June Recap

 Hi blog, my name is Andra, I’m 5’2 and I weigh 91 pounds. I lost 10 pounds in June due to a potential chronic inflammatory autoimmune condition known as Crohn’s disease. My official diagnosis is not until July 21st when I do my colonoscopy, but my symptoms and familial genetics point to my hypothesis of Crohn’s. 

This month has been brutal to say the least. I’ve spent lots of time getting familiar with the bathroom, going about 5-10 times daily. Buying wet wipes in bulk, soaking my ass in warm baths at 3am, waking up frequently, figuring out what to eat and building myself to an appetite, and ultimately feeling very fatigued due to my loss of nutrients. 

tired.

Coming from a family that has a very holistic mindset (avoids doctors, antibiotics unless necessary, focuses mainly on meditation, natural remedies, diet, exc.), the idea of having this chronic autoimmune disorder for the rest of my life (there is no known cure) really overwhelms my thoughts on modern vs traditional medicine. Crohn’s, an IBD (irritable bowel disease) disorder, differs from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) in severity, stress-relation, and diet-relation. IBS is functional, linked through stress and diet, and does not cause inflammation and/or physical damage to the small intestines while Crohn’s can cause inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract (throat to small intestine), create ulcers, strictures, and further damage. The immune system mistakenly attacks the body, leading to the chronic inflammation.

Growing up with ideas like “food is medicine” and “your body can heal itself” makes me reevaluate the limits of holistic care and acknowledge that some conditions require more than clean eating and herbal teas. I continue to drink my ginger tea and cut anti-inflammatory food, but some days I feel less symptoms eating greasy pizza. This condition doesn’t always follow logic, and due to the genetic nature and hyper-individual symptoms and flares, there is no known cure without medical treatment.

I’ve had to do multiple stool and blood tests, and in this past weekend, urgent care urged me to go to the ER because I had pain while sitting, walking, standing, and lying down. I’m now on temporary anti-inflammatory steroids which I need to taper off until my colonoscopy, and though they’ve helped tremendously, I’ve still had nights where I wake up every 2 hours. I continue to be positive, mindful, and balance listening to my body and the medical process. 

This post was not meant to illicit sympathy or change any behavior towards me, it’s just part of a larger process. This topic will likely continue as I continue to figure out how to control and understand what is going on.