by Halleigh Milleson

On January 5, 2022, my life as I had previously known it was gone. After having my first colonoscopy at the age of 21, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. As a junior in college, I sat in the recovery room speechless. Being diagnosed with Crohn’s was not on my mind when I walked into the doctor’s office the morning of my procedure. I quickly knew that I was starting on a new, unknown journey, and I walked into it with the mantra of “one day at a time.” Now, over a year after being diagnosed, it is my desire to share uplifting advice that I have learned through coping with a chronic illness. 

• Be Kind to Yourself: 

When walking through a chronic illness, it is important to be kind to yourself, especially at the onset. After all, your body is working hard adjusting to this new disease. I have found that I can easily be disappointed in myself for various things such as being too tired to get my to-do list done, not exercising enough, and for how my physical appearance has changed. When these thoughts come in my mind, I have to step back and realize that I am doing the best that I can for how I am physically feeling. 

I’ve grown to recognize the importance of rest each day. So, for me, that has looked like doing my schoolwork sitting down on the sofa with a comfy blanket. And when I feel the need to get moving, I’ve found that even a walk will suffice instead of a more intense form of exercise. It is important for me to understand that I am not “stuck” with my current weight forever, that my body is working hard, and some physical changes that I may notice are signs of being a chronic illness warrior. 

• Have a Mindset of One Day at a Time: 

I tell myself to “take one day at a time” multiple times a week. As an organized planner, I have a difficult time only focusing on the current day instead of looking into the future. However, I have found that as I feel different each day, I need to plan my day depending on how I feel. On days that I have more energy, I plan more things to get done on my to-do list. On days that I have less energy, I plan to take it easier and to prioritize rest when I can. The more you can focus on your current day, the less overwhelming it will feel to get through that day as you manage having a chronic illness. 

• Learn to See the Flowers:  

Even when you are walking through a rainstorm with a chronic illness, there are always flowers blooming around you. Some flowers that I have seen blooming around me are flowers of maturity, flowers of hope, and flowers of connections. As I have been living with Crohn’s disease, I have grown into a more mature, confident version of myself. Being diagnosed at the age of 21 made me have to mature in a faster way as I had to navigate new medical terms, medications, symptoms, and a lifestyle of living with a chronic disease. I am thankful for how Crohn’s has allowed me to grow and mature into a confident adult woman. 

Within this battle, I have seen myself persevere through challenging times. I have also experienced so much hope from my Crohn’s journey as I do not feel bad every day of my life. I do have good days where I have more energy and feel more like myself which is encouraging to me. Lastly, I have formed many new connections since having Crohn’s. I have amazing doctors, nurses, family, and friends that have come by my side to support me and encourage me. Having a community around me helps make the difficult days half as bad, and the good days twice as good.

If you are living with a chronic illness, my hope is that you will find this advice helpful while realizing that you truly are stronger than you know!