I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease last week. I’m not sure why I feel the need to share this with you, or my blog, but here I am. Finally, I have a name for something that’s been affecting my life every single day.
When you’re already living with chronic pain, having another issue on top of it just makes everything even more difficult.
I wasn’t sure if the issues I was having were due to Fibromyalgia or PTSD or anxiety… I know all of those issues do manifest themselves in real, physical ways. But, I went to see my doctor when those problems didn’t go away on their own. I was in a lot of pain by the time I went in.
I started Prednisone two days ago. Prednisone lowers the activity of the immune system, which is your body’s defense system. Corticosteroids work by slowing your body’s response to disease or injury. Prednisone can help lower certain immune-related symptoms, including inflammation and swelling.
On top of that, I have bronchitis (plus, ya know, fibromyalgia + PTSD + anxiety + severe depression). Ugh, I don’t even like typing all that out. It’s just a lot to battle. I’m strong, but I’ve been feeling down a lot.
The diagnosis does explain a lot of my symptoms, and I wonder how many are actually from Crohn’s, not Fibromyalgia. But, at the end of the day, does it really matter what they’re called? It’s been making me miserable, and that’s what matters.
Crohn’s does have more treatment options and I’m hopeful that I can get over this flare, and maybe I’ll start to feel like a better version of myself again. The disease they found in my intestines was still in its early stages, so hopefully we caught it soon enough to be managed with a round of Prednisone.
I’m still full of a lot of questions.
Since I don’t want this post to be all downer, I want to share parts of my life with you that isn’t all bad.
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned while battling mental/physical illness: let myself have a good days, because they put the bad days in perspective.
Instead of taking it easy this weekend, Gus (my husband), Max (our pug), and I wanted to take a road trip to spend some quality time together, take a break from work, and get my mind off my health. We drove out to the Washington coast so we could see the waves and put our feet in the sand.
I wanted to feel the earth under my feet and ground myself. Plus, I love road trips; singing along to my favorite songs, eating snacks, and enjoying the passing scenery. Max also loves road trips, and I love any excuse to drive my new Subaru. We had hoped to stay the night at the Adrift Hotel on Long Beach (our favorite), but they were booked for the night. Let’s finish on a high note: Max and I, me SMILING WITH MY TEETH (a rare sight on the internet), and Max enjoying the view.
If you have Crohn’s disease, I’d love some advice on how you manage it. What diet changes have you made, if any? How do you know when you’re having a flare? What should I tell my husband about Crohn’s that I might not have told him already?
keep fighting,
brl
Becca Risa Luna 
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