What Would You Do With A Second Chance?

What Would You Do With A Second Chance?

In this guest post, we get the story of two guys that used a second chance at health and life to make a difference in the battle for IBD awareness, and prove that anyone has the ability to make a difference. Cousins Jack and Nick start following one of their dreams, and after a Crohn’s diagnosis, it leads them to pursue another.  Follow their journey on CowboysVsCrohns.com. My cousin Nick and I have always had big dreams—playing football for Notre Dame, going on safari in the Australian outback, becoming world-class fishermen, becoming cowboys (John Wayne was our childhood idol), herding cattle from Texas to Montana (we watched Lonesome Dove a lot), and the list goes on. Some of these have come true (at least partially) while others have not. The summer after we graduated from high school, our dream of becoming cowboys came true as we began our work for Warren Johnson at Hells Aroarin’ Outfitters. We would wake up early, catch,...
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Spreading Awareness is Liberating

Spreading Awareness is Liberating

In this guest post, Noah discusses his struggle with sharing the details of his disease, and the surprising reactions he received.  From consulting Dr. Google to feeling embarrassed, his story is something we can all relate to - and a lesson we can all learn from. I woke in a frenzy, hurriedly flinging off my sheets and tugging down my panties as I ran out of my room and around the corner, and promptly threw my naked butt down on the toilet seat. As quickly as I had moved, I still managed to dribble crap from my bed to the bathroom. I was home alone, but humiliated and confused with myself. My family doctor told me I was vitamin D deficient and probably had hemorrhoids, but every time I tried to Google my symptoms, I only pulled up colon cancer. I spent the next hour scrubbing the strangely maroon-colored soil out of the carpet, wiping the blood spatters from the toilet seat, and being extremely...
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Never Shrink Your Dreams to Fit Your Life

Never Shrink Your Dreams to Fit Your Life

In this guest post, Niki Sibley of Sole Powered discusses her secret to life, and what she’s doing to not only spread IBD awareness but to bring resources to others strugging. And she’s doing it by running across the state of Washington. Yes, running. Visit her on her Sole Powered Facebook Page. Norman Vincent Peale is credited with saying, “The secret of life isn’t what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.”  He’s right.  Life is notorious for throwing curveballs.  You know the best way to handle curveballs?  You swing for the fences…and you swing hard!  Because in life, you’re not out after 3 strikes, you’re out when you walk away from the plate.  Refuse to walk away.  Refuse to become a victim of circumstance. Since I shared Norman’s secret it’s only fair that I share one of my own.  It’s not really my secret, and technically it’s not really even a secret.  But, for simplicity let’s label it the ‘secret’ to success.  It’s comprised of three...
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Lessons We Learn Along The Way

Lessons We Learn Along The Way

Lessons We Learn Along the Way In this guest post, Aaron discusses going to college with IBD, and the little tips he learned along the way to help him cope. He also finds the benefits in talking about your disease and joining IBD communities. Follow Aaron’s journey through life on his blog, Shoebox Memoirs. After high school, life changes a lot. For most people, these changes are great and exciting, but for me, I got a change that was painful and debilitating. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the end of my senior year of high school. No one expects to just randomly develop something such as inflammatory bowel disease, but, sometimes, it happens and you just have to roll with it. Near the beginning of my diagnosis, I did not feel the need to tell anyone because it wasn’t so serious then. As time went on, I went from a mild case to a very severe case. Still, I felt like I could handle it...
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Humor, Humility, and Purpose

Humor, Humility, and Purpose

Humor, Humility, and Purpose with Crohn’s Disease In this guest post, our friend Tony talks about how he takes on Crohn’s Disease, why it’s brought a purpose to his life, and why he believes it’s important to share our stories with honesty, humor, and pride. You can follow Tony on his personal blog, HomoCrohn: Thriving as a Gay Male with Crohn’s Disease. I’m in year 12 of having Crohn’s, but after factoring the onset of my symptoms, I would say I have 15-17 years under my belt in navigating life with Crohn’s disease. I want to address why, personally, my Crohn’s disease is a source of great pride and accomplishment. Sure, it’s everything else that comes with inflammatory bowel disease, but I feel blessed to have discovered that Crohn’s can, and has become, so much more to me. To give you a sense of how I live my life vis-à-vis Crohn’s disease, I’m highlighting two of my burgeoning collection of Crohn’s selfies. And, I...
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From the Bathroom to Kona

From the Bathroom to Kona

From the Bathroom to Kona Grant Henry is Kona Inspired We recently caught up to Grant Henry, a colitis patient and Team Challenge alum who is fighting for awareness with his campaign for an entry into the Kona Ironman World Championships, through the Kona Inspired contest. If he wins, he plans to wear IBD apparel, discuss it in the media, and do everything he can to increase awareness of this and Crohn’s Disease. View his entry video and vote here. GBM: Tell us about your disease. What do you have, when were you diagnosed, any medication or surgical details you want to share, and how are you feeling now? Grant: I suffer from ulcerative colitis and was diagnosed in the summer of 2006 after completing my undergrad. I have actually been lucky from a surgical standpoint, but I have been on a variety of medications over the course of the past seven years. Through trial and error, the two medications that have helped me...
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