It seems that no matter what I do, my body fights me every winter/holiday season. Without fail, when November and December come around, my Crohn’s Disease likes to remind me that it’s still there. Last winter, I gave up all my fermented foods to try the carnivore diet, in hopes of knocking out the symptoms that were returning then.
This picture was taken a few years ago on a ski trip with friends to Breckenridge. Although I was on Humira at the time, I still struggled. I remember most nights curled up in my bed with silent tears from the pain that felt like shattered glass in my colon. I took handfuls of Tylenol on those nights, but it didn’t help–it never helped.
So, fast forward to today, I’ve had a rocky last few months, but a week ago I thought I was on the mend. I recently brought back raw milk and boiled carrots to my diet—which seem to have positive effects on my digestion—but it was one step forward and two steps back, because my symptoms have returned…though thankfully mild.
I try to not let Crohn’s stop me from enjoying life, but the struggle is hard sometimes. So to my fellow IBD Warriors, keep your head up and know you’re never alone. Remember to look for the positive even when the going gets tough. Gratitude and positivity have powerful effects on our mental and physical well being. So even though Crohn’s likes to remind me it’s still there, I’m choosing to be grateful and focus on the fact the most days I still feel really good and pain free, I have a supportive husband and IBD community around me, and I have a team of doctors and health care professionals I trust who are only a phone call away.
How many of you find that a specific time of year exacerbates your IBD symptoms? What are you grateful for, even in times of challenge?