My Experience With Crohn’s Disease

After being diagnosed with a chronic illness back in 1997, I’m sharing my knowledge & experience with Crohn’s Disease, and how I went from severely sick at my rock bottom, to thriving as the strongest version of myself today.

I was 12 years old, lying in bed one night, and in so much pain. I couldn’t remember the last time that I’d slept. I had very recently been gifted the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (although it sure didn’t feel like a gift at the time), and it was one of the few times that I’ve asked “why?”

The answer came loud and clear. It was a feeling, a voice, that told me that one day I would share my story, in order to help others.

That was when I knew, without a doubt, that everything that I was experiencing served a much bigger purpose.

While I could never have imagined the rock bottom lows that this journey eventually would take me on, I now know that it’s all been so that I could learn to pick myself back up over and over again, so that I can empower you to do the same.

I have what I believe to be a very balanced approach to medicine and health. It’s something that I’m asked about all the time, and it’s not one way or the other for me.

I deeply believe that medications have a time and a place (they saved my life), and diet and lifestyle changes are also a must in order for me to truly be healthy and thrive. It took me a LONG time to learn this balance.

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, know someone who has, or are just curious to learn more, then this episode is especially for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What Crohn’s Disease is
• The symptoms that led to me being diagnosed with Crohn’s
• The tests/markers that gave me an official diagnosis
• My journey with medications and surgeries
• How I ended up with an ileostomy at the age of 26
• Why I decided to make diet and lifestyle changes, and how this led to true healing
• Why I’m grateful that I didn’t find these diet and lifestyle changes sooner
• What you can do to help someone who has been diagnosed

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you know that it can flip your entire life upside down. I also believe that our deepest pain can become our greatest gift, and one of the ways to do this, is to use our own journey to help others.

So often, we can become our own biggest obstacle, but we also have the power to change that. You deserve to thrive, and to live a life that you love.