World IBD Day 2016

USA EDT, the day is nearly done, today, all over the world has been World IBD Day.  Millions of people all over the globe wait each year to be OUT on Social Media if you look for #worldIBDday, you may have seen something new!  The patients and families with Inflammatory Bowel Disease surely hope so!  I've had Crohn's Disease since 1974 and my journey has included many surgeries, 3 new auto immune illnesses, and honored to be part of years of grassroots work done with a bunch of wonderful patient and medical warriors.  I've lost dear ones to death along the way.  IBD does kill some of us.  I've made it to age 55 having been dead 4 times, married twice ;)  Each patient is different, and that's why it's hard to find a cure or method to treat each one of us.  No one is the same, but science is growing because AWARENESS IS GROWING - the internet insures we won't stop!  

In the US, we talk about access to health care being tied to insurance issues.  Countries with provided health care face scarcity to IBD focused medical experts, including permission based expense challenges as well.  Many of us are taken out of career when we'd rather be working, providing, being a part of life around us instead of sick, and in poverty.  The financial disasters of not being able to work is everything bad.  I am looked at differently because my illness does not show.  I am NOT able bodied.  SSDI is not a handout.  I have developed some mental health issues on my journey as do many with life long illness.  Mental illness IS a symptom of IBD.  In fact, I'd rather have my old colon back than the last 3 years of life apart from illness!!  It's hard enough these days for healthy people to remain positive!  

If you have IBD, please know that no matter where you are in the world, if you have the internet, you don't need shame and you will not walk your path alone.  Because of you, every day is World IBD Day.