Well, right now I'm going to talk about a topic that is not quite so fun, but one that affects me everyday. Last December I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. If you don't know, Crohn's Disease is an IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) Basically parts of my intestines are inflammed. Doctors do not really know much about the cause of Crohn's. The main theory behind Crohn's Disease is that the person had a previous infection, which was fought off, but the body keeps thinking that the bad bacteria is still there. This causes the intestines to become inflamed. The body does not absorb nutrients like it should, so many times Crohn's patients are malnourished. There are treatments for Crohn's, but many times they are steroids or immunosuppresants which can have harsh side effects of themselves.
Anyway, for the most part I have been able to deal with my Crohn's okay for the most part. Alcohol, Caffeine and stress and the three main things that upset my stomach the most. The first two are easy enough to stay away from, but stress is something that's not always easy to handle, especially for me. I usually just play video games to de-stress. My current obsession: Borderlands.
Even still, there are some benefits to Crohn's Disease. With Crohn's, the body doesn't absorb as much fat as it normally would. They say weight loss is side effect, but to me it's actually kind of a plus.
Anyway, if you're really interested in looking up more about Crohn's Disease, check out the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.
http://www.ccfa.org/
I don't want to be shy about living with Crohn's Disease. It's something I have to deal with and I feel it's important I tell everyone about it. I don't always have to go into the not so pretty details, but friends and family are part of my arsenal. Some days I have to become a warrior to deal with the pain. I have several weapons I use, including medicine and knowledge.
Anyway, I thank all my friends and family for their support! I hope to manage my disease as best as possible so I can live the fullest and best life.
