Terrifying consequence of ignoring stomach complaints – woman, 21, reveals: ‘I heard a pop… and my intestines fell out’

A 21-year-old woman ignored constipation and severe bloating that made me ‘look six months pregnant’ – and suffered the dire consequences.

Courtney Ingham suffered the extreme symptoms for eight months and was only able to empty her bowels once every three weeks.

But instead of seeing a doctor, the carer, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, said she took laxatives and drank black coffee every day in an attempt to rev up her system.

In June she heard a terrifying ‘pop’ and noticed she was bleeding after going to the toilet – and after taking a photo of her bottom, she realized ‘my intestines had fallen out’.

After two failed operations, she is now awaiting specialist treatment and urges anyone experiencing changes in bowel habits to seek medical attention.

“I was severely constipated for about eight months and I didn’t really think anything of it,” Ms Ingham said. “I just took over-the-counter laxatives and painkillers.

‘It’s been very difficult. Prior to eight months I was someone who went to the toilet regularly, it could be up to three times a day.

‘Then I noticed a little bit of bloating, so that was really concerning, and then I thought my bowel movements had changed a lot.’

Stomach cramps caused by her constipation left Mrs Ingham in so much pain that she called in sick to work.

‘Every day I used to use Laxido’s regular sachets because that’s what we give our patients and they’re meant to really help, but I stopped taking them for a while because it didn’t feel like they were working,’ she said.

She tried natural remedies by drinking black coffee, lemon juice and eating more fiber, without success.

Mrs Ingham also reduced her portions as she thought the cause was overeating, but even after eating less she still felt nauseous.

“I’ve tried watching YouTube videos and doing things like putting your legs up, lifting your legs, like rubbing your stomach,” she said.

But when she tried to exert herself a little, she felt a ‘muscle snap’.

‘When I was pushing, I was in tremendous pain and it felt like I was doing something out of place. “I described it the way I could imagine the birth,” she said.

‘I felt something there. When I wiped and it was blood I was really worried because there was no stool but it felt like there was.

‘At first it was a bit spotty, then it was filled with tissue. I knew something was wrong because the blood was fresh and came from some kind of wound.

‘I had to wear a panty liner in my panties because of the bleeding, it got a bit heavy.

‘So then I had to crouch down and take an unattractive photo and I noticed that it looked like I was describing it as someone’s organs. It almost looked like meat. My intestines had gone out.’

Frightened, she quickly went homeo Emergency room at Darlington Memorial Hospital, where doctors examined her under general anesthesia.

She was diagnosed with rectal prolapse, in which internal muscle weakness causes the rectum to invert and fall outside the posterior passage.

This usually presents as a lump protruding from the back passage. Medics performed surgery to correct the problem, but it was unsuccessful.

Rectal prolapse is rare; This is thought to affect 2.5 in 100,000 people in Britain, with older women in particular.

Mrs Ingham explained that it left her with anal fissures: tears in the lining of the anus that can cause pain and bleeding during bowel movements.

After her operation to repair the prolapse, Mrs Ingham was ‘bed-bound’.

‘I had to trust everyone to take care of me. I couldn’t shower on my own. It was really discouraging.

Less than two weeks after the operation, on July 3, Mrs Ingham returned to hospital after experiencing significant pain and illness.

She said: ‘Because I was so constipated I obviously couldn’t push anything through my bowels, so everything just came up. I couldn’t keep food down.

“And then there was the dizziness and the bleeding and the pain and the wound itself.”

She had the operation for a second time in August but said it didn’t help and has now been told she may need to consider an ostomy bag.

‘That really touched me. I remember just sitting there crying because I thought I was 21 years old. What will people think?

‘I talked to my therapist and I said it almost feels like I’m grieving the loss of being able to use the toilet. That’s what it felt like.

‘I still poop once every three weeks. It still remains the same.

‘It was very miserable, very depressing and it stopped me from doing everyday things.

‘There are certain things I can no longer wear because it is too restrictive. It has affected everything.

‘I know it sounds really strange because it’s such a small thing, but for me it felt like it took over my life.

‘I look about six months pregnant. My stomach swells enormously, it is huge. It damages your self-confidence.

Ms Ingham said she has been tested for IBS and Crohn’s disease but has not yet received the results. She has since been referred to a specialist and is awaiting an appointment in December.

She shared her story on TikTok in hopes of raising awareness about what happened to her, but regrets not going to the doctor sooner.

‘If there is a change in someone’s bowel movements or they feel like they can no longer go to the toilet effectively, I think I should see their doctor straight away, don’t leave it as long as I did.

‘I think if I had gone within the first eight months and spoken to a GP earlier I could have avoided all of this.’