Ive always been into fitness.
Until I was a young teenager I used to swim competitively.
Id be training 8 times a week, before & after school, and spending my weekends at competitions.
Then as I got older, I moved away from swimming when I found my love for weight training.
Again, I was training frequently, had a good diet and felt great!
So, when I became severely ill in 2021, it was hard to come to terms with.
My inflammatory markers were over 2000 times higher than what is considered normal.
I underwent numerous tests over the following few months and was ultimately diagnosed with Crohns Disease.
Ill never forget the moment I received my diagnosis.
So, when I saw Crohns Disease there in black and white, I broke down.
This was going to be with me forever?
How was I going to deal with it?
Would I even be able to?
Id already had to scale back my training.
I could barely stomach any food, and what I did eat wasnt being digested.
And subsequently, I felt completely lost.
It felt like I was in a body I didnt know.
A body that could no longer do the things it had always done.
It was a hard realisation that Im not invincible like I naively thought I was.
Ive never suffered from poor mental health, until the time following my diagnosis.
My body was fighting against me after so many years of looking after it.
Ive also been able to connect with people going through a similar thing.
But Ive also been able to start spreading awareness around Crohns Disease.
It may only be in my little corner of the internet right now, but its progress, nonetheless.
Additionally, its helped me to feel like Ive got a purpose again.
I think thats still a pretty great achievement.
Im seeing my diagnosis as a new challenge, rather than an obstacle.
I like to think theres always positives to be found in any situation.
I didnt ask for this disease, and to be frank, I dont want it!
But its shown me that I can overcome challenges that once seemed impossible.
To anyone else with Crohns Disease, or another condition that theyre struggling with right now…
I know how youre feeling.
Life may look different now, but youre alive andthats what matters.
Think of your diagnosis as a new beginning and a chance to rebuild yourself into whatever you want.
Not everybody gets that chance.
In some ways, were the lucky ones.
