A woman who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease more than a decade ago says the chronic condition ultimately led her to a healthier life.
She smiled when her doctor told her she had a disease she would carry for the rest of her life. After months of unexplained pain, hearing a name for it felt like a relief.
The pain started on the lower right side of her abdomen. She thought it was appendicitis, which runs in her family. Doctors told her it was not.
The first doctor asked if she was under a lot of pressure. She said yes. He suggested she relax and travel for a few months. She did. The pain got worse.
A second doctor gave the same answer: stress. She exercised more and rested more. She still woke up at night with sharp pain. A third doctor also said it was stress.
She pushed back. She told him something was really wrong. He ordered a CT scan.
The scan showed something in her lower intestine. A GI specialist recommended a colonoscopy and a biopsy. A few days later, the phone rang. The doctor said the word “Crohn’s.”
Crohn’s is a chronic disease. Her immune system attacks her digestive tract when it does not like something. This causes inflammation and pain when food passes through.
The specialist told her she would be managing the condition for the rest of her life. He said if she did not take it seriously, she might need surgery to remove damaged parts of her intestine. He prescribed medication and told her to change her lifestyle and diet.
Triggers for Crohn’s vary from person to person. In her case, the triggers turned out to be alcohol, spicy food, orange juice, greasy fast food, and coffee. It took about two years to figure this out.
A friend told her she was lucky. He said the disease would force her to eat well, pay attention to her body, and take her health seriously. She did not agree at the time.
About fifteen years later, she says she understands. She cut the foods that hurt her completely out of her life. She has gone a long stretch without a flare-up. The discipline changed how she treats her body in general.
She says the thing she was most afraid of pushed her toward a healthier life than she would have built on her own.
She advises others to trust their body and keep advocating for themselves. She heard “it’s stress” three times before someone ran the test that found the truth.
She says a hard diagnosis can be a turning point. Not because the illness is good, but because it can force changes people have been putting off for years.
She adds that silver linings are often invisible while you are in the middle of the situation. Her friend saw hers before she could.
