If I had a penny for every white, sterile tile I walked on to enter rooms crowded with medical equipment and posters of the cardiovascular system, I would have enough money to pay for one of the $20,000 immune suppressing treatments I receive every 8 weeks.
Get it? Cause, that’s a lot of hospitals.
I almost bought a sticker for my laptop that had the word ‘CROHNS’ beating up intestines while a speech bubble above the it said, “Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself.”
If you have Crohn’s, that probably made you laugh.
When my doctor told me he was proud of how optimistic I’ve been through all my treatments, I said it takes guts.
That was wordplay and trust me, it was rather clever.
The only way to survive Crohn’s Disease is to develop a good sense of humor.
Ever since I was 12, I was rushed in and out of gastroenterologists, cardiologists, neurologists, dieticians, therapists, and counselors; each nitpicking at family history, environmental factors, biological imperfections and my mental state.
I always thought it was ironic how they’d hand me psychological evaluations after telling me, “you’re sick, but we don’t know how, why, what can make it better…if it’s even curable.”
Sorry, but I’m going to have to circle the ‘2-NOT FEELING TOO SUPER’ on your scale of 1 to 5.
I remember, at 16 years old, a doctor walked in to my hospital room and finally gave me something I’ve been praying for most of my life; an answer.
‘Crohn’s? What the hell is that?’ I remember asking myself as he drew diagrams of my intestines, trying to show me how my insides differ from others.
As defined by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, “Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation of the…gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s can affect any part of the GI tract, from the mouth to,” (let’s all be mature here), “the anus, but it is more commonly found at the end of the small intestine where it joins the beginning of the large intestine. It can also affect: eyes, skin, and joints.”
To put it in simpler terms, if you stress yourself out or eat something too fibrous, your immune system thinks it’s a foreign invader and sends white blood cells to protect your body. When they get to the GI tract, the white blood cells attach to the intestine and begins to attack it instead. If not caught in time, the white cells can literally break through the organ and kill its host.
So people with Crohn’s really take the whole ‘KMS’ thing to a new extreme.
It sounds scary, but it’s manageable. Crohn’s doesn’t affect its host all the time; I haven’t had problems with my white blood cells for about two years now. The hardest part about living with Crohn’s is the repercussion of the medication.
Just like every other diseases, everyone is affected differently, and I can only talk from my experiences. My doctor put me on Remicade, Methotrexate and Folic Acid when I was diagnosed. These medications help reduce inflammation and suppresses the immune system, which helps control the overachieving white blood cells, but makes it hard to practically be anywhere that’s not a sterile bubble.
PSA: when October/November rolls by and the ‘Get your flu shot’ signs start hanging on light poles and corkboards, please get one. It’s not for you; it’s for us sick people who don’t have immune systems to defend against things like the common flu. Even if you don’t get sick, you still carry a petri dish of germs on you that you pass on to others. Don’t be selfish.
Not only do you get sick more often, but something like a small sinus infection can turn into meningitis because the lack of immune system lets germs grow bigger and scarier. It takes a lot of time, trips to the doctors and medication to get rid of something small that most people can usually sweat out.
You learn to live through hand sanitizers, baby wipes and prayers before class hoping no one sneezes on you as you venture out from your safe space.
Here’s some good news about Crohn’s: salad is NOT the good guy! That’s right, romaine and other greens used as the base for salads are too high in fiber for those with Crohn’s Dieses. Our hyperactive and fragile GI tract needs a low fiber diet so we don’t stress it out. FiberOne Chewy Bars to us are like holy water to a demon; the power of Christ compels you, roughage!
And for those of you worried, don’t worry, you can’t catch Crohn’s. It’s a genetic disorder, though research is leading to conclusions that there might be environmental factors that can increase your chances of contracting it. Unfortunately for those of us who have it, it’s also a chronic, lifelong illness. No cures, no free passes; do not pass go and do not collect $200.
So, Crohn’s patients, if you ever need to guilt your parents into giving you something you really want, remind them they gave you genes that literally kill you. A little harsh; a lot effective.
Overall, living with Crohn’s is no walk in the park; there’s restrictions just like any sickness, and it’s hard trying to live a normal life while watching how many people you come in contact with and the food you eat. I’m always sick and tired; I’m practically unresponsive in the morning’s because my blood pressure drops so low. I guess you can say I’m not a morning person.
It’s hard to be reliable when you aren’t sure how or when the illness will flare up, or because I keep getting sick. People never understand why you’re sick and accuse you of faking a lot.
It’s actually ironic because with Crohn’s you look okay; no one knows you’re sick unless you say something. Since seeing is believing, and when you look fine, you’re expected to function and do normal activities just like everyone else. Sadly with Crohn’s, life isn’t normal and no one understands why.
But as long as you keep your head up and learn to joke about it rather let it consume your life, it’s easy to stomach it.
Again, wordplay.