The Early Years part 1

Not sure how to start this off and i apologise for the length as I tend to "go on" a bit.

During the majority of my secondary school years, I was barely interested in taking part in sports mainly because I was always tired. I also suffered from this excruciating stomach pain, which I always just passed off as "growing pains". I'm not sure when the pain began and I'll admit most of those years are a blur.
Fast forward to my final year I was around 16 years old, we did work experience at school, or more likely it was forced upon us. I was one of the last to choose a job. During the previous years I'd seen nearly all of my friends shoot up in height. I on the other hand stayed a short 4foot 8 (I'm guessing but I was definitely below 5ft).

This was also 6 months after my Dad left our family, I wasn't particularly bothered because he'd made himself unbearable to live with. I was more angry that he'd bogged off in the middle of Italia 90 (football/soccer world cup) and England were due to play Germany in the semis (and all you English know how THAT ended!)

I think during the work experience I realised I might be ill, i weighed around 5 stone and looked about 13. They even asked me to carry a box of 6 bottles of wine despite the fact Icouldnt lift much. And being the silent sufferer I said nothing.

Then in February there was a family wedding, various Great Aunties, Uncles and cousins hadn't seen me for months and in some cases years had commented how ill I looked to my mum and sister. In their defence they had been trying to get me to get medical help, but I was stubborn and said I'd be ok.
 I did seek medical help, but my GP only saw my height or lack of it and referred me to an endocrinologist. Another visit later and another GP thought I was time wasting and being a hypochondriac, my mum tore strips off him and told him to check how often I visited the GP (occasionally for hay fever). He did apologise and actually thought it was crohns or colitis, and got me in hospital that same nigh, so he redeemed himself.

It wasn't for another few months before I was diagnosed with crohns, got decent grades in 6 of my GCSEs. Maths, English and Science being in that 6. A good achievement considering I was ill in one of the exams. I managed to convince the doctors to let me out for a day to get my exam results, although I was more concerned with getting to the cinema to watch Terminator 2.
I was put on steroids, which helped then the pain went down so did the dosage and then the flare ups started again, this went on until October 31st 1991.
Yep of all days Halloween! I suffered a haemorrhage on the toilet (think Elvs but skinnier and I wasnt wearing blue suede shoes). I was in immense pain and could barely walk and became light headed due to blood loss. There was more blood than Michael Myers could shed on Halloween I can tell you. This completely ruined my Shell suit bottoms, but if anyone can remember shell  suits you'll agree that it was a blessing in disguise.

I spent that night in hospital in "a cupboard" due to cuts in the NHS, but they were brilliant. They managed to get me sorted but because they suspected that I'd need surgery I had to go to a neighbouring towns hospital, because the anaesthetist was there that night.
They did say I was too weak for surgery and needed blood transfusions, I was sat up right in the ambulance (whilst being transferred) with a bucket of warm water between my legs to "unfreeze" the units of blood. All the time this was going on, I was joking and "bantering" with the ambulance crew despite the fact this was the only time whilst being ill that i genuinely thought my number was up, despite the bravado I was terrified.

I spent 2 weeks in Leigh infirmary they were great too, I did suffer 2 seizures whilst there mainly due to an infection because I had a central line put in.
One of the doctors told my mum that there was nothing they could do for me off the record and that I'd need more specialist help, and to ask for me to be referred.

I ended up in Hope Hospital, which to me "was miles away", being a driver now I know it isn't very far at all.