How I Told My Kids About My Crohn's Diagnosis
For years, I didn’t think I’d ever tell my kids that their mom has Crohn’s disease. I had worked so hard for so long to achieve remission... so I was tired of dealing with Crohn's when my first was born. As a result, I never shared what was going on and often focused on how much I wanted to be a "normal" mom. But over the past year, my 5-year-old started to notice that there are some things about me that are different -- I’ve missed out on some family activities, sometimes
Stop Apologizing to Your Doctor, Say This Instead
Recently, I wrote an email to my specialist and felt the need to say, “Sorry for rambling!” at the end. But is this really how I should be feeling after communicating with my doctor? I’ve been with this doctor for quite a few years, and yet I still feel the need to say, “I’m sorry” whenever I worry about being a burden to him or his practice. I think that it’s because I appreciate his care so much. When I realized what I was doing, I stopped to think -- I know that he woul
My Diagnoses are Mine to Share
A weird thing happened recently. I had arrived a few minutes late to a packed party and was taking off my coat when the words, “This is the girl with Crohn’s!” were shouted across the busy room. I hadn’t had a chance to meet the recipient of this information, so my family member shared my diagnosis before even sharing my name. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened, either. Two common themes exist in these occurrences: strangers are present in a p
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