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June 2010 was what doctors described as "the perfect storm." My Ulcerative Colitis (although diagnosed as Crohn's Disease at the time – diagnosed in 2007) was flaring up. An Inflammatory Bowel Disease combined with Liver Disease (now cured) caused blood clots in my lungs, leg, portal vein, and spleen. As a then-24-year-old who looked healthy, I threw the ER doctor for a loop. I was immediately placed on a Heparin drip, followed by Coumadin and Lovenox, in an attempt to get my blood to a therapeutic level.
Four months later, I interned in Charleston, SC, for the final semester for my Masters degree in Social Work. Once again, my bowel disease became unbearable. After trying nearly every medication regimen, including alternative therapies (acupuncture, diets, hypnotherapy), my body was tired of fighting. In October 2010, my GI doctor came into the room and told me that surgery to remove my colon was my only option. I had a fever that would not go down and was placed on TPN (nutrition through a PICC line) since I was no longer eating. Tired of fighting and feeling foggy from the medications I was on, I signed consent for surgery. The doctor called the on-call surgeon that Sunday, and I was in surgery soon after. While I was recovering in the hospital, the doctor told me that my diagnosis had been changed to Ulcerative Colitis--which meant that I could have the "take down" surgery in several months and live ostomy bag-free.
Thrilled for some good news, I began the uphill journey of healing. I withdrew from school and moved back home to recuperate. The ostomy did not come without complications of ulcers and the skin pulling away from the stoma. I finished Grad School the following semester with a lot of encouragement and help from family and friends. Following graduation in 2011, I had two more surgeries: the j-pouch surgery and an ileostomy reversal (the "take down"). Between surgeries I was diagnosed with Protein S deficiency (a clotting disorder), which will require me to take Coumadin the rest of my life.
In the last four years, I have had many ups and downs on the road to "healthy." About two months ago I was back in the ER and doctor's offices for a horrible infection. I have had a lot of difficulty regaining a therapeutic INR level (the thickness/thinness of my blood from Coumadin).
I have learned to live with my new normal. And, it came with a realization: the path and the work of my life are not defined by my illness; instead, these are mere chapters in my story and not my story itself. I am grateful for the opportunities to lean completely on God and to have found a strength I may not have known otherwise.
Currently I work two jobs, but am still unable to cover my medical expenses. My medical bills remain high, and I need to purchase a CoaguChek machine to monitor my blood’s thickness. Any support you are able to provide will only go to medical expenses. Thank you for supporting me on my journey and God Bless!
Four months later, I interned in Charleston, SC, for the final semester for my Masters degree in Social Work. Once again, my bowel disease became unbearable. After trying nearly every medication regimen, including alternative therapies (acupuncture, diets, hypnotherapy), my body was tired of fighting. In October 2010, my GI doctor came into the room and told me that surgery to remove my colon was my only option. I had a fever that would not go down and was placed on TPN (nutrition through a PICC line) since I was no longer eating. Tired of fighting and feeling foggy from the medications I was on, I signed consent for surgery. The doctor called the on-call surgeon that Sunday, and I was in surgery soon after. While I was recovering in the hospital, the doctor told me that my diagnosis had been changed to Ulcerative Colitis--which meant that I could have the "take down" surgery in several months and live ostomy bag-free.
Thrilled for some good news, I began the uphill journey of healing. I withdrew from school and moved back home to recuperate. The ostomy did not come without complications of ulcers and the skin pulling away from the stoma. I finished Grad School the following semester with a lot of encouragement and help from family and friends. Following graduation in 2011, I had two more surgeries: the j-pouch surgery and an ileostomy reversal (the "take down"). Between surgeries I was diagnosed with Protein S deficiency (a clotting disorder), which will require me to take Coumadin the rest of my life.
In the last four years, I have had many ups and downs on the road to "healthy." About two months ago I was back in the ER and doctor's offices for a horrible infection. I have had a lot of difficulty regaining a therapeutic INR level (the thickness/thinness of my blood from Coumadin).
I have learned to live with my new normal. And, it came with a realization: the path and the work of my life are not defined by my illness; instead, these are mere chapters in my story and not my story itself. I am grateful for the opportunities to lean completely on God and to have found a strength I may not have known otherwise.
Currently I work two jobs, but am still unable to cover my medical expenses. My medical bills remain high, and I need to purchase a CoaguChek machine to monitor my blood’s thickness. Any support you are able to provide will only go to medical expenses. Thank you for supporting me on my journey and God Bless!