Those of us with chronic illness are warriors. That's why we like to push ourselves to our limits because we want to show everyone that we can do whatever we set our minds to. We often push ourselves so much so that we end up compromising on our health. This is not a healthy habit.… Continue reading Balancing Your Health and Career Goals
Author: Christie Chaump
Humira: An Honest Review
What is Humira? Humira (adalimumab) is a prescription, biologic medication in the form of an injection. Humira actually treats many different inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and some eye infections. It comes in the form of both a pen injector and… Continue reading Humira: An Honest Review
Planning for Travel with a Chronic Illness
Planning for travel can be a daunting process when you have extra needs. When I studied abroad in Chile during the summer of 2019, my diagnosis was still pretty new for me. At the time, my symptoms were under control, but I still carried the fear of "what if I start to flare-up while traveling?"… Continue reading Planning for Travel with a Chronic Illness
Why Don’t People Understand?
Getting someone to understand my chronic disease has been the biggest obstacle for me to overcome. I have asked myself this question many times in the past few years, but at the end of the day never came up with an answer. Truth is, no one is going to understand unless they have the disease… Continue reading Why Don’t People Understand?
Setting Goals with a Chronic Illness
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can put a wrench in the plans you have for your life. It certainly did for me. Setting goals can be a daunting process, but it does not always have to be. The approach I like to take when setting goals is starting small. Each day, I set about… Continue reading Setting Goals with a Chronic Illness
Advice for the Newly Diagnosed
So you just found out you've been diagnosed with a chronic illness. What now? Maybe you don't know your diagnosis yet, but you suffer with debilitating symptoms and chronic pain? For many IBD patients, it can take months, even years, to receive a proper diagnosis. You are often left wondering, "What's wrong with me?" and… Continue reading Advice for the Newly Diagnosed
Navigating Change with a Chronic Illness
This past weekend, I moved out of my parent's house where I have lived for the past 18 years of my life. It was tough saying goodbye to my parents, my dog and the house that I have grown to love over the years. Change is hard for me, especially when I have the added… Continue reading Navigating Change with a Chronic Illness
Tips for Healthy Digestion
I never knew how important digestion would be to my overall well-being as I grew older. It really is one of those things that no one ever thinks about. We just eat the food and expect our bodies to do the rest. For people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), digestion consumes our lives. It's all… Continue reading Tips for Healthy Digestion
How to Identify Toxins in Your Home
Once I made the conscious decision to heal my body after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, I read a book titled My Simple Changes by Brandon Godsey. Brandon has Crohn's disease and wrote a book about all the little changes he made over the course of many years to reach full remission and a full… Continue reading How to Identify Toxins in Your Home
The Truth About Happiness
I often get people asking me "How are you so happy all the time?" My response has always been 1) because I have a strong Catholic faith and 2) I have a positive outlook on life. I choose not to let negative circumstances determine my future. When I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it took… Continue reading The Truth About Happiness
