LIKE A WARRIOR
I was only ten years old when I learned I had Crohn’s Disease. Kind of an unusual situation, as it is a disease usually detected among people aged 18 to 34. At the time, no one in my family knew about that disease, as none of us suffered from it.
A year prior, we learned that my mom had a malignant brain tumour. Doctors had given her six months to live, but she fought for six years before losing her battle. My mom’s cancer and the stress that ensued is probably what caused my disease to appear early. I was frequently asked where my strength to continue on fighting comes from throughout my life. It definitely comes from my mother, who fought like a warrior for six years so she could see me grow up. My disease, compared to everything she went through, really was nothing. To me, fighting is just how things are.
After the diagnosis, I was referred to a gastroenterologist from Ste-Justine, who was like an angel sent from heaven to us. She took care of me until adulthood. For years we were able to contain the disease with various drugs. However, I developed resistance to each of them and had to change treatment every time.
I suffered from bad relapses and had to be hospitalized for a few days at a time. I would get back on my feet and leave. I wasn’t fully healed, but this allowed me some respite and it allowed me to keep going to school. Ever since I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, my bowel had been extremely sick and hard to treat. All of this leads us to February 9th, 2013, where I underwent an ileostomy.
At 23 years old, thirteen years after my diagnosis, and being at an important turning point in my life, I am now ready to share my story to help other women who are on the road to self-acceptance and to regaining control of their lives.