#ibdawareness

[cordeliatheodoro]

Things I learned over my 5 years as a chronically ill person:

Obs: I have some kind of illness that's similar to Chron's disease, but like, not as bad. It still impacts my life in more ways than I ever expected, including fucking up my liver and mental health. Anyway;

Eating the "wrong" thing is better than not eating - when you have an illness that affects your appetite, the best course of action, in my experience, is to eat what you feel like eating. If that means having a jar of cookies for lunch, it's completely fine. Eat what you know your body will accept, because that's better than not eating anything or having your body reject what you eat.

Body fat = healthy - this is specific to my case, but I was just skin and bones before getting the right treatment. Even if I might feel bad because beauty standarts, getting enough weight and body fat to the point I became a midsized person (after years of being a walking skeleton) is something that should be celebrated. It means I'm eating enough and my body is becoming healthier.

You gain a hell of a pain tolerance - remember how I said my liver is fucked up? It means whenever I take painkillers, my stomach becomes a rebelious teen and tries to kill me. A.K.A, nausea, and actually throwing up if the medicine is too strong. I've learned to endure pain in order to not need painkillers, or to only take them if it becomes too much.

Kiss many adult experiences goodbye - Taking more than two sips of alcohol is a no-no, and don't even thing about drugs. I'm always the sober friend, which is not bad per se, but I would like it more if it was a choice.

You will be known as the sick friend (if you're the only one in the group) - I got sick at 12/13 and only got treatment for it at 16, so high school was HellTM. Get used to people asking if you're feeling alright everytime time your face moves two milimiters, and to cancel plans because you're sick. It also makes flirting with your crush harder, because they might see you as fragile (seems like people don't find you sexy if they know you have intestine problems).

Antidepressants are not exclusive for people with depression - Did you know the intestines are considered the second brain? Anyway, I was prescribed antidepressants (that also work as anxiety medication) to help with my chronic illness, and honestly, it kinda works.

Hope is good but don't hope too much - sounds depressing, but at least in my case, seems to be true. Things get better, and with the right treatment, you'll have a good life and achieve yours dreams, and overcome many, many symptoms and difficulties. And I really don't like thinking about it, but I know that this is probably my case, and it's a fact: I will never be 100% healthy again. Not like how I was before.

You won't have all the answers you want - I have an illness that's names, in my mother language, as "Indeterminate". It means doctors are not able to know how it developed, why it developed, if there's a cure, and how to treat it. The treatment I went through can only be described as "fuck around and find out". So yeah, sometimes you just have to accept there are no answers.

Anyway, this was depressing as shit, but I needed to get it off my system. To all my chronically ill siblings: hold on tight! We can do it!

#i'd talk about knowing knowing my brother is a glass child #but i don't wanna cry rn #chronic illness #chronically ill #ibdawareness #ibd

[unusual-legume]

It’s World IBD Day or IBD Awareness day ( if you prefer )May 19th!! This year I made a one page comic about what is in my go bag. This is the bag I bring on trips for fun as well as to the hospital(because I usually end up staying for a long time when I go). What’s in your bag?

(also I am posting this now because I wont be able to tomorrow). 

#Graphic Medicine #IBDcomics #comics #crohn's problems #crohn's disease #crohns #fuckcrohns #ibd #ibdawareness #world ibd day #hospital #chronic illness #autoimmine disease #art #Illustration

[ucdiaries]

UC Diagnosis Anniversary

Its close to a year since my diagnosis, and looking back, I have no words. No words to describe the derailment that my life went through. No words to describe the grief that I am still processing. And no words to tell you how I feel.

I have achieved remission, yet life will never be the same. There will still be days I feel eternally exhausted, that I am in a never ending rut trying to catch up on everything I missed out, while more just gets added to the 'to-do' pile. The uncertainty has just increased by a 1000 times. The anxiety is immeasurable.

Half the days I keep gaslighting my symptoms tricking myself into believing that it is all in my head. Other days I wonder if its the disease or the medicines or both, that sends me into an anxious spiral or leaves my bones and joints hurting. Some days I appear totally normal, no one (including me) would even believe that I survive on the 8 tablets I swallow everyday. Other days, like today, I just want to curl up into a ball and go to sleep. Some days I force myself to take a break, read a book, crochet or go to sleep. On others, I am trying to keep my spirits high so I can meet my thesis deadlines.

