Crohn's Chronicles: A blog about Crohn's Disease

This comes up a lot. Every time I meet someone new, there's always that point where they know that I have Crohn's, we've talked about it briefly, and they have a vague understanding of what Crohn's means. One day, we have a more in depth conversation about what Crohn's actually is and how I live with my disease. At some point during this conversation, my friend/co-worker/family member/ect. will express their fear of saying "the wrong thing." I totally understand. It's not an easy subject and we aren't really equipped with the tools to speak about disease until we are forced to figure it out. So, don't feel like you are alone. I'm right there with you. I work everyday to figure out the most effective way of speaking about my disease. Also, don't ever worry about offending me. Now, I can't speak for everyone with a chronic illness here, but I promise you, I am just thrilled that you are expressing interest. If you say something ...

Denial is a way of life for me. I’m not in pain. I didn’t get sick twice last night. I can make it through the day. I’ll be fine. I don’t need help. I could go without my medication today. I don’t need a doctor. I’m good. Today is going to be better. I'm fine. When does positivity turn into denial? Am I lying to myself when I think, “You can do it, just keep on going.”  Or am I just staying upbeat? Where is the line drawn? Call it mind over matter if you want. I’ve always felt uncomfortable with that expression. More than anything, I want a place where I can talk about my disease. No one talks. Denial is not just internal, it is forced on you. We all do it. When someone says, "It will just make you stronger in the end!" they negate and deny what I go through everyday. There is no end. It's chronic.  You blame me for my disease, blame me for letting it get this bad, when at every turn you are denying me a place to talk about it. How messed up is that? I'm starti...

This idea came to me when I did a google search for blogs about Crohn's Disease. I found that, while there were a few people out there posting about the disease, very few of them discussed what it is to actually live with Crohn's. Mostly, they were posting medical articles and the like. While I totally understand and appreciate the value of staying up to date on current medical findings, I have often been frustrated by the fact that no one ever talks about the actual process of living with a chronic illness. So, that's what this is going to be. I want to create a space to discuss what it is to live with Crohn's, not only for myself, but for others as well. Once we can acknowledge that Crohn's affects not only our physical, but our emotional and mental well-being, I really think life will get less complicated.