IBD and Me

As my annual appointment with my GI came and passed I am strangely aware that my ‘relationship’ with my disease has evolved through the years; just as my relationships have. Enjoy the little moment’s memories that you will treasure for years to come. Each year there is change and every holiday season will be different.

This holiday week, is the true test of time as I am spending the entire Christmas holiday with my husband’s family, with different traditions, different family gathered during the holidays and different conversations. Just like my disease - I will have to adapt, and find the ‘happy medium.’ This holiday season remember to take it easy and enjoy the time you are spending with family or friends.

For the last few years I remember waking up on Christmas morning with the smell of croissants in the air and wanting to eat half a dozen of them but being told that I could only have one because we were having the big Christmas dinner that day and I couldn’t spoil my appetite. I recall the how when my sister and I were younger we had to wait until everyone in the house (there were at least 10 people during holidays) to get up, eat, shower and get dressed before we could even think of opening any gifts. To a small girl, this seemed to be an eternity.

Apparently, with my new family, we now open gifts before eat, getting dressed or cleaning up. So we have a bunch of pictures of us sleepy looking, in our pajamas. – Which is different to say the least.

In the New Year I have the privilege of having yet another colonoscopy, MRI, more blood work and more infusions. Can I say that handling my disease has changed; it used to be my mom deciding what to do along with the doctors. However, now I have to decide how do I want my quality of life to be?

This holiday season remember to take it easy, enjoy the here and now, take one family disaster at a time.

Danielle