I am tired of being sick. I am tired of complaining or telling someone "my joints hurt and I am exhausted". I am tired of the extra attention I get because of my illness. I am also tired of just being tired.

On days like these, all the affirmations and positive self-talk learnt in therapy isn't enough to drown out the critical voice that says, 'you just have to push through and keep going, that is the only way you survive and make something out of your life; the only way is to pick your self out of the gutter, bunch up all the pain and tears and emotions and throw it under the carpet'.

In 1.5 years of therapy I have learnt that throwing stuff under the carpet is never the solution. It comes to bite you in the back some day. But just for today I need a carpet. Better yet, a warm, fuzzy blanket. Except that I today I want to hide all of me, not just the emotional stuff, under it, and stay there until the physical and emotional rollercoaster of things passes by.

#chronic illness #enteropathic arthritis #ulcerative colitis #ibd problems #chronic fatigue #anniversary #mental health #ibd #ibdawareness #spoonie

[invisibly-amy]

#crohnsawareness #crohns #crohns disease #crohnswarrior #crohnsdisease #ulcerative colitis #colitiswarrior #colitis #chronic illness #chronicillnesslife #chronic pain #chronically ill #ibdawareness #ibdwarrior #ibd problems #spoonielife #spoonie #spoonieproblems #nausea #invisibleillness #chronicpainlife #hidden illness #invisibledisability #autoimmune #autoimmune disease

[athena-theunicorn]

Hi. I’m invisibly disabled and have a chronic illness and also mental illness so prepare for me to not stfu abt it this month because this shit is important.

#disabilties #invisible illness #ileostomy #ostomy #disabled pride #disability pride month #chronic illness #ibd #ibdawareness #ulcerative colitis #this shit is fucking important.

[startingover2108]

Week 2 (08/01/2023)

Today's lunch

-Chicken soup

-Baked potatoes and chicken

-Cheese strudel

Also did my workout, first of this year 😊

It was good warm up, core workout and then stretching 💪🏻

#core #lunch #baking #potato #chicken #soup #strudel #cheese #ibd #ibdawareness #healthy #happy #healthblr #fit #love #fitblr #tasty #yum #active #week2 #january #check list #habits #atomic habits

[migrainesallday]

This Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week, advocates share their daily struggles with IBD — and how they’ve found hope and support within the community.

#ibdawareness #chronsdisease #ulcerative colitis #ibdwarrior

[travelingandchangingtheworld]

And, Crohn’s ruins another day 😞 #crohns #ibd #crohnsdisease #crohnswarrior #colitis #ibdwarrior #crohnsawareness #ostomy #ileostomy #ulcerativecolitis #crohnsfighter #ibdawareness #crohnsandcolitis #chronicillness #humira #remicade #invisibleillness #ibs #autoimmunedisease #remission #stoma #inflammatoryboweldisease #crohnssucks #colitiswarrior #spoonie #entyvio #colitisawareness #infusion #crohnslife #staystrong (at Northwell Health Manhasset) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdat1A-rtj7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#crohns #ibd #crohnsdisease #crohnswarrior #colitis #ibdwarrior #crohnsawareness #ostomy #ileostomy #ulcerativecolitis #crohnsfighter #ibdawareness #crohnsandcolitis #chronicillness #humira #remicade #invisibleillness #ibs #autoimmunedisease #remission #stoma #inflammatoryboweldisease #crohnssucks #colitiswarrior #spoonie #entyvio #colitisawareness #infusion #crohnslife #staystrong

[gastroenterologyucgconferences]

Call for Delegate #14GASTROUCG gather professionals and experts from various sectors, creating an excellent.  Hurry up and join us with many more benefits at the 14th World Gastroenterology, IBD & Hepatology Conference, CME/CPD recognized, from December 17-19, 2024 in Dubai, UAE & Virtual. WhatsApp us: https://wa.me/442033222718?text= Register here: https://gastroenterology.universeconferences.com/registration/

#IBD #CrohnsDisease #UlcerativeColitis #IBDAwareness #IBDCommunity #GutInflammation #IBDLife #CrohnsWarrior #UCWarrior #IBDStrong #InvisibleIllness #IBDFighter #GutHealth

[thecrohnsdiaries]

#crohn's disease #ibd problems #crohnie #ibdawareness #ibdwarrior #living with crohns #break the stigma #student #travelling with crohn's #thecrohnsdiet

[lifewithcrohns]

So here’s my story… In 2013 I became VERY ill and I was having stomach pain, diarrhoea, sickness, tiredness, loss of appetite and lost ALOT of weight.

