Wow!! A year ago (March 17) I was told that I have Crohn's Disease. Seasons have passed, the leafs changed colors and fell and holidays came and went. I know that one isn't a very big number.
But for the last year of my life I have been aware that I have Crohn's Disease. It's really weird, before I knew about my Crohn's Disease I would never pay attention to it and when I had pain I would just dismiss it. For the first part of the year it was the exact opposite.
I was always waiting for my pain and always waiting too run to the bathroom, waiting for anything to go wrong, my world revolved around Crohn's disease. I would wake and think about Crohn's when I slept I would dream about Crohn's. All my friends and family found out really quick. The sad thing is that I did get some backlash from friends. I have heard friends make fun of me for it. Really good friends that didn't even want to hear about it. One of my friends said that I was the exact same person I was ten years ago, I have been asked to stop talking about it in a group of friends. Heard this in not the time or place.. well then when is the time and place?? This is a disease my friends not just a cold. I have had to miss important stuff because of this disease. It showed me who I can count on and who I can't. I actually at one point thought long and hard about who I wanted to keep as friends. It was gutted to think somebody I once thought about dating would make fun of my disease and a friend that I knew since I was 16 didn't want to hear anything about it.
My biggest shock must have been the toll on my body and my mind. Crohn's plays with you like I play my music on my computer, it is great songs on random and then you get a set of music that you forgot your had and never like it originally. The emotion roller coaster is amazing with Crohn's one day your doing great in and the next day the pain just rips you a new one and because of that you're in a bad mood and depressed. Crohn's pain sucks but I'm thankful that it comes and goes. On the plus side I met new friends on twitter that I would have never known and they have made this transition a lot easier being we are all there for each other.
In conclusion to my first year, I have to start with Crohn's Disease sucks. The past year taught me allot about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses, it has showed me my real friends, my false friends and ones that I need to knock a block into. It's also showed me who really matters in my life. That you can't just be one person you need people to rely on. The best thing and one thing really funny, the past year has really opened me up. I am more of a person because of this Crohn's disease, go figure eh!
I want to start to finish this blog with thanks to God all my friends and family, friends on Twitter from the ones that are no longer on there to the ones I talked to only once to the ones that I talk to almost everyday. Without all of you I don't know if I would be the person I am today and being able to deal with this disease.
It is amazing how time deals you cards. You don't always need a need a new card even tho you really want one. It is how you play your cards at that time that really makes a difference.
Stay Happy and Positive my Crohnie brethren. Tho we walk down a life that most don't, we can take into that walk that we are not alone and tomorrow just might bring that cure.
Thanks again for reading my blogs.
Shane
