Don't let your Crohn's win. Beat the Crohn's.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Everyone Poops

For those of you who have been following my facebook statuses, you know that I recently started an IBD Support Group on campus. Last night was our first meeting, and it was fantastic! It was like bringing the awesomeness of Camp Oasis to St. Olaf. That's what has been missing so far in my college experience, having people that I can talk to about my IBD that will totally understand what I go through. I'm so excited for the future of this group and hopefully spreading awareness within the St. Olaf community about these diseases.
I love seeing how relieved new Crohnies are when they finally understand that there are others out there that understand what they're dealing with. One girl had e-mailed me prior to the meeting saying how she had been looking for support since she was diagnosed last school year. Although I'm totally comfortable talking about my poop and intestines to non-IBD'ers, most people, especially recently diagnosed, aren't quite comfortable bringing up their disease with other people.
One of my main goals with this support group is to help everyone feel able to talk about their disease. It was so great at Camp Oasis talking about IBD issues all the time. Our campers were amazed at first, even though they have it as well, but they eventually started talking about it too. The only way we can get the word out, is by doing it ourselves. There's no reason to be shy.
 
Everyone poops.
 
That's right. We shouldn't be embarrassed just because our poop is more interesting than the average person's. By us all giving support to each other, and wearing awesome shirts to get conversations going, hopefully more people will learn about IBD, which can lead to more money towards research. Plus, being able to talk about your disease helps you not go crazy over all the things we have to deal with. Plus, people are usually interested in learning about new diseases.
Today I am wearing my purple "We've got guts" shirt, and someone asked about it while I was in the bookstore; they thought I played rugby or something. I told him about IBD, and he was fascinated! We talked for a half hour about symptoms, medications, the history of IBD, and my own personal experience.
We are the advocates of IBD - average, everyday people - not a celebrity on tv. We must speak out.

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