It was August of 2018 when I started experiencing awful gut issues.
I was in severe pain, vomiting, and spent hours in the bathroom.
After a year of tests, we concluded it was my gallbladder.
Finally, in July of 2019, after losing 35 lbs.
and living in extreme pain for months, my doctors decided to take my gallbladder out.
I was looking forward to getting my life back.
Well, little did I know, my journey was only just beginning.
This would be my life, on and off, for the next year.
I made extreme lifestyle changes.
I was feeling better everywhere but something was absolutely wrong with my gut.
By September 2020, after vomiting for 9 hours straight, my husband rushed me to the hospital.
We were told I needed immediate surgery or my intestines would burst and could kill me.
They told me I had a severe small bowel obstruction, sparked by severe inflammation in my small intestine.
I wanted to become an advocate for gut issues, health, and IBD.
Yet millions of people around the world are being diagnosed with Crohns Disease or Ulcerative Colitis every day.
Crohns and Colitis Disease fall under the category of IBD because it is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Your intestines or colon actually show signs of damage from severe inflammation.
What I am thankful for is what my Crohns Disease diagnosis has taught me.
It forced me to look at my life and what my priorities were.
Was I putting my physical and mental health first?
Was I taking care of my body, exercising, moving, and fueling it with the right foods?
I had a lot of learning to do but I was willing to put in the work.
It is a perfect Instagram vs. reality moment.
My physical and mental health come first, always.
I make my husband a priority.
We have date nights and make time for one another.
Exercise/Health, I have learned you have to get your body moving.
Find something you enjoy and do it.
I felt so weak in the hospital after losing weight, I wanted to gain muscle and be strong.
As the saying goes, You cant pour from an empty cup.
Take care of yourself my friends, because you are worth it.
