Day 2 of #CCawarenessWeek. I live with #CrohnsDisease and one thing that bothers me is when healthy people who had a gut ache or some diarrhea for a day or so tell me, "Now I understand how you feel every day." No, you do not. If you are friends with anyone living with an #InvisibleDisability one thing you can do is learn about us. Wikipedia is a good start . Don't make health suggestions. It comes across as patronizing. Don't suggest yoga, CBD oil, taking a walk, getting some sun, Ayurveda, or some random diet you heard about. All of us are very aware of our diseases. We know our personal triggers. And we are also very good and masking the constant pain we live in.
We are people, just like you, and like all people, we want to feel heard and accepted. In #wine and #food, please believe them when they say they have allergies. For example, I cannot eat animal products. Huge trigger for me, and I am often treated like a burden, or served the most boring food imaginable. #MyIBDstory

It's IBD awareness week and this is #MyIBDstory
I was diagnosed with #CrohnsDisease in 1999, but had symptoms for four years prior. My #MisognistDoctor (It's very common in medicine) prescribed Prozac to me for years when I would go in with symptoms like explosive bloody diarrhea, extreme abdominal pain, arthritis, and long term fevers. He diagnosed me with 'hysteria' and depression. I almost died of sepsis when I went to the ER in the worst pain of my life with a perforated bowel. If he had just referred me to a GI I may have had better treatment and an earlier diagnosis. There are millions of us living with an #InvisibleDisability and #ChronicPain but it doesn't define me. I am still a person who happens to live with an uncurable disease that impacts my life every day. Over the next week I plan to share my story to raise awareness. #CCawarenessWeek #IBDvisible