10 years with Crohn's

Hi there! Ten years ago when I was 12, I was diagnosed with moderate to severe Crohn's disease throughout my GI tract. I started deteriorating over the course of several months. As a pre-teen, I didn't fully realize that my health was in decline, but my parents could see it clearly. I went to my pediatrician's office handfuls of time until one doctor finally stopped telling us I was perfectly normal.

That day, I saw a pediatric GI doctor and was admitted that night to the hospital where I spent almost two weeks doing tests and putting back IV nutrients into my body. I was very underweight, undernourished and experiencing stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, knee pain, mouth sores, and night sweats.

I spent the first year following my diagnosis on Prednisone and Pentasa. My doctors said diet had little to no effect on Crohn's. My parents were extremely skeptical, but I basically stayed away from most dairy and that was it. Just over a year later, I became severely ill again. I was hospitalized two more times within a month of each other.

A relative suggested we see a different kind of doctor. He is an environmental doctor and would be considered alternative medicine, although what he does makes perfect sense. He improves his patients' health by testing for food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies, and based on that the patient follows this new diet and adds supplements.

Within weeks I was gaining weight back and my symptoms were diminishing. My conventional doctors didn't believe this type of treatment works (getting closer to the root cause of symptoms instead of treating symptoms with meds). Nonetheless, they told me to keep doing what I was doing!

I am still managing my Crohn's with a modified paleo lifestyle. Little conventional medicine has been used over the years, as I have found few medications that actually help. Along with lots of rest, self care, and supplements, diet has been a HUGE factor in my wellness.

I now connect with others diagnosed with Crohn's, UC, and other chronic conditions and help them as much as I can through my blog, Girl in Healing.