Actress AMY BRENNEMAN has opened up about the secret surgery she underwent in January (10), revealing she had an operation to cure her from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The Private Practice star previously refused to go into detail about what ailed her after she spent several days in hospital to correct a "longstanding and chronic problem".
But now she's gone public with her health battle - she was suffering from painful symptoms of IBD, a disease which can inflict sufferers with ulcers or open sores on their large intestine or colon.
She says, "I had a big old operation. I'd been suffering from ulcerative colitis for about five years and I had to have an operation to correct that... I'm great now."
Actress Amy Brenneman has stepped up as the spokeswoman for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America after suffering from inflammatory bowel disease for years.
http://www.contactmusic.com/news/brenneman-underwent-surgery-for-intestinal-disease_1166943
The Private Practice star underwent surgery in 2010 to have her colon removed and she has been in good health ever since.
Brenneman was recently approached by organisers behind the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation to help raise awareness about the disease and she agreed to film a public service announcement to encourage others not to suffer in silence.
During an appearance on U.S. talk show The View on Monday (01Oct12), she said, "A lot of people suffer from it, it is not a glamorous disease. They (Foundation officials) wanted it to get some traction because there is something really private and embarrassing and strange about (inflammatory bowel disease)."
Actress AMY BRENNEMAN has opened up about the surgery she underwent in January (10) to correct a "longstanding and chronic problem".
The Heat star admits she was squirming in pain as her surgery approached and spent several days in hospital as her body "fell apart".
Brenneman refuses to go into details about what ailed her, but the 45 year old is relieved she's in recovery.
She tells website MomLogic.com, "It was as if my body knew that relief was in sight; that it didn't need to be a good camper anymore and hang on. Around January 15, it fell apart altogether and I found myself limping into the ER (emergency room).
"Everything went well. Of course it did - how could it not? I was with the top surgeon in the country for this sort of thing, at a major medical institution that did this kind of surgery all the time. I had sanitary surroundings, top-notch nursing and kind people constantly asking me if I was in pain - and if I was, doing something to rectify it.
"That said, the journey was not without drama. Because my body was failing, there were emergency situations, and I was in the emergency room three times in two weeks."
Brenneman admits she did a lot of thinking during her time in hospital: "When you're in physical distress, higher thoughts go out the window. Here I am - me, who loves thinking about God and art and politics and social justice; me, who is always looking for signs and portents and the Meaning Of Life - here are the kinds of thoughts I've had during the last month: 'I'm in pain. When am I not going to be in pain? I need to sleep. I need to eat. I'm cold. How can I get to the restroom with an IV and a catheter? And how the hell do the ties on a hospital gown work?'
"My world became very, very small. It reminded me of when my kids were newborns. Moment to moment - can't think beyond that. Eating, sleeping, pooping, crying. Elemental and animal. I was reduced to this.
"Perhaps by letting go of the search for the Meaning of Life, I stumbled into a piece of it, right there in hospital room 804."
http://www.contactmusic.com/news/brenneman-relieved-surgery-pain-is-over_1133834
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