First, I applaud you for clicking on the link. It’s so brave of you to jump right in on a topic that everyone avoids talking about. It’s not even one that I find appealing but it’s reality and we all do it so we might as well. Plus, one of my biffy’s bet me that I wouldn’t title a blog with “Girls Poop Too” and so here it is and what better day to post it than on World IBD Day?
So now that I opened that can of worms I might as well chat about IBD and my most recent experiences with it. To speed any new reader up to date, I have Crohn’s and Colitis. I’ve battled it since 2010. I was in remission in late 2011 and stayed that way till August 2014 when some unforeseen things happened and my stress went to the max. I was bleeding for 16 months, it isn’t as consistent now but it happens on occasion and I’m still in an active flare. So it’s been almost two years now. Yay, life, right?
It is a yay life situation because I’m fortunate to have healthcare that allows me to get treatment and I have the kindest, most empathetic doctors on earth that care for me. They’re often concerned with my current status and I’m undergoing more treatment and testing next week but I’m optimistic because it can only get better from here.
I went to my first support group hosted by a lady named Cheryl that volunteers for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America for the Kentuckiana chapter.
I was so reluctant to go because I didn’t know what I’d say. I imagined that it would go something like “Hi, my name is Bella. I poop a lot.” So what did I do when I introduced myself? I said that, I laughed, and then I explained my current health status, chatted about my medications and infusions and then I realized something nice was happening … I was in sitting with other people that have what I do and totally get me on another level than other people may. How refreshing it that?
After that, my inner journalism student took the lead and I asked a lot of questions and everyone was more than happy to answer them. They gave me an intense amount of hope for the remission I hope to gain again one day. Bonus, Cheryl gave me so much information about Remicade that I didn’t know and I never would have heard about it if it weren’t for this group.
Whether you’re battling Crohn’s, Colitis, both, or any other disease, I hope that this post will make you feel comfortable to seek out the support group in your community or you can be like Cheryl and start one.
Don’t let your disease or fear hold you back. I hope my “dare post” will make you smile and hopefully inspire you to find your tribe of poopers or whomever.
Just to pull the glitter back in on a crappy topic, here’s a lovely photo that my friend, Anna May, took of me after I was getting sick from my last infusion. Glitter and sparkles truly make my soul glow.
