A runner was going to the toilet 40 times a day, ended up malnourished and her brain was "shutting down" before had emergency bowel removal surgery. <br /><br />Charlie Ryan, 37, says she had a "minefield" of gut diseases - but now feels like a "new woman" after having her entire bowel removed during stoma surgery. <br /><br />She initially needed a temporary colostomy - a procedure which creates an opening in her abdomen to allow stool to exit her body. <br /><br />But after her bowel became perforated through disease, her doctor said she’d need to have the entire organ removed. <br /><br />Now she has a permanent stoma and ostomy bag - but feels like she’s "living her best life" despite initial fears.
