May 10, 2022
This week we are talking once again with Anna, this time about Crohn's Disease and Gastroparesis. Anna is a 35 year old female who has an independent spirit inside of a body that holds an alphabet of health conditions. Anna worked as a case manager for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities where she loved to advocate for her clients. When her health forced her to take a step back from working things have been rough as she looks for a new way to advocate for herself and for others. She has struggled with different health issues most of her life but the battle that lead to her to become disabled started in July of 2018. Currently she has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Gastroparesis, POTS, MS, Addisons, Crohn's, Hypoglycemia, MCAS, TPN dependent, Failure to thrive and more.
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.
Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people. This inflammation often spreads into the deeper layers of the bowel.
Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.
While there's no known cure for Crohn's disease, therapies can greatly reduce its signs and symptoms and even bring about long-term remission and healing of inflammation. With treatment, many people with Crohn's disease are able to function well (CREDITS: Mayo Clinic).
Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder which means delayed stomach emptying without a blockage. In healthy people, when the stomach is functioning normally, contractions of the stomach help to crush ingested food and then propel the pulverized food into the small intestine where further digestion and absorption of nutrients occurs. (CREDITS: Am. College of Gastroenterology)
