Louise Thompson shares health update as she discusses 'invisible diseases' and thanks NHS staff for 'giving her more time' in tribute to medics

Daily Mail​

20-05-2025

Louise Thompson has given fans a health update and thanked NHS staff for their incredible work as she admitted they have 'given her more time'.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 30, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a post commemorating World IBD Day, which raises awareness for Crohn's and other inflammatory bowel diseases.
Louise herself was diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis in 2018, as well as Lupus, and Asherman's syndrome. She also suffered two haemorrhages and had a stoma bag fitted.
She nearly died when giving birth to her first child, Leo, after undergoing an emergency C-section in December 2021 due to suffering 'serious complications'.
In her latest post, Louise candidly discussed the difficulties of dealing with an 'invisible disease' as she shared a photograph of herself in hospital.
'Invisible diseases are deceptive. They can be cruel because people can't see them,' she explained.
'I don't walk around showing people photos of the blood coming out of me so I often suffer in silence and alone.
'This photo is a prime example of what can be hidden behind strength, a smile and some loose clothes.
'On the outside I look OK. You wouldn't know I had four drains underneath this top that are causing me a lot of mental and physical pain.'
Louise went on to reference how she recently saw a post from someone who had left the medical profession and thanked all doctors and nurses for their tireless work.
She said of the post: 'They were complaining about the NHS, the lack of pay, the long hours, but then talking about how happy they were that they'd handed in their notice and moved onto more lucrative times doing something different, maybe in aesthetics… I think!
'I sort of lost track when it came to that bit because I was so engulfed and emotional reading the other words that had been shared.
'Come to think of it I really hope it wasn't all a clever ploy just to get more business and more eyes on their brand. But it really REALLY made me think.
'It made me think S*** I am SO glad that there are people out there who sacrifice their time day in day out doing long 8 hour (sometimes more) shifts to help people when they are at their most vulnerable time in their lives.
'People that sacrifice their own mental health by putting themselves in a position where they may have to watch someone die. I can't imagine how HARD that is.
'They commit to making a difference. They keep people living. They give people like me more time.'
She continued: 'Imagine being able to offer life to someone because life really is the biggest gift. WHERE would we be without all of those people. SHOUT OUT TO YOU GUYS> those that are brave enough to keep going and not hand in your notice.
'You are all no doubt incredibly intelligent people which is what led you to this career in the first place (I know when I was at school all the smartest girls in my year studied triple science teehee) and the opportunity cost of that is great.
'There are many things you could be doing, but you choose to put others first. SO THANK YOU to all the amazing people that dedicate there time to any poor health condition.'
Louise revealed last April that she had been fitted with a stoma after years of battling with ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed and small ulcers develop on the colon's lining, which can bleed.
A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of body waste into a medical device, which the person can then empty.
Since her diagnosis, Louise has continued to spread awareness and proudly show off her stoma, which she's nicknamed Winnie, in a reference to Winnie The Pooh.
And last month, Louise opened up about suffering a 'horrendously debilitating' stoma leak while out in central London.
She explained that she had headed to Marylebone with her fiancé Ryan Libbey on his motorbike for an appointment and a coffee, before going to record a podcast.
But despite their 'great start', she suddenly realised her stoma bag had unfortunately leaked, forcing her to rush to the nearest hospital for supplies.
Sharing several selfies of her and Ryan on their bike journey before everything went wrong, she wrote: 'Yesterday I found myself in a really depressing situation.
'l had a great start to the day. I had a medical appointment at @avenues.life in the morning with Ryan... we biked there to get ahead of the traffic and managed to shave off 20 minutes from the journey.
'Then was off to record a podcast with 2x good friends which has been in the diary for ages. Had a lot of excited energy in my belly following a c**p week of of c**p health.
'We got off the bike in Marylebone blissfully happy and headed to @watchhouse for some delicious coffee and cookies pre-recording because we were a smidge early, but then I felt something a bit wet in my pocket. I looked down and had had the most horrendously debilitating stoma leak.'
She recounted how she was left 'too overwhelmed' to explain the situation, but Ryan stepped in, while she was left in a bathroom for an hour waiting for staff to try and source any new stoma bags.
Louise said: 'I had to hobble to the nearest hospital which was a private one so a bit awkward. I was actually too overwhelmed to speak when we got to reception so thankfully Ryan who I was with handled it for me.
'I then literally waited locked in a bathroom for an hour sat on the loo covered in mess whilst they dug around to see if they had any stoma bags for any of their [sic] inpatients.'
Sharing a photo of the bag they had found, she explained she'd had to painfully rip off her old one and cut down the new device, while her assistant rushed to buy her a new pair of trousers and she struggled to pull herself together.
She broke down after the ordeal and realised that she was unable to continue with her work commitments, needing to prioritise her mental health.
What is a stoma?
A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of urine and faeces.
According to the NHS, this procedure may be needed if you cannot pass stools through your anus, which could be the result of an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system.
In the UK, it is estimated that one in 335 people have had the surgery.
The procedure can be part treatment for a number of illnesses, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease or any trauma to the abdomen.
The stoma will generally be 'pink and moist - like the inside of our mouths'. After the surgery, it will be swollen, but this will reduce in six to eight weeks.
There is no sensation to touching a stoma - as there are no nerves - but different people will have theirs in a different size or shape.
It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which could later be reversed, if the diseased or damaged area in the bowel needs to heal over time.
TYPES OF STOMA
COLOSTOMY
This refers to an opening in the colon - the large intestine. During the operation, a part of the colon will be brought from inside the body through their abdomen. The output from this 'often resembles a traditional stool' and functions around one to three times a day.
ILEOSTOMY
For this procedure, the surgeon will bring a part of the small intestine - the ileum specifically - from inside the patient's body and bring it through the abdomen, stitching it down to secure it. The output for an ileostomy is looser than that of a colostomy. An ileostomy bag - which enables drainage into the toilet between three to six times a day' - is also worn.
UROSTOMY
A urostomy refers to an opening for a person's urine specifically. For this, the surgeon will take a piece of someone's small intestine and attach it to the ureters. This will 'form a passageway for urine to pass through'. For this, one of the tube is brought out through the abdomen. A urostomy bag will also have a 'bung or tap on the bottom to allow urine to be drained at regular intervals into the toilet'.