Due to this it meant I missed out a whole year off from school, I spent most of my time on the sofa or in bed.

In 2014 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and I was put on tablets and I had to spend 6 weeks on a liquid only diet. Once i finished these 6 weeks, all the symptoms came back again.

I was then put on an intravenous medication and it started at 8 weeks and then after a while it stopped worked so I was reduced to 6 weeks and it was working but then after a while it again started to stop working so I was then put down to every 4 weeks.

It was working for a while until one night I had a SEVERE headache and I had to go to A&E, the drs told me I was having an allergic reaction to my medication so I then to switch me to a different type of medication.

I was then put on an injection based medication and it was working but after a year of being on it, my symptoms yet again came back so I was put on a different type of injection and that’s what I have been on since and has been working so far (2 years on it) but recently I have been having flare up symptoms and I’m due a colonoscopy on Monday! Wish me luck 🙏

#crohns #crohns disease #ibd #ibdawareness #crohnie #crohnslife #crohn's disease #my journal

[crohnsfromday1]

Day 55: Primary Care DO After My Hospitalization

Read the post to find out more:

#crohn's disease #crohnie #crohns #crohnslife #ibd #ibdawareness #spoonie #chronic illness

[ucdiaries]

A sliver of normalcy

I carry a diary with me that has my daily schedule. I glanced through the schedule today, and upon seeing it packed was frustrated about how much I have to do, and how tired I am already and how things are never getting over and the days pass so quick because I don't have a single moment of 'not doing anything'.

And then in a fleeting instant, I remember how 6 months ago, I was stuck in my bed. I was stuck in my bed almost every other day, because some part of me was hurting, and I couldn't get myself to work even if I wanted to. And all I could think of in those times, was when I would get back to a 'normal' life.

And the thought of it made me guilty for complaining today. And ungrateful - ungrateful for what I have now. A chance to live a slice of normalcy. And this is in spite of the fact that its just one of those busy weeks, and I am tired and I deserve a break from not using my brain constantly. But I still feel ungrateful for life giving me what I wanted six months ago. And in much more abundance than I had even wished. And I feel sorry for myself that I even have to debate this in my head, and keep shuttling between these two contrasting emotions. And try to make an effort to remind myself that I can feel both, and I can hold space for both. I feel sorry for what I went through, that my biggest wish through all of it, was a sliver of normalcy in life.

#chronic illness #mental health #enteropathic arthritis #ibdawareness #ibd #ibdp #ulcerative colitis #chronic fatigue #pmdd

[invisibly-amy]

#chronic illness #spoonie life #invisibleillness #crohns disease #spoonie #chronic pain #crohnswarrior #chronically ill #ibdwarrior #ibdawareness #crohnsdisease #spoonie problems #neisvoid #chronicillnesslife #chronicpain #chronicpainlife #spoonielife #disabilityawareness #me/cfs #invisible disability #fibrowarrior #autoimmune #spoonieproblems #fibromyalgia #endometriosis #chronic fatigue #hidden illness #chronically sick

[i-am-a--lionheart]

It's normal

Trigger: ED, IBD, Endometriosis, period, verbal abuse

I am 9 when my mother puts me on a diet.

The pre-teen fat scares her, I am 128 cm and weighing in at 29 kg. She feeds me nothing but meal-replacement shakes that are meant for teenagers.

She is a pharmacist.

I am 10 when I get my period.

My grandma is scared, but my mother says it's normal. I bleed a ton, I get nauseous. She says I don't need to go to see the gyn yet, my father agrees.

He is a doctor.

I am 13 when I pass out for the first time.

My confirmation dress is a little tight, my mother makes me fast of water and juice. I collapse on my way to dance school, on the road.

