Crohn’s, Fitness, Food, and My Rocky Road to Health

I experienced my first symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) twenty years ago in 2003. From those early days of bleeding intestines and gut pain to reaching remission and working daily to stay there, this book chronicles my experiences navigating medications, diet, and lifestyle with IBD. It is a personal documentation of my quest for better health-physical, mental, and emotional-and many adventures along the way, including colonoscopies, biopsies, and even a cystoscopy! Throughout my journey with IBD, I have sought out the stories of those struggling with the same issues. It is comforting to know we are not alone and why I wanted to share my story and experiences. Thank you for coming with me on this journey.

"It was December when I finally did make the drive to see a doctor in hopes of getting help. But when I got there, I received that all-too-familiar look of skepticism and feeling of being dismissed. As soon as I checked in, I was questioned by the staff as to why I came to the emergency room, why I felt like that was the appropriate place to come after already having symptoms for roughly three months. I was told I shouldn't have come, that I should have made an appointment with my primary care provider, but they would see me anyway. I didn't know how to respond. At twenty-five years old, I was living in a different state from my parents, my husband was out of town, and I had been out of the Army for less than three months. I didn't know who my primary care provider was or if I had even been assigned one yet. The emergency room was the only place I thought to go and the staff made me feel ashamed for even walking in there."