Brazil chronic illness gave me a new life

A woman smiled when her doctor told her she had a chronic disease. After months of unexplained pain, hearing the name “Crohn’s” brought relief, not fear.

It started with a pain on the lower right side of her abdomen. She thought it was appendicitis, which runs in her family. Three different doctors told her it was stress. One suggested she relax and travel for a few months. She did. The pain got worse.

She pushed back with the third doctor. She told him something was really wrong. He ordered a CT scan. The scan showed an issue in her lower intestine. A specialist performed a colonoscopy and took a biopsy. That is when she heard the word “Crohn’s” for the first time.

Crohn’s is a chronic disease. Her immune system attacks her digestive tract when it does not like something. This causes inflammation and pain. The specialist told her she would be managing it for the rest of her life. He prescribed medication. He said she would need to change her diet and lifestyle to avoid surgery.

She spent about two years learning what foods triggered her symptoms. Alcohol, spicy food, orange juice, greasy fast food, and coffee were the main triggers. Coffee was the hardest to give up.

A friend told her she was lucky. He said the disease would force her to eat well and take her health seriously. At the time, she did not agree. Now, about fifteen years later, she understands what he meant.

She cut the harmful foods out of her life completely. She has gone a long time without a flare-up. The discipline spread to other areas of her health. She says the thing she was most afraid of pushed her toward a healthier life than she would have built on her own.

She offers three lessons from her experience. First, trust your body and keep asking for answers. She heard “it’s stress” three times before a test found the truth. Second, a hard diagnosis can force changes you have been putting off for years. Third, silver linings are often invisible while you are in the middle of the storm. Her friend saw hers before she could.