I have Crohn's.

I have Crohns.

It sounds funny. I mean, it sounds like something old people, not twenty year olds. It doesn't sound like something you hear everyday. It sounds like a death sentence.

I suppose, to really understand, we have to go back to the start. Let's visit two months ago. Quite unexpectedly and without much warning I started experiencing pain in my abdomen and having really bad stomach cramps, which in turn, created some very painful bathroom experiences. I at first chalked it up to what I was eating, but soon realized that wasn't the case. After being misdiagnosed twice, my doctor thought it would be a good idea for me to undergo a colonoscopy, which, let me tell you, was not fun. Although, initially, the tests showed no tumors or ulcers, the biopsy was still being processed. Last Friday, my new gastro (we'll call him Dr. K)do delivered my death sentence, Crohn's.

Which, to be fair it isn't. For those of you who don't know what Crohn's is, the medical dictionary states that Crohn's is:

a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which involves ongoing (chronic) inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Eww? Yes. Confused? I was. Basically, my intestines are deteriorating. My immune system is attacking it. And as we all know, that can't be good. Crohn's presents itself in most peoples' late teens, early twenties. There is no cure, it is a chronic illness. There is no known reason for what causes it. It just is. I have a mild case, which is good for me. It means that as far as Dr. K is concerned, nothing is bad enough that surgery is a necessity. I can maintain a normal diet and still do normal activities. But that doesn't mean that I won't wake up tomorrow and be in crippling pain, it just means that as far as he knows, I'm safe.

I don't know a whole lot. I don't have all the answers yet. I have no idea what will cause my flare-ups. I have no idea what this will do for my life. But I'll tell you as I go. And whether or not you chose to listen to it is up to you. This is to help me deal with what is happening to me, you guys are just along for the ride.

M