Inside Louise Thompson's health battle: From lupus diagnosis to life-saving stoma bag

Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson has been open about her health struggles, bravely sharing her journey with her 1.2million Instagram followers.

On Tuesday, the fitness influencer revealed that she had recently undergone surgery and been fitted with a stoma bag, which she credits with saving her life.

But that hasn’t been her only battle - she faced a health scare while holidaying with her fiancé Ryan Libbey and their son Leo in February which resulted in her emergency hospitalisation following severe blood loss.

Over the past two years, the 34-year-old, who has been diagnosed with lupus and ulcerative colitis, has had a long and painful journey “dancing with death” during her pregnancy to her latest positive stoma update.

Near-death birth complications

Louise faced a challenging journey even before her pregnancy, having been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a condition causing inflammation in the lower part of the digestive system, affecting the large bowel and rectum.

However, it wasn't until the birth of her son Leo, whom she shares with her Made in Chelsea co-star Ryan, that Louise encountered life-threatening complications.

Their son was born in November 2021, but the couple chose to keep the news private until shortly before Christmas, as Louise remained in hospital.

Taking to Instagram at the time, the TV personality revealed that she had been admitted to the ICU while Leo was in NICU.

She shared with her followers: “To dance with death twice brings a whole new view of the world.

“Whilst Leo made a fairly quick recovery I have been recovering in hospital for a month with various serious complications.”

Shortly after, Louise revealed that she was experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and post-natal anxiety. Her mind was constantly in a state of “fight or flight”, and she began to have depressive episodes, which she likened to “panic attacks.”

She wrote on social media at the time: “My panic episodes can last hours or days and are totally unpredictable. When I’m having one I can’t function, I can’t look after myself, let alone anyone else around me.

“I can’t even spell my name. I can’t see, I can’t hear, I can’t look anyone in the eye. They have got so bad that I have convinced myself that I’m going crazy.

“I feel depersonalisation, hyper paranoia as if I’ve taken a million and one drugs and I feel like I’m stuck in another realm. I am not myself.”

Lupus diagnosis

Following another hospitalisation, Louise described her brain as having “basically shut down” enduring consecutive panic attacks during her most challenging moments. Recurring bouts of exhaustion and severe joint pain plagued her, leading to numerous hospital visits.

Then in December 2022, she disclosed she had been diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic condition characterised by symptoms such as joint pain, skin rashes, and fatigue, along with stomach discomfort, hair loss, swelling, and weight fluctuations.

Similar to Selena Gomez, who also battles Lupus, Louise faces a condition with no known cure, often causing profound debilitation.

Detailing her symptoms, she shared on social media: “I’ve got drug-induced lupus.

“So I’m suffering from that which is fabulous. It means that I’m really tired but I’ve also started to get really intolerable joint pain especially if I sit down for any amount of time if I cross my legs.”

The fitness influencer candidly confessed: "I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. I’ve always been so able-bodied and so active, exercise has been such a big part of my life and it’s just so rough having to adapt to all of these new medical conditions so that’s been really tough."

Major haemorrhage

Months on from Leo’s birth, Louise's health seemed to stabilise, and her mood improved. However, amidst documenting skiing trips and retreats, she openly admitted to experiencing tougher days.

A planned family vacation to St. Lucia marked a turning point, as her health rapidly declined, forcing them to postpone the trip until May 2023.

Sharing snippets of her and her son on the beach, Louise reflected: “I should be counting my lucky stars that I was firmly on British soil when I suffered a major hemorrhage and underwent emergency surgery at the end of January.”

The haemorrhage occurred just days before their scheduled departure, prompting Louise to acknowledge that she likely wouldn't have survived had it happened during their travels.

Subsequently, she endured numerous doctor visits and weekly hospital appointments over the next year, enduring over 50 painful blood tests that were “far too painful to watch”.

Lengthy hospital stay

In early 2024, Louise made the decision to travel despite her health challenges. The family embarked on a trip to Antigua for some sunshine, but unfortunately, her health took a turn for the worse, leading to an extended hospital stay in February.

Reflecting on her condition during the holiday, she revealed: “Whilst away I fell asleep lots randomly in the car and in the middle of the day and on the beach. Couldn’t really walk or pick up Leo.”

Despite experiencing alarming symptoms such as “going to the loo every 20 minutes losing cups full of blood”, Louise admitted that she hadn't recognised the severity of her situation at the time.

She acknowledged: “My body was 'surviving,' 'masking,' and 'compensating,' but probably only because I’m young and I’ve got a good ticker. Bit of a miracle really.

“Most people would be in A&E day 1 with my symptoms, I have no qualms in saying that because I know what my symptoms were and they were not ok, I’ll spare you some of the grittier details, but I became a little “too used” to my chronic condition.”

Her fiancé, Ryan, shared updates on social media, revealing how Leo's visits to the hospital brought moments of “pure magic” amidst the challenging ordeal.

After nearly three weeks in the hospital, Louise finally returned home, only to be readmitted a week later. Ryan expressed his hopes of being reunited as a family again soon, highlighting the emotional strain they endured during this period of uncertainty.

Fitted with a stoma bag

On Tuesday, Louise announced that she had undergone a procedure to have a stoma bag, also known as a colostomy, fitted, which she affectionately referred to it as “Le bum bag.”

Acknowledging the reality of her situation, she stated: “Not exactly a glamorous announcement but not something I want to keep hidden forever,” as she proudly displayed the bag underneath her jeans.

Stomas, openings in the abdomen that collect waste from the digestive system, can be either temporary or permanent.

She continued in her Instagram post: “Hey look i’m having a boy…/Hey look i’ve got a stoma! So I guess i’ll just stand here/ Proud in stature/ With my new friend/ Le bum bag/ that represents life/ And hopefully a better one.

“Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health! I say good riddance to that nasty menacing colon!”

For help and support on Lupus contact Lupus UK on 01708 731251 or visit their website here.

If you have questions, need support or just want to talk to someone who lives with a stoma contact Colostomy UK on 0800 328 4257.