'I took up to 21 laxatives a day before life-changing bowel surgery - now I'm fighting gut health stigma'
She was repeatedly told her symptoms were “just constipation”
A Batley woman who spent years living with severe digestive symptoms before having life-changing bowel surgery is backing a new campaign to tackle gut health stigma.
Rebecca Fargie, 36, used to take up to 21 prescribed laxatives a day as she was unable to empty her bowels normally and was repeatedly told her symptoms were “just constipation” or anxiety. She was finally diagnosed with slow transit constipation, a type of bowel dysmotility.
After years of hospital admissions, failed treatments and debilitating pain, Rebecca underwent ileostomy surgery earlier this year, requiring her to wear a stoma bag.
She is now sharing her story to back a charity campaign aimed at tackling the stigma around gut health.
Rebecca's symptoms first began in 2020 when she was 20 weeks pregnant with her youngest child. She developed severe constipation, stomach pain and sickness.
After giving birth, her symptoms became significantly worse.
“The constipation got more severe, and the pain became unbearable, worse than labour,” she said.
For years, Rebecca says she was repeatedly told there was nothing seriously wrong and that her symptoms were simply constipation. Doctors eventually removed her gallbladder in the hope it would resolve the problem, but the surgery failed to improve her symptoms.
Over the following year, Rebecca continued to experience severe symptoms and repeated hospital admissions. It wasn't until 2024, following further specialist testing, that she was finally diagnosed with slow transit constipation – a less common form of constipation caused by the muscles lining the bowel not working properly.
“Getting a diagnosis finally gave me an explanation for everything I'd been experiencing,” she said.
“After years of being told it was just constipation, it was validating to know there was a genuine underlying condition causing my symptoms.”
When other treatment options failed, Rebecca’s colorectal specialist recommended surgery to form an ileostomy, an operation that brings the end of the small bowel through an opening in the abdomen to allow waste to pass into a stoma bag.
She said: “Coming to terms with having surgery was incredibly hard and, to me, it felt like the last option. All I wanted was to be able to live a normal life with my family.”
Although her recovery has been challenging, she says she is finally beginning to regain parts of her life.
“For so long my life was controlled by pain, hospitals and fear of food,” she said.
“Now, for the first time in years, I finally feel hopeful for the future.
“I cannot wait to make happy memories with my children and finally start living instead of just surviving.”
National charity Guts UK has launched Let's Talk Guts, a new awareness campaign running from July 13-19.
The campaign encourages people to have more open conversations about digestive conditions and symptoms, and to seek help when something does not feel right.
“Digestive conditions can completely take over your life, and speaking up sooner could get you support and treatment you need earlier,” Rebecca said.
“I know how embarrassing it can feel talking about digestive symptoms, but there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.”
For more information about the Let’s Talk Guts campaign, visit gutscharity.org.uk/lets-talk-guts