Quarantine and Crohn's

It’s amazing how the whole world has just suddenly stopped. It was March 13th, 2020, and I was finishing up my school day with my students. My stomach was off, but I knew it was because of news of the pandemic.

They were going to close the school for, at that time, two weeks. I knew in my mind it would be longer than that, but I didn’t want to scare my students.

Being stuck at home reminds me of when I was really sick

Over a month later, here I am still in my house. We have begun online learning, but it is a work in progress, as a large urban district is trying to work out the kinks. I don’t like being at home for much of the day.

Being home is something I had to do when I was very sick when I first got Crohn’s. I spent a year after being discharged out of the hospital at home. I couldn’t leave the house, as I wore adult diapers and was feeling insecure.

I have to be extra careful right now because of Crohn's

Having Crohn’s during this troubling time is tough. Since it is an auto-immune disease, I have to be extra careful. Even the slightest cold can put me in the hospital.

My wife, who is a scientist, has done an amazing job sanitizing all packages that come to the house. We also make sure we take precautions if we have to go out of the house. Even though being stuck in the house is very hard, I will tell you, there are some positives when it comes to having Crohn’s disease.

Positives of being at home with Crohn's disease

First off, I don’t have to worry about finding a bathroom. I am in my house most of the day, so the stress of locating and being close to the bathroom is gone. Everybody loves using their own bathroom; there is a sense of comfort knowing it is clean and only used by you.

Secondly, I don’t have to wait to use the bathroom. This goes with my first statement. I can come and go as I please because I don’t have 27 students in front of me.

This lowers the urgency that develops in the j-pouch that my colorectal surgeon has created.

Changes to prescription deliveries

One thing that is important to notice is that I had to make some logistical changes when it came to picking up my prescriptions. Since I take nine medications a day, it's very important that I stay on top of things.

I never liked getting my medication delivered, as it was a social event to go into the pharmacy. Nowadays, I have no choice, so I had to go and call the pharmacy to have my medications delivered.

Finding ways for less stress during this time

Are these changes annoying? Of course, they are. Are they necessary? Yes! Crohn’s patients work better with less stress. Find ways to make your current lives less stressful during this time.

Make sure you have your medications, take a few deep breaths, and keep your head up. We will all get through this. We are warriors! We are the Crohn’s warriors. If we can battle the daily fight with Crohn’s, we can fight anything else that comes our way!