My Crohnic Life

– LIFE WITH AN INVISIBLE DISEASE – 

Too “Girly” For Pain

Until recently, I’ve never been empowered by my pain; I’ve been ashamed of it. For as long as I can remember, I thought that pain meant weakness. Through my childhood and adolescence, my pain has been blamed on the wrong aspect of my body. I thought I felt immense pain because I was weak not […]

Isolation

It’s no secret, hospital life is isolating. Those that enter the ER with a broken bone or the common cold kindly wave farewell to this confinement as they drive back to “normal life” a few hours later. However, those with chronic illnesses don’t get to leave the isolation at the door. For me, isolation has […]

EDS (Hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome)

Look, I’m no expert. But this illness? Yeah, f*cking bullsh*t. And no, I am not negating the validity; this illness is all too real. It just SUCKS. Those who are suffering from Hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome experience frequent joint subluxations, dislocations, extra-bendy joints and fragile skin. hEDS causes the connective tissues (i.e collagen and fascia) […]

POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

Ahhhh, if I had a dime for every time I have had to explain this illness to a doctor, I’d be able to pay for salty supplements for the rest of my life. POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a disorder that causes orthostatic intolerance, as one of the main symptoms. Basically, the blood vessels […]

Crohn’s & Arthritis

Most horror stories set on Friday the 13th involve slashers named Jason, a damsel in distress and cheesy Hollywood effects. My own Friday the 13th tale involves less psychopaths, yet rivals the gore and terror categories. My first diagnosis came after years of unexplained medical anomalies. On September 13, 2013, my pediatric GI doctor found […]