A journey from sickness to health usually involves obstacles, pain and emotional trauma. What they don’t tell you is that it never is over. The health may come back but you are forever changed. Life as you know it – for better and sometimes for worse – has changed.
I have been healthy for eight years now. I have been medication free for ten. Yet, not a day goes by that I don’t think about my body, my health, my appreciation for being who I am…Not a day goes by where I don’t think about the fact that I have Crohn’s disease.
I was diagnosed at the age of 12. When girls should be entering puberty, getting training bras and developing their first crush, I was plummeting to 60 pounds, throwing up every day and experiencing the type of pain a 12 year old should never have to live through.
My journey from sickness to health was paved with treatments and surgeries, steroids and drugs that caused many side effects, self loathing and finally a pride and self acceptance I feel special to have – culminating to what is now a 27 year old healthy woman – drug free and still in remission.
This journey, through all its gory details and revelations, is something I will share now with the world – every step of the way.
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Thank you! Also, thank you so very much for sharing those links. I agree, Crohn's is usually a "bottom shelf brown paper bag" disease. No one hears much about it. When I was first diagnosed I didn't know anyone with the disease. Thankfully I have found a good group of other sufferers for support.
Rachel
March 23, 2009 - 9:06amThis Comment
Rachie Heather,
So glad you're writing about your story for EmpowHer. Crohn's Disease is something we just don't hear a lot about until we are personally affected, and then we need all the information we can find.
For others looking for basic Crohn's information, here are a few resources, and be sure to come back to read RachieHeather's posts.
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/
March 23, 2009 - 8:45amhttp://www.medicinenet.com/crohns_disease/article.htm
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns
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