{"id":58103,"date":"2024-11-04T15:53:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T15:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cdhf.staging.not4prod.com\/?p=58103"},"modified":"2024-11-04T16:30:08","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T16:30:08","slug":"guts-glory-and-a-dash-of-badassery-my-journey-with-ibd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cdhf.ca\/en\/guts-glory-and-a-dash-of-badassery-my-journey-with-ibd\/","title":{"rendered":"Guts, Glory, and a Dash of Badassery: My Journey with IBD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

*Important:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cGuts, Glory, and a Dash of Badassery\u201d is an opinion piece written by\u00a0Chantel Wicks. Chantel Wicks is a dedicated advocate and experienced IBD patient of over 17 years. She hosts the ‘Guts & Glory’ podcast\u00a0(gutsnglory.ca)<\/a>, chairs the Durham Region Gutsy Walk, and is the Durham Region Chapter President, actively engaged in building awareness and fundraising efforts for those impacted by IBD. Recognized by organizations like Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and CIHR, she’s a featured speaker at various events and media platforms. Chantel also serves as a Patient & Family Advisor at Scarborough Health Network and a Patient Research Partner on various research projects across the country. In all of these roles, she promotes shared decision-making and patient-centered care. Formerly a teacher of 12 years, she is now the Regional Manager of Community Engagement & Development at Myeloma Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 2025 will mark 18 years since my diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Oddly enough, I find it easier to remember the number of years since my diagnosis than my own age (which is 37, by the way). Trying to capture 18 years of living with IBD in one article feels impossible\u2014my story could fill a whole series, and it\u2019s still ongoing, as it is for everyone diagnosed with this autoimmune disease that currently has no cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years, I lived in the dark about my disease. Partly because the GI who diagnosed me wrote it down on a prescription slip and literally told me to \u201cGoogle it.\u201d At the time, I was in university full time and juggling four part-time jobs. I didn\u2019t have time to \u201cGoogle it.\u201d I took the pills, enemas, and suppositories, assuming I\u2019d feel better in a few months and just get on with my life. I learned the hard way that this wasn\u2019t what I should have done\u2014nor was it how my story would play out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past (almost) 18 years have been challenging. I\u2019ve been hospitalized countless times. I\u2019m constantly undergoing tests and procedures, and I regularly see a range of specialists\u2014not only for managing my IBD, but also for help with pain, mental health, movement, diet, and more. I\u2019ve climbed the ladder of medications, from various 5-ASAs and steroids to immunosuppressants, and most recently, I\u2019ve just started my third biologic treatment. I\u2019ve had more colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, gastroscopies, infusions, injections, blood tests, and other procedures than a medical chart has room for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest issues I have regarding IBD is the misconception that it is just a \u201cbathroom disease.\u201d Yes, does IBD involve things like uncontrolled diarrhea (with or without blood), constipation, and severe abdominal pain that can literally bring you to your knees? Absolutely! But this is not all that it means to battle IBD. The notion that it\u2019s merely a ‘bathroom disease’ is constantly reinforced in the media and even within industry, overshadowing the reality we live with every day. The use of images showing someone holding their abdomen in pain, hunched over, or, my favorite, sitting on the toilet, contributes to this problem. This portrayal captures only a fraction of what it is like to live with IBD. Focusing solely on this narrative does a disservice to everyone, whether they have an IBD diagnosis or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also incredibly frustrating to receive unsolicited advice from strangers, family, and friends who say that if I \u201cjust don\u2019t eat (insert random food here), then you\u2019d be fine!\u201d Or that if I mixed in a little yoga with some dietary changes, I could be cured. Can you believe it, folks\u2014cured<\/em>! And all it would take is a few downward dogs! For the record, diet and regular movement\/exercise certainly help manage some symptoms and implications of IBD, but cure? That\u2019s not the case (at least not for me). I\u2019m sure there\u2019s someone out there who feels as if they\u2019ve been \u201ccured,\u201d and to that, I say, \u201cGood for you! Continued wellness!\u201d And bless the hearts of those who mention they had really bad food poisoning once, so they \u201cknow how you feel.\u201d They mean well, but no…<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"photo