Caring for Crohn's & UC

#ThisIsIBD: Jeffrey

December 3, 2014 at 12:51 pm Rebecca K. Leave a comment

Today’s #ThisIsIBD story comes from Jeffrey . Jeffrey is another IBD blogger and sits on the board of the Intense Intestines Foundation.

Jeffrey, 41, Crohn’s disease

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in the 1980’s and went through years of being sick but just wanting to feel better and live my life. I didn’t know much about the disease, and, due to a lack of resources and motivation, I didn’t see any point in learning more about my disease. I spent years ignorant of what I had.

In 2011, my life with Crohn’s disease changed, and so did my goals. My father-in-law, who lived with ulcerative colitis and had an ostomy, passed away due to complications from his disease. I looked up to him in my battle with IBD and he was an inspiration in how he lived his life. I also went into my worst Crohn’s disease flare that same year. I started going through depression and felt like my life was going downhill real fast.

Three years later, my life has completely changed. Having IBD has built up my character and confidence. Thirty years ago, I didn’t fully understand Crohn’s disease and wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. Now I am well educated about my disease, research and the new treatments that are being developed. I run a support group that helps other find their voice to speak up. I feel like I have been quiet with my disease for way to long and now that it has helped define who I am, I will never keep quiet about it again.

Entry filed under: Advocates, CCFA Awareness Week, General, General Disease, Interviews. Tags: CCFA, CCFA Awareness Week, Colitis, crohn's, Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, crohn's disease, Crohn's Sucks, ibd, inflammatory bowel disease, uc, ulcerative colitis.