crohns – The Great Bowel Movement

Married to Crohn’s Disease

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Married to Crohn’s Disease Guest Post “If I had the world to give, I’d give to you as long as you live.” -Jerry Garcia Marriage and Crohn's Disease A lot of people ask me what it’s like to be married to someone with Crohn’s disease. Well, I’ve never been married to anyone without Crohn’s disease, so I assume it’s a lot like a normal marriage. My husband, Adam, and I have been married for less than a year. We dated for a while before taking the official plunge, though we pretty much always knew we would end up at the end of the aisle together. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease over 20 years ago. Because he was diagnosed so long before we even met, some aspects of his life with Crohn’s disease were already figured out. He already knew what kinds of foods would hurt when he’s in flare. He already knew what his body felt like when a particular medicine stopped working. He already...

Crohn’s, Colitis, and Being a Parent

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Crohn’s, Colitis, and Being a Parent We had the chance to sit down and chat with two very special people about an important topic – IBD and Parenting. In this post, we compare, via discussion, parenting roles with IBD. They share their emotions, fears, and what it means to be a parent. Frank Garufi, Jr of the Crohn’s Colitis Effect doesn’t have IBD, but his young son does, and he’s just as involved as if he was the patient. Sharon Saeed of IBD Journeys has IBD and has been through her share of hospital stays, all while being the best mom she can to her amazing kids. GBM: Tell us about your family. How has IBD touched your family? Ever since my kids could remember, they know Mommy sometimes goes into the hospital. Especially in the past two years, it has really turned our lives around. Prior to June 2011, I was probably one of “those” moms - if there was an activity, my kids would be signed...

IBD and the Weight Loss Struggle

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Thanks and admiration to our friend Eliza for opening up about this sensitive topic, and reaching others who may need to hear her story. Weight, a topic most people care not to always talk about. Add in having IBD and that’s a whole new ballgame. I’ve struggled with my weight for more than half my life, I’ve only lived with IBD for 5 years. I’m not sure which I dislike more, dealing with Crohn’s or struggling with my weight. To be completely honest, one of the first things I knew about IBD was that it could cause weight loss, and the saddest part, I was excited about that fact. I didn’t understand the consequences that came along with weight loss from IBD. I was almost angry and bitter at first when my Crohn’s didn’t cause me to lose any weight at all. I saw people who struggled with keeping weight on as “lucky,” and now, looking back, I can’t believe I ever thought that...

Cheering Despite Crohn’s

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Cheering Despite Crohn’s This guest interview comes from a young girl who didn’t let a Crohn’s diagnosis take away her strength and spirit. Read about how Crohn’s has changed her life, why she’ll never give up on her dreams, and her advice for other kids going through the same thing. GBM: Let’s start by having you introduce yourself. Shaye: My name is Shaye and I’m 11 years old. In September of 2012, I considered myself a very active girl – I was on an elite-level cheerleading team, playing rep soccer, on the diving team, and I had just landed a role in a Christmas pantomime (play). It seems like a lot for anyone, but this was a normal lifestyle for me. I love being active and being involved in things. GBM: What is your diagnosis? Shaye: I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease a few months after I started noticing symptoms. My diagnosis was in May 2013, but I first went to the doctor earlier in...

I’m Sick-Sick

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So now that the holiday season has come and gone, the New Year is usually a time when we all reflect on the previous year and think about how we want to change going forward. I took this time, however, to think about how I spent my holiday season – sick. And no, I wasn’t having a flare and out of control Crohn’s symptoms, which is what the holidays (mostly over-eating) usually bring for me. I had the flu. Type A and B. Let me tell you: when I was in that doctor’s office and I was told that the flu test came back positive for both Type A and B, I was floored. A flu diagnosis is usually maddening for a typically healthy person, but for someone with a chronic disease and a suppressed immune system, it’s terrifying. What could usually last a week could possibly last 3 weeks or more with an immune system so compromised like mine is. I...

Relationships, Marriage, and IBD

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Just like we did with our Parenting Perspective, we sat down to chat with two IBD activists about how their marriages work in the face of IBD. This special conversational post compares two perspectives – one spouse who has Crohn’s, with that of a spouse who is a caregiver. You may know Ryan Stevens of The Crohn’s Disease Survival Guide. Ryan is a long time patient of Crohn’s, and is working on his second attempt to swim across Lake Erie for funding and awareness. On the other hand, we have Rebecca Kaplan, blogger at Caring for Crohn’s, who is not a patient, but has seen and cared for IBD first hand. GBM: Tell us about yourself and your spouse. How does IBD affect your family? Were you together when the diagnosis happened, or were you/your partner already diagnosed when you started dating? Rebecca: My husband Dan has Crohn’s Disease. We began dating two months before he was diagnosed in 2007 and have been married...

Humor, Humility, and Purpose

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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...