Living with Chronic Illness: My Experience with Crohn's Disease
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Chronic illness is different from illness that gets cured and illness from which you die. It never, ever, ever goes away. It may go into remission, but it’s always there, like a sleeping dragon inside you, ready to flare at will and take over your life.
I first got sick when I was 19 years old. I couldn’t keep any food down. I lost 80 pounds in three months. I was living in an apartment on Long Island and commuting to college at the time. I remember sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, pulling over to vomit, and then getting back on the road to get to school. There were days when I couldn’t keep a glass of water down.
I had been a little bit of a rebellious teenager, so when the family doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong, he said it was psychiatric. My parents sent me to a psychiatrist three times a week. And he wasn’t a good psychiatrist at all; he was one of those statues who never responded to anything I said, or even handed me a box of tissues when I cried.
Then, one day I woke up and my right ankle was bright red and the size of a football and I couldn’t walk on it at all. Then I got these hot, red bumps all over my legs that hurt a lot. When the family doctor couldn’t figure out what it was, my mom took me to a dermatologist. He’s the one who diagnosed me with Crohn’s disease.
I then had all the tests and my diagnosis was confirmed. Even then, though, I had no idea what this would mean for my life. The gastroenterologist gave me some pills and sent me on my way.
Twelve years of steroids, eight surgeries, and countless hospitalizations later, I now know better than I ever wanted to what it’s like to live with chronic illness.
Rather than moan over it, though, I’ll offer a tidbit of advice. I think everyone with a chronic illness should have a cat, a computer, and a book to write. Really. My cat Emily has been with me through thick and thin. She is the closest thing I have to a caregiver. With her, I’m never alone.
And a computer – what would I do without the internet? It’s my social life. It’s my professional life.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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Yes you are absolutely right these 3 things are essential when dealing with any chronic illness these help you to survive and help you get over the bad times looking after my husband who has this awful disease he now has to live with a stoma which is very distressing for him his life line is the internet i have to deal with the depression and the emotional side of looking after him finances are very tight but at least he is alive (not much of a life but we make the most of what we have together would like to know how others manage on a very low income
February 13, 2012 - 1:25amThis Comment