Chronic Illness with Confidence

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

5 Tips for Breastfeeding on Biologics (Humira, Cimzia, etc.)

In order to get well enough to take on the role of motherhood in the way that I wanted, I would need to take Cimzia (throughout my first pregnancy) and then Humira (started after a rough flare and shortly before my second pregnancy). I was nervous at first, but, armed with evidence-based research, I was able to make my own informed decision to exclusively breastfeed both of my children while effectively treating my Crohn's disease. I'm not one to engage in a mommy-battle of

My PIANO Study Experience

From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a mother. But, when I began experiencing symptoms of Crohn’s disease at age 21, I became worried about how my future may look. Knowing instinctively that I wanted to be well to have a child, I set out on a mission to heal the angry disease that was taking over my intestines. After struggling on lower-tiered medications, a hospitalization for an obstruction led me to realize that the deep healing that I desired would only come us

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

ABOUT ME

For nearly a decade, I've managed life with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of the digestive tract. As a young woman, symptoms appeared one day, and they wouldn't be tamed for years. While the disease hasn't stopped me from living my life, its appearance has altered my course; sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I'm passionate about sharing my experience to support others.