When people hear that I have Crohn’s Disease, the response is often the same.
“Oh, so you have stomach problems.”
I usually smile and nod because explaining Crohn’s Disease can be exhausting.
The reality is that Crohn’s Disease is so much more than stomach problems.
It is hospitalizations.
It is surgeries.
It is medications with side effects.
It is fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix.
It is learning where every bathroom is located before leaving the house.
It is canceling plans because your body has other ideas.
It is living with an invisible illness that most people will never fully understand.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2003 at just 26 years old. More than two decades later, I am still learning how to navigate life with this disease while also managing Myasthenia Gravis.
One thing I’ve discovered over the years is that awareness matters.
The more people understand Crohn’s Disease, the easier it becomes for those of us living with it to feel seen, supported, and understood.
Lately, many of my posts have focused on Myasthenia Gravis.
And honestly, that makes sense.
MG has demanded a lot of my attention recently. Between Rystiggo treatments, discussions about my thymus gland, managing fatigue, adjusting treatment schedules, and navigating the challenges that come with a rare neuromuscular disease, much of my chronic illness journey has centered around MG.
But long before Myasthenia Gravis entered my life, there was Crohn’s Disease.
Crohn’s was my first diagnosis.
Crohn’s was the disease that introduced me to hospitalizations, infusions, procedures, surgeries, and the reality of living with a lifelong autoimmune condition.
For more than twenty years, Crohn’s Disease has been part of my story.
While Myasthenia Gravis is considered the rarer diagnosis, Crohn’s has shaped so much of the woman I am today.
It taught me how to advocate for myself.
It taught me how to navigate the healthcare system.
It taught me resilience long before I knew I would need that same resilience again when Myasthenia Gravis entered my life.
So for this post, I wanted to intentionally shift the spotlight.
I wanted to create space to talk about the disease that started my autoimmune journey.
Because Crohn’s Disease deserves awareness too.
It deserves understanding.
And the millions of people living with it deserve to know they are not alone.
So today, I want to share 12 things I wish more people knew about Crohn’s Disease.
1. Crohn’s Disease Is Not Just a Stomach Issue
Crohn’s Disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the digestive tract.
While many symptoms involve the gastrointestinal system, Crohn’s can affect the entire body and create complications far beyond the intestines.
2. Crohn’s Disease Is Different for Everyone
No two people with Crohn’s Disease experience it exactly the same way.
Some struggle primarily with pain.
Others battle chronic diarrhea.
Some require surgery.
Others manage primarily through medication.
There is no “typical” Crohn’s patient.
3. There Is No Cure
This is often surprising to people.
There is currently no cure for Crohn’s Disease.
Treatments are designed to control inflammation, manage symptoms, and help patients achieve remission, but Crohn’s remains a lifelong condition.
4. Food Does Not Cause Crohn’s Disease
People often ask me what I ate to cause my Crohn’s.
The answer is simple:
Nothing.
Food can trigger symptoms during flares, but food does not cause Crohn’s Disease.
5. Fatigue Can Be Debilitating
People tend to focus on the digestive symptoms.
What they don’t see is the exhaustion.
The kind of exhaustion that makes getting through a workday feel like climbing a mountain.
The kind of exhaustion that follows you even after a full night’s sleep.
The kind of exhaustion that can make you question whether you’ll have enough energy to make it through the day.
6. Stress Matters
Stress does not cause Crohn’s Disease.
However, stress can absolutely worsen symptoms and contribute to disease activity.
When you live with a chronic illness, managing stress becomes part of managing your health.
7. Surgery Is Not a Cure
Many Crohn’s patients eventually require surgery.
I’ve had conversations with people who assume surgery means the disease is gone.
Unfortunately, Crohn’s Disease can return even after damaged sections of the intestine are removed.
8. Crohn’s Is More Than Bathroom Trips
Yes, digestive symptoms are part of Crohn’s.
But so are:
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Skin issues
- Eye inflammation
- Emotional and mental health challenges
Crohn’s affects far more than the digestive tract.
9. Not Everyone with Crohn’s Looks Sick
One of the challenges of living with an invisible illness is that people often judge health based on appearance.
Someone can be smiling, working, and carrying on a conversation while simultaneously fighting significant pain or fatigue.
Looking healthy does not always mean feeling healthy.
10. Crohn’s Impacts Every Aspect of Life
Crohn’s influences decisions that many people never have to think about.
Travel.
Work.
Social events.
Family gatherings.
Even simple errands.
Living with Crohn’s often means planning around symptoms and uncertainty.
11. Compassion Matters More Than Advice
Most people genuinely want to help.
But sometimes what we need most isn’t advice.
We don’t need to hear about a miracle diet.
We don’t need to hear about someone’s cousin who “fixed it naturally.”
What we need is understanding.
Sometimes simply saying, “I’m sorry you’re dealing with that,” means more than any suggestion.
12. We Are Stronger Than Most People Realize
Living with Crohn’s Disease requires resilience.
We learn to adapt.
We learn to advocate for ourselves.
We learn to keep moving forward even when our bodies make that difficult.
The strength required to navigate chronic illness is often invisible, but it is very real.
Final Thoughts
Living with Crohn’s Disease for more than twenty years has taught me lessons I never expected to learn.
It has taught me patience.
It has taught me resilience.
It has taught me gratitude for the days when my body cooperates.
And perhaps most importantly, it has taught me compassion.
Because you never truly know what someone else is carrying.
The person standing next to you may be fighting a battle you cannot see.
The coworker who seems distracted may be dealing with symptoms they haven’t shared.
The friend who canceled plans may simply be trying to make it through the day.
As someone living with both Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis, I understand what it means to carry invisible battles.
Some days one disease is louder than the other.
Some days they both demand attention.
But today, I wanted to honor the disease that started it all.
The disease that changed the course of my life at 26 years old.
The disease that taught me how to fight long before I knew I would need that strength again.
If you know someone living with Crohn’s Disease, remember this:
Your understanding may not cure their illness.
But your kindness can make the journey a little easier.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries
Living with one autoimmune disease is challenging.
Living with two has taught me lessons I never expected to learn.
Crohn’s Disease taught me how to fight.
Myasthenia Gravis taught me how to fight differently.
Together, they have taught me resilience, patience, self-advocacy, and the importance of extending grace to myself on the days when my body refuses to cooperate.
My hope is that by sharing my journey openly—the victories, the setbacks, the fears, and the triumphs—I can help bring awareness to both Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis while creating a space where others living with chronic illness feel seen, understood, and less alone.
Whether you are navigating Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, another chronic illness, or supporting someone who is, thank you for being here.
Your story matters.
Your struggles are valid.
And you are stronger than you realize.
Until next time,
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries
Where living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis meets honesty, resilience, and real life.
“Crohn’s Disease may be invisible to others, but it impacts every part of the life of the person living with it.”
“Some days I am surviving. Some days I am thriving. Every day I am showing up and fighting.”
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