IBD

“Man, I feel like a woman”

Let’s go girls! – Shania Twain

Ladies, I feel you. I get it. Hell I had already got it. Now please stop. Please please stop. Specifically I want you to stop using your blood magic to transform the region between my belly button and groin into a woman.

I thought I’d already appeased the gods of feminine pain. I’ve had an epidural, and I’ve given birth through cesarean section. I didn’t experience the miracle of birthing a living being per se, but instead experienced the nightmare of birthing a dying organ. But I gave birth non the less. Same same. So ladies, I feel you. I get it. The patriarchy, 77 cents on the dollar, mansplaining, all that jazz. Got it. I even enjoy the Shania Twain song in the title of this post, but can my tum tum stop feeling like a woman now? Hell I should be on the cover of Vanity Fair at this point. Bruce only did the fun shit to become Caitlyn. Hair, boobs, makeup, dresses… all the dope lady stuff. I’m doing the freaking dirty work over here to become a woman, but am I brave? Am I an inspiration? Am I going to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award? Hell no. Nor should I. But… kinda… shouldn’t I?

August 23, 2017

CwC Father’s Day Check In

Oh my how I’ve missed you. I’ve been on the road TCB’n it so wanted to quickly check in to talk fathers day, and CwC developments.

June 16, 2017

Crying and Poetry – The Softer Side of IBD – Part 1

IBD has made me a pansy.

A wimp. A wuss. A namby-pamby or pantywaist if you will (those are real phrases). IBD not only weakens the body, but so too softens the heart. Real talk, I cry a lot more than I used to. And it’s not like I didn’t cry before… I did… but it took some real work. For example, here is the last time I cried before IBD tenderized me –

It was December of 2015, and it was a simpler time. Work was going well, I was in the exciting early days of a new relationship, The Force Awakens was about to premier, and I was only pooping once or twice a day. Both James and the Star Wars franchise were riding high.

June 6, 2017

Mistakes were made – flying with IBD

If there is one aspect of IBD that I dominate, it’s surviving a flight my body is begging me not to take. Forcefully begging me. Multiple times I have flown cross country within 24 hours of a hospital discharge. Each one is a story of idiocy, heroism, and awkward conversations begging for the aisle seat. I’ll have to tell a few of them another time. For now let’s meditate on Friday’s cross country flight.

The flight was necessary to bring me to one of the least CwC friendly places on Earth – Auburn, Alabama. I’m hear to attend a wedding and test the bounds of my bodies fat and sugar tolerance. Rest easy Crohnies, I’m sipping kombucha as I write this in an attempt to protect my poor tum tum. Kombucha was surprisingly available for purchase among the 4,376 stores selling Auburn University gear (none of which is auburn colored). Go War Eagles! (they also call themselves the war eagles despite their mascot being a tiger). Nothing makes sense here. I feel like Alice.

But anyways, I was supposed to be telling you about my flight.

May 28, 2017

Facing Low Moments

When battling chronic illness some days are going to beat you down. While you need to stay strong and keep a positive outlook, you can’t maintain that 100% of the time. Some days you need to embrace feeling depressed, and ride it out so you can regroup and pick up your spirits the next day.

May 18, 2017

IBD’s Marketing Problem

Digestive issues are not the most marketable diseases. We need to rebrand. Crohn’s and colitis along with other digestive issues such as celiac, IBS, leaky gut, etc can be embarrassing to discuss and thus don’t fill much space in the public consciousness and quietly devastate the lives of those afflicted with them. How can it be rebranded or marketed more effectively?

May 18, 2017

Stern but Friendly Introduction

Cooking with Crohn’s aims to educate and entertain people working to manage gastrointestinal issues through diet. It’s also great for anyone simply looking to get fit, or get comfortable cooking in the kitchen.

This intro video gives a quick overview of the channel, and sheds a little light on the mysterious host/hero.

May 18, 2017