My.gut.instinct

I’m so grateful for the life that my ostomy has given me but sometimes I just can’t help but think about the very sad and very sick Krista that I was before my ostomy.

I suffered for so long (most of my life) actually) with Crohn’s disease without having much relief. It robbed me of what was supposed to be some of the best years of my life.

Before my ostomy, I suffered mentally and physically because my illness had become so debilitating.

Medical trauma and dealing with the hardships that a chronic illness brings really does a number on you. When I look back at pictures of before my ostomy I’m reminded and brought back to some of my hardest and darkest days. All those feelings and emotions come flooding back to me like it were yesterday.

I remember the pain, the suffering and sadness, the frustration and anger, the feeling of losing hope of ever having a quality of life again, the hospital stays, the surgeries. I remember it all.

But by looking back at old pictures it also makes me see how far I’ve come and the strength I’ve gained from this ongoing fight to living my best life possible with a chronic illness and a stoma ✨ I truly am thankful for where I’m at today.

Anyone else feel this way too?