Our Stories

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the fall of 2015. That year, I had put off tests and doctors visits as I was uninsured at the time. But after months and months of bleeding, I became severely anemic, had lost a lot of weight, and was going to the bathroom more than 10 times a day. I didn’t know it, but my life was in shambles.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis almost seven years ago. In 2010, I was attempting to enjoy my senior year of high school and third year playing tennis. I'd experienced symptoms of UC for years but remained in denial due to fear and embarrassment. After a week or two in the hospital on a high dose of IV steroids, liquids, painkillers, and even a blood transfusion, my diagnosis was confirmed.

At age 17 and as a senior in high school I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. It is something I have hidden from many people for YEARS because it has not been an easy thing for me to talk about. My journey with Crohn's has been far from pleasant and not something that comes up in regular dinner conversation. I was almost ashamed of it for a long, long time and wouldn't even tell my closest friends about it.

Since the day I was diagnosed with Crohn’s in July 2005, the thought of motherhood seemed like a far-off reality. Through my patient journey, I’ve experienced countless hospitalizations, flareups, tests and maintenance medications. Each setback and time my body failed me, made me questions whether I would ever be able to bring a life into this world.

Will Lanier, a fitness trainer, doesn’t look the part of a “sick” person. Hidden underneath his fit exterior lies the effects of a disease that plagued his body for more than a decade. In 2005, Will was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a debilitating digestive disease that causes abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss, and much more. 

Jacklyn Green has gone through debilitating symptoms, hospitalizations, medications, countless doctors’ appointments, and much more. While having ulcerative colitis has been incredibly painful, what’s been just as incapacitating for her is the mental anguish she’s experienced.

Kelly Crabb lives with multiple autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease. Diagnosed when she was 15, Kelly copes daily with what it means to have an invisible illness – the countless pills taken daily, potential side effects, doctors appointments, surgeries, financial burden, and more. Above all, Kelly lives with the crippling pain caused by her invisible illnesses – both in and out of the gut. 

While many patients enroll in clinical trials as a last resort, my clinical trial participation began early on in my journey with Crohn’s.  After several visits to the emergency room for abdominal pain and various tests with no definitive answers, I finally received my Crohn’s diagnosis in the fall of 2017. It came as a result of a capsule endoscopy used to record pictures of my digestive tract. 

If you want to get healthy, you must believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark, cold, and damp that tunnel gets. I am uncertain if my disease will ever resurface; however, if it does…I AM READY!

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1993 at the age of 13. A common steroid let me carry on and go to school but every time I tried to switch to a new medication, the results were less promising. I spent three years yo-yoing up and down on this steroid. We lived in the mountains of Colorado and had to travel about 4 hours to the nearest gastroenterologist. This made each medication change a huge ordeal for me and for my family.