Anybody out there living with a chronic health condition? How are you doing? without getting into to much boring/gory detail, let me tell a little about my health journey.
After some years with symptoms, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was in my early 30's. The symptoms had made it challenging to travel, dine out and included pain and constant management in order to live "normally." Began taking daily meds and moved on, still with low-level symptoms. Then, about 15 years later, the bottom dropped out. Experienced arthritis on one side of my body, skin inflammation and weight loss. Neither I or my doctor considered inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as the culprit. Ended up in the hospital needing blood transfusions, bone biopsy because they thought I had osteomyelitis. Long story short, it was IBD. since that time I have had multiple surgeries for a variety of gut related issues, have a definitive Crohn's diagnosis, and have a closer-than-one-would-want relationship with a smart GI specialist and a wonderful surgeon. I am blessedly in remission with a biologic medication I take by infusion every 8 weeks and am almost symptom free.
Going through all this has taught me that life can change at any time and I am more aware of and grateful for simple pleasures, my work, etc. In fact, it has changed my perspective in more ways than I want to list at this time.
What about you? Has anyone had a health issue that has changed them? How are you dealing with it?