I call nobody.

I am 15 when the pain gets unbearable.

I cry a lot, I want to take pain medication. My mother denies me, thinking I will get addicted.

I steal them from her.

I am 17 when I develope an ED.

In school they bully me. I am 160 cm, weighing 55 kg. It's my weight, says my mother. I ask for carb-reduction pills, she says it's cheating.

I buy laxatives instead.

I am 18 when I begin to pass out and puke from the pain.

My periods are short, I bleed a ton, my stomach is upset all the time. We consult gyns all over our region. They say I am 'sensitive'.

They are all female.

I am 19 when I start to develop cysts.

I finally find a doctor that takes me seriously. His daughter suffers too. He sends me to the clinic. They find cysts and adhesions inside my belly.

I feel relieved.

I am 22 when I can't find help.

I am in Ireland on a mandatory exchange from my university. Health care for foreign students suck. They don't allow me to skip classes.

I write my exams, high on pills.

I am 24 when I begin to bleed from my guts.

Its in the mids of the pandemic, my mother is celebrating her birthday with her family, I am around. I cry, I am afraid, she says its nothing.

I begin to fever, she takes me to the hospital.

I am 24 when I call an ambulance.

I can't get up anymore because of the pain, I puke. In the hospital they shove me around, gynecologists, gastroenterologist, no one finds a thing until a pediatrician comes around for my roommate.

I have developed kidney-stones.

I am 25 when they put me on immunsuppressors.

I cry a lot, I talk to my mother, she is worried. My stepdad calls and is angry, tells me I shouldn't call for 'negative things' since my grandma is sick too.

She is 83 and has been an alcoholic for most of her life.

I am 25 when they find tumors in my uterus and guts.

They can't be removed they said, because it will destroy my fertilty. I don't plan on getting children with my fiancee. They say not to worry, the tumors are not cancer yet.

As if that would make things better.

I am 26 when I can't find psychotherapy.

I am not sick enough, they say, or too sick. I function too well, have been constantly working since I was 13. I try selfcare, but it barely works. But I am not alone.

My found family helps me heal.

I am 27 when I get my first full time job.

I haven't had a flare-up in 2 years, but I tell about my IBD, my Endo during the interview. My employer says my disabilities don't take from my abilities.

I think he is right.

#endowarrior #ibdawareness #ibd problems #spoonie #story of my life #journey to diagnosis #healingjourney #self reflection

[startingover2108]

How my first GYM training went after a loooong break. (March 29th 2023)

.

So last time I took a workout class I also got a diet plan (February 2022). I was sticking to it immensely. suddenly my gut health got out of order.

-I was always with some bloating, stomach pains especially my left side and never knew why...

That's how my first ever flare started and lasted for a goooood 3,5 months of constantly bad bowels..

.

This time I took a women's group class. Easier with people. The program is about getting stronger with a lot of different types of weights and bodyweight also.

Currently am feeling like shit (it's (31.3.)4am in my country, my sore throat is waking me up and I am not sleeping good for almost 2 weeks now.just 5-6h per night is never going to be good for me)

Today I have another training. It will kill my ass probably and I will be in so much pain. CURRENT WISH: I really want to get stronger. Especially now on systemic corticosteroids while we tricked my body into fake remission with it... Idk if it makes sense but- if my core and all over body is stronger maybe I'll be better at taking the worse days physically and mentally.

That's my goal. Already told my trainer about my situation. I'm out of a habit. I'm new after a long ass time. I'll have very bad days.. but I told her I want to show up even then, to do at least slight stretching. I wanna show up 3x per week and do it for my mental health and to show myself I'm here for me and I'm not backing down again.

.

Workout consisted of proper squat form, proper kettlebell swings and holds, basics. But damn my legs feel like Jell-O 😂

.

Hope this helps someone or motivates you to find your own little active outlet. Just try to be there for YOU. If you show up for your self you won't have to look who didn't. It will be good enough ^^

Have a wonderful last day of March and an AMAAAAZING upcoming April

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

#workout #gym #ibd #ibdawareness #ulcerative colitis #weightloss #support #positive #healthy #happy #healthblr #fit #love #fitblr #tasty #strong