Living

When it comes to describing our IBD symptoms, we tend to talk about our bowel habits a lot of the time. That's all well and good, but there are many...

Several years ago, during the height of my struggles with symptoms that were later attributed to Crohn’s disease, I spent some time working with a GI psychologist. My sessions with...

Have you ever seen something in a book, magazine, or online in a meme that resonates deep down to your core? I began writing this after seeing an Instagram story...

Living with someone isn't the easiest thing to do. I wrote more about that in Part 1. I don't imagine having a chronic illness would ever make things any easier...

As a patient with IBD, you have likely spent some time admitted to the hospital. You’ve also probably learned that almost every hospital room is set up nearly the same...

2018 brought a lot of changes for me. I started out with a bit of a flare that resulted in my being inpatient for more than a month and living...

It's so crazy how something can be so bad, yet bring so much good to your life. My condition has taken so much from me. It's caused me to lose...

Recently, I wrote about how beneficial being my own boss is for me and, by extension, my illness. Since leaving full-time employment as a teacher and transitioning to self-employed as a...

The moments between are the hardest. The moments between needles and their cold pinches. The moments between labs spent waiting in quiet rooms surrounded by unspoken questions floating in the...

Coping with IBD can bring about a fair amount of challenges. Navigating life with IBD and one or more additional medical conditions can be even more difficult. When an individual...

In the summer of 2013, I had just gotten out of the hospital for my 4th Crohn’s flare over two years. I was taking a biologic at the time which...

In the years since I first showed symptoms of Crohn’s disease, I have gotten intimately familiar with what the chronic illness journey may look like. Or what this can include...

You can have the best insurance, with all the perks. You can have low copays and low deductibles (I don’t know if there is such a thing). It doesn’t matter when...

My husband (fiancé at the time), was handling the finances for buying our first home. This left me feeling like I had to pull my weight in other avenues. I...

It’s possible for individuals with IBD to experience periods of remission. During these times, IBD symptoms significantly decrease or disappear altogether. Remission can occur at any time, and last for...

I am almost six months into my Humira journey now-and I thought I'd spend some time today sharing the things I wish I'd known before starting it. Beginning any biological...

Living with a chronic illness like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is hard. So many aspects of the condition are invisible which makes it even harder in a sense. Others...

I spent years hating myself. I hated myself for being sick. I hated myself for being different. I hated myself for being diagnosed with a chronic (highly stigmatized) condition. And...

In life, we all have goals. As we approach the new year, I always make goals for myself that will help me become a better person and take even more...

Before I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, I really hated using the bathroom, especially if it wasn’t my own. If I could make it home in time, then I would...