Runners, to the start line!

During a conversation with my dad yesterday, I mentioned that I would be starting my Humira injections that evening. I was starting with the loading dose: 4 pens at 40mg each. In two weeks I'll take the next dose of two pens, then a maintenance dose of one pen every two weeks. When I described the maintenance dose, my dad casually asked me, "How long will you need to do that for?" I smiled and shrugged, trying my best to match his casual question with a casual answer. "For the rest of my life."

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2010. My symptoms weren't (and have never been) the 'typical' Crohn's symptoms. A diagnosis of a chronic disease was the farthest thing from my mind as I made a gastroenterologist appointment due to pain and blood when I went to the bathroom.

Yes, you've landed on a blog about life with Crohn's Disease, an illness that falls under the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) umbrella. It's an incurable disease that can cause inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus... which can result in symptoms such as abdominal cramping, diarrhea, weight loss, absorption problems, and various other issues. So bathroom talk will probably be pretty frequent here. Though, not all the time. I'll do my best to keep it classy. Because I'm a classy lady. (Cue friends and family snickering.)

In all seriousness, the lack of 'typical' Crohn's symptoms allowed me to pick up a hobby that is usually discouraged for people with gastrointestinal issues: running. It's pretty well-known throughout the sport that even the shortest of runs can cause chaos in the digestive system, usually resulting in the urge to go within the first couple miles (somewhat affectionately referred to as 'runner's trots' by many runners). Running (and exercising in general) reduces blood flow to the intestines as more blood is sent to the extremities, increases the speed at which food is pushed along the digestive tract, and alters the rate of absorption in the intestines. The healthiest of runners can experience these issues... add a bowel disease to the mix, and spotting a row of port-o-potties up ahead on the course can sometimes feel more exciting than seeing the finish line.

For years, my Crohn's Disease diagnosis seemed to cause more issues with my health insurance than it did with my abdomen. It was just another box to check on my medical history form. I could almost put it out of my mind... until I spent 2 weeks of August 2017 in the hospital, on 'bowel rest', with 3 drains in my side. The inflammation in my intestines had gotten bad enough to form a block, eventually causing a rupture. I had 3 abscesses (or as I liked to refer to them, pockets of 'intestinal juice') in my abdomen. Two weeks in the hospital, 3 abdominal abscesses, and a Crohn's disease diagnosis that was automatically upgraded to 'moderate/severe'... and I found myself focusing on if I could recover quickly enough to successfully run the Hartford Half Marathon in 2 months.

When my GI (a wonderful doctor who will certainly be praised further in later entries) asked me how I'd feel about being prescribed Humira, it really hit me that 7 years after my initial diagnosis, I was only then about to begin my journey as a Crohn's patient. I decided to start a blog that chronicles my thoughts and experiences throughout the process, so that some day in the future, I could look back at all the finish lines that I'd crossed, both literal and figurative, throughout the years... and maybe give some encouragement to those who are about to start their own journey.

Support is important in any journey, whether you're working your way towards remission of a chronic disease or towards the finish line of your latest race. I've been lucky enough to find a fantastic group of friends, family,  and 'homies' that I know that I can always count on for encouragement in life and fitness. And although I prefer to go running with my homies, I know that I'll always be running with my Crohn's-ies. I recognize that it won't always be easy, but the most important part is to just lace up my sneakers, turn on my headphones, take a deep breath, and step up to the start line.