Rewarding Great People - Issue 4

TIME TO TALK Workshop Service Manager, Rob Valintine, is determined to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental and physical illness, and he believes that we need to speak up in order to eliminate this issue facing the construction industry. “I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in 2019. I had stomach cramps constantly, all my joints ached, and I was having to use the toilet what felt like constantly. This meant I was struggling with lack of sleep and my weight was all over the place. I found I did not want to eat as I knew it would have an impact on my day-to-day activities.

everyone, including my family. The first four months I had the symptoms, I felt so isolated and so alone, I didn’t know which way to turn. I was struggling with a physical health issue which ultimately affected my mental health. “My wife, Vicky, knew something was wrong. She could see me changing every day and I was not aware of this. I finally broke down and told her everything.

“I was put on medication which helped suppress my symptoms to the point I felt I was back to my normal life again, but it was short lived. In 2021, I had a flare-up; all the symptoms were back, but this time it felt 100 times worse. This carried on into 2022 when I was admitted to hospital. “The decision was made for me to have surgery to remove my large bowel as it was full of ulcers, something I never wanted to happen, but it had to happen. I had life changing surgery and now have a stoma. This was a massive shock to the system - this thing had saved my life, but I hated it. “At the time I felt like I could not talk about my emotions – ‘That’s not what men did’. I took the typical male stance on this and hid it from

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