'Hidden illness leaves me in agony - I can use the toilet up to 30 times a day'

A firefighter from Failsworth has told how an invisible illness affects every aspect of her life – from walks in the park to dating. Catherine Hopkins was just 27 when she began suffering swollen joints, stomach pain and chronic fatigue.

She was also passing blood whenever she went to the bathroom – but felt too embarrassed to tell doctors about her symptoms.

As her condition worsened, the now 33-year-old eventually reached out for help. Following numerous assessments, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis.

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Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease which can cause frequent diarrhoea, stomach aches and needing to go to the toilet a lot. The incurable disease is lifelong and can have a significant negative impact on the quality of life.

“I noticed there was a lot of pain in my left side, especially when I was going to the toilet,” Catherine, known as Cat, said. “Quite a lot of blood started to come out. I was pretty embarrassed so I hid it for about a year but it got progressively worse.

“I went to the doctors and it was a slow process because it can be so many different things. I do a lot of weight lifting so they thought I might have a hernia – then they went down the avenue of Crohn's, Colitis or otherwise.”

Following her diagnosis, Cat tried a variety of different treatments but nothing seemed to ease her discomfort. At one point, she even stopped taking her medication as she was in denial about her chronic illness.

Over time, Cat was forced to adapt to a new “normal”. Life with the condition made her worry about simple things others take for granted – from grabbing a takeaway, going for a walk and even