How Crohn's Disease Changed My Outlook on Life and Work

When I was first diagnosed with Crohn's disease, I was 25 years old, and still thought I was immortal. I was quite sure that this problem would vanish with a dose or two of Flagyl, and my life would go on unchanged. For about 10 years, aside from an occasional minor flare, it actually did. But it caught up with me, as Crohn's generally does.

Before I started dealing with symptoms on a daily basis, I had a high-pressure job and worked 50 to 60 hours a week, whether I felt like it or not. For about two years, I flew from one coast to the other and back almost weekly. I felt I was being groomed for a higher position in my company; I felt like an up-and-comer. It scared me a little sometimes, I admit - like many women, I haven't always felt as capable as people around me assumed I was. But I always managed to make deadlines, and pull off those corporate coups when needed.

Then it hit, and it hit hard. Life became cycles of medical tests, endless doctor visits, hours of waiting in clinic and laboratory waiting rooms. I went on medications and tried to keep working, but between Crohn's disease and the other auto-immune diseases I had, it was only a matter of time for me. I had to go on disability. I should point out that this isn't always the case; many people have mostly controlled their Crohn's disease and are able to work full-time and use very little sick leave. I admire them greatly.

I think the best way to show how much I'd been doing at work is to mention that when I became disabled, it took three full-time people, and a new computer, to do the work that I'd been doing. So I had to slow down. First I fought it. I wasn't going to be a sick person. I'd been an adventurer my whole life - like Indiana Jones, I'd found archaeological treasures in remote locations; I built alternative energy power plants practically single-handed (I exaggerate, of course, but this was my threatened ego talking) - and I wasn't about to lie down for anything.