“In May of 2008, I had just completed my first year of college and was back home for the summer. My parents had a delicious menu on deck to celebrate Memorial Day. I remember this because it was the last meal I would eat for two weeks. I woke up with an upset stomach and it proceeded to turn into what we thought was a stomach flu, which eventually landed me in the hospital.
Thanks to my dad being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease a few years prior, the gastroenterologist knew what to look for. I was quickly diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease (later rediagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis!) and set me on a path I could have never expected for myself.
I remember laying in my hospital bed sobbing because my world was just flipped upside down and all I was given was a pamphlet and discharge papers. Was my life over? I had no idea what life would be like with a chronic illness.
As a 19 year old, my way of coping was to ignore it altogether. I continued on with life and pretended it wasn’t there, which actually led me to a cycle of denial, pushing my body to its limits, and hospitalizations. I was hospitalized 5 times before I took any responsibility for my own health.
When I was 24, I became sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all the time. My brain fog, pain, and fatigue were nearly unbearable, so I began a deep dive into nutrition and alternative care for IBD and I’ve never looked back.
Whenever I find myself feeling resentful and ‘woe is me’, I have to remember that I was set on this path for a reason. I am here on purpose; nothing happens on accident. Because of my own experience, I am now a health coach and personal trainer for the Crohn’s and Colitis community and get to share knowledge that I wish I had back in 2008.
I do often wonder what the version of me would be like if I was never diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Who would I have become? Looking back on everything I’ve been through, I can say for sure that my experience has gifted me resilience, grit, perseverance, and a deep sense of gratitude for the big and small moments in my life.”
Holly
