Conditions

                In my life, I have had a miniscule number of body injuries that have been serious or worrisome.  In the summer of 2008 I hyper-extended my knee, which still from time to time bothers me, but I don’t consider it a threatening injury.  A year and a half ago, I had a disease scare which opened my eyes to the possibilities of limitations which I could acquire in my lifetime.  I began to have bowel problems in July of 2010.  At first, I thought nothing of it, but after 6 months of problems, I began to worry.

I went to the doctors to find out that I had a potential case of Crohn’s Disease, which is a very serious problem that can lead to many severe issues later in life.  I had a colonoscopy at age 25, and swallowed a camera pill capsule to have the diagnosis of the disease decided.  There were about 3 weeks that went by where I had to read up on and asses the changes I would have to make in my life to accommodate for the disease.  It was an awful feeling.  I was eventually told that after the examination and pictures, I did not have Crohn’s, but had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which basically means I don’t have Crohn’s, but they don’t know what it is).  A year has passed since the news, and my condition has bettered, though still not to 100% as before.

It was such an eye-opening experience for me; I didn’t know what to do.  I was so shocked because I had always taken such good care of myself and my body.  Some things are hard to swallow, and the idea that my condition was beyond anything that I could do to better myself was one of them.  Many of us (including me) become comfortable with things we are not limited by on a daily basis, and when we are faced with facts which could even slightly hinder some of the things which we are lucky to never be forced to take into consideration, it can be a huge game-changer.  I never thought I would have to pay attention to everything I eat (beyond what is healthy and not healthy), but now I pay attention to every reaction my body has to anything that I put in it.  I have to test out different grains and how my intestines react to them, how I feel in the morning from the meal last night, etc.  Now honestly, my condition is DWARFED by so many other conditions which are far more severe, and I am thankful for that, but it has absolutely changed my perspective of what my limitations for treating my body are, and what is beyond my control.

One of my friends from home in Massachusetts has a Congenial Heart Disease, and another is a Cancer survivor and currently battles with Crohn’s Disease.  They have both showed me that despite what you have been given you can always fight back, and to always be grateful for what opportunities we have to be on this planet.  No matter what condition you are in (physically or psychologically), you must think of it as opportunity to prove that you can overcome any obstacles that are placed in your path.