"No one understands the pain I go through..." Mandi's arduous journey with Crohns disease.

I was 16 when i first started showing symptoms of Crohns disease. Ive always been really skinny but the first sign I saw was that I dropped 20+ pounds putting me at around 80. I had always been able to slightly see my ribcage but at that point I could see the full thing and I looked sick. Shortly after I noticed I was losing weight rapidly I started noticing blood after going number 2. It started to get worse and when I would think I had to go poo, all that would come out was blood. I told my mom when it started to get bad, but shes always been one to wait to call the doctor. So we waited 3 more months. She finally called and they told her to take me to the ER immediately, and she did. The ER couldnt figure out what was wrong with me and them taking my blood just made me feel worse. They kept me there for several hours before sending me home and telling me to make a appointment with a gastroenterologist which took about a week. The gastroenterologist said they wanted to run some tests but I had 2 days to prepare. The first day I had to drink the prescribed laxatives and I wasn't allowed to eat anything, after 10pm I wasn't allowed to drink any more water. The 2nd day I went in and they put me under anesthesia and found out I have crohns a week after analyzing the sample they took out of my insides and the camera footage of my insides. They gave me 2 options but really there was only 1. The first option was to go on Humira, a shot I would have to take every other week that is extremely expensive but also has very bad risks (all kinds of cancer among other things) or the second option, dont treat it and I would 100% get colon cancer and have to get a bag on the outside of my stomach / have many surgeries. So obviously I chose the first option, but it has just gotten worse. Anytime I drink soda or eat a food i didn't realize could give me a flare up, i end up in extreme pain and have extreme bloating to the point where it looks like I have a baby due soon. It has been almost 2 years since I have been on treatment, in 2 years I still have not gained all of my weight back and I'm eating double what I use to. No one understands the pain I go through because Crohns is not common and does not have a cure. I'm due to get my blood drawn or they wont give me more humira, but the last time I tried to get my blood drawn I passed out and they didnt get enough to send to the lab. Not to mention my friends want me to eat foods that give me pain just so they can see me look pregnant because it's "funny". If I tell my friends I cant eat at a certain place because of my Crohns then my illness is my "entire personality". If you are struggling with a Chronic illness, you are not alone.

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