“When you’re on the mountain, you’ve got to commit.” That's how active young Mum and outdoors adventurer, Veronica Croser, lives her life. One health challenge after another and one courageous step at a time. Because Veronica is one of many thousands of Australians who suffer the often daily discomfort that comes with Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and can often cause symptoms like belly pain and cramps, diarrhea and even blood in your stool. Inflammatory bowel disease is chronic and it can’t be cured - but it can usually be carefully managed with medications, regular specialist appointments and diet. But in extreme cases, including for Veronica, chronic IBD can also lead to potentially life-threatening 'flares' or 'episodes', where severe inflammation and thickening or scarring inside the bowel can rapidly develop into intestinal blockages and infections. And that is exactly what happened to Veronica during the summer of 2024, when she was hiking solo across a mountain trail in the middle of trying to complete a 164 km hike from the north to the south of the Grampians Peak walk.
When you’re on the mountain, you’ve got to commit!
By sharing her incredible story with the Flying Doctor Podcast, in episode #121, Veronica hopes to shine a much-needed light on the often misunderstood but remarkably common health issues relating to our bowels. While IBD is at the more extreme end of bowel conditions, many Australians silently suffer the symptoms of chronic bowel disorders, without realising just how many other people share their journey. For the 43-year-old mother of two, who lives with her family in Bordertown SA, IBD began as just a series of 'vague but chronic symptoms' - that gradually worsened over time. After plenty of tests and inconclusive diagnosis, Veronica was eventually referred to the Inflammatory Bowel Disease outpatients clinic at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. But after enjoying a short time of drug and treatment assisted remission in 2023, Veronica experienced a truly frightening 'Crohn's flare' while completing a solo hike along the Grampians Peaks Trail. It was at this point in her 'IBD journey' that the seriousness of her condition really hit home for Veronica. And things were about to become a whole lot worse...
While waiting list for a Bowel Resection Surgery, she experienced a dangerous bowel obstruction in April 2024 - where she required RFDS transport to take her to Adelaide for emergency treatment and more specialist appointments. After being placed on a full liquid diet (EEN -Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN) - which involves treating patients with a completely liquid diet, using formula and formula alone to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - Veronica (unsurprisingly) struggled to stay on track. Eventually, she would actually use the empty EEN bottles to share her IBC story with her children's school community. But at the time, Veronica's world had shrunk to a diet of broth, chicken and rice in addition to the protein drinks. And the chronic pain continued. Thankfully, Veronica finally underwent major bowel surgery in May 2024 - spending 14 days in hospital and having parts of her bowel resected. As she shares her story in 2025 with the Flying Doctor podcast, Veronica is healing well, feeling fit and actually has her sights set on a 260km hike in 2025.
