Let’s welcome this weeks warrior, Courtney!
Hi! I’m Courtney.
I’m originally from Portland, Maine. Currently living in Raleigh, NC. I live with Crohn’s Disease and was officially diagnosed in January 2012.
My diagnosis experience was drawn out… but that was probably partly because of me. At the time, I had no awareness or knowledge of chronic illness/autoimmune disease and didn’t know any family members that had any… so, I attributed symptoms to great amounts of stress/overwhelm that were present in my life at that time. I started having scattered/inconsistent symptoms in Fall 2009 and wasn’t officially diagnosed until January 2012.
In the beginning, it was hard — I lost a lot of friendships due to the unpredictability of symptoms (at first)… then due to changing my lifestyle to help better support my health. I felt like an “outsider” for not living/managing a chronic illness in the normal way. And I mentally battled what I “should” be doing vs. what I actually wanted to do in all areas of my life. But looking back on my journey so far, I have become a completely different person since being diagnosed — in the best ways. I am way more open-minded and inviting to new ideas, perspectives, modalities, and people than I was before Crohn’s Disease. I am way more connected to my body and the signals/information that it gives me. I am more confident in myself, my beliefs, and what I want/need and am more confident in expressing that to other people. I am comfortable being different and/or living and doing differently than others. I ask deeper & more thorough questions to myself and other people – especially if they are part of my care team. I try new things way more often than I did before being diagnosed – mostly through trying new modalities and practices in my own treatment protocol. And being diagnosed has put me on a whole new career and life path that I wouldn’t have gone down if not for Crohn’s.
I am currently in remission and don’t experience many symptoms/issues at all.
I have learned that I can trust myself and my body, that I can follow my own gut instinct/intuition and have things work out, that I am capable of standing up for what I believe in (especially when I’m standing alone), that I have so much more influence over my physical, mental & emotional health and well-being than I’ve been taught and that I have to always put my health first… no matter what.
Your body’s ability to heal is greater than you’ve been led to believe… so be open to that possibility. Don’t be afraid to go “outside of the box” for support. Don’t be afraid to try new modalities & therapies. Don’t be afraid to do, be and think differently than others who live with the same condition if that is what feels right for and good to you. Find someone who has done what you want to do for your health that you resonate with… and listen to/learn from them. There are so many more possibilities for healing and health than those that exist inside of the mainstream perspective. Allow yourself to explore them (without judgment) because you might be surprised at how they can support you in your healing.
I love to read, lift/work out and spend time with friends. I also want to travel more often, continue to learn about things I’m passionate about, and try a dance class. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your story Courtney! Be sure to give her a follow at courtneymaiorino on IG!