𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

15. Crohn's Disease

"Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition."

I actually know a lot about Crohn's Disease firsthand because my father has it. He got diagnosed when I was about 6 or 7 years old, I really can't remember a time when he didn't have it, in fact.

First of all, I'll start with this - being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease is not a life sentence. Just because you have the disease doesn't shorten your life span by any amount of length. However, it can lead to severe and sometimes fatal complications so it is a very dangerous disease to battle and live with.

For now, there is no known cure for it, either. But with the help of therapy and changing your diet, the symptoms can subside, sometimes going into total remission.

Symptoms of Crohn's Disease may include fever, fatigue, diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramping, mouth sores, reduced appetite, inflammation, and even unexplained weight loss.

No one really knows what truly causes Crohn's Disease although there are links to it being genetic. Two of my dad's first cousins on both sides of his family actually have the disease as well.

There are more risk factors though for certain people. For example, you're more prone to being diagnosed before the age of 30 than after, you're at higher risk when you have a family history of the disease, have a high-fat diet, if you live in or around an industrialized community, you can also be susceptible as well if you're a smoker or have a constant use of certain over the counter drugs.

Crohn's Disease can also cause some pretty severe symptoms in certain individuals. Such as bowel obstruction, ulcers, malnutrition, colon cancer as well as other health problems.

My dad actually had a bad experience with his own Crohn's Disease about two years ago back in February of 2018. He started to feel really nauseous and could barely eat. It got to the point that he was continually vomiting and couldn't go to the bathroom at all. That lasted for about a day or so before we ended up having to take him to the Emergency Room for it. It turns out, he had a bowel obstruction that was pretty bad. They had to stick a tube up his nose that went down into his intestines to try and remove it. Thankfully, it worked but if not, they were discussing surgery to remove the obstruction. He was in the hospital for about a week and it was a pretty scary time for all of us. Even though we're not close, it was a scary thought to think I might lose him.

There are a lot of ways to reduce symptoms though. As I mentioned before, changing your diet is a really good way to start. Because of having this disease, it's best to avoid carbonated drinks, popcorn, raw vegetables, nuts as well as drinking more liquids and eating smaller meals.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! This one meant a lot to me to write because of my dad having it and I know he goes through a lot having to deal with the symptoms every day. I hope it brought a little awareness.

I'm not certain what I'll be talking about next but if anyone has suggestions, please don't hesitate to comment below - I'd love to hear from you! ^_^