘In two weeks’ time, you’ll feel amazing’. I couldn’t really talk to anyone at the time, because I needed to process everything. But sure enough, soon after the surgery; I was sitting in my garden, amazed at how well I felt.”
Despite initial “wobbles” Charlie suffered with changing her ostomy bag, she slowly began taking up activities she couldn’t do before her surgery. She set herself small fitness goals – starting off with walking 300 yards to the corner shop and back.
Within four months, she was running long-distance and lifting weights at the gym. In September 2024, she ran a 60-mile race for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
“Life’s been absolutely amazing,” she said. “But when I woke up from the surgery, I had a clear-fronted bag – I couldn’t look at it.
“The first time I had to change it at home, I passed out. In my head, it was ugly, it was disgusting. I wondered whether my husband, Fraser, would still be attracted to me.”
With the help of husband, class one driver, Fraser, 38, Charlie says she “made the choice to be enough”. Now, five months on, the fitness professional feels like a “new woman” – and feels more attractive than ever.
“I would describe myself physically as very strong and very capable,” she said. “I do feel very comfortable in my own skin. To women who have just had their stoma surgery, I’d say: ‘Let yourself sit in the discomfort’. It’s only temporary.”
