When people ask me how I keep fighting, how I continue pushing forward through Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis, my answer is simple:
I have a reason why.
For more than twenty years, that reason has been my son.
I affectionately call him “my Manager.”
Long before I became an advocate, a blogger, or someone sharing my journey publicly, I was simply a mother trying to survive while raising a little boy.
My son grew up watching me battle Crohn’s Disease.
He spent far too many birthdays with my mom or grandmother while I lay in a hospital bed instead of celebrating with him the way a mother should. For some strange reason, I always seemed to end up hospitalized around his birthday. Year after year, what should have been a time of cake, presents, laughter, and family memories was often overshadowed by doctor’s appointments, procedures, surgeries, and hospital stays.
As a mother, that was heartbreaking.
I couldn’t control my disease, but I could control how I responded to it.
So I made a decision.
I would show him strength.
I would show him resilience.
I would show him that even when life knocks you down, you get back up.
Because of the guilt I carried and still carry over missed moments and interrupted celebrations, I often overcompensated during birthdays and holidays. I wanted him to know that despite my illness, despite the hospitalizations, despite the uncertainty, he was always my priority.
I wanted him to see that difficult circumstances do not have to define your life.
I wanted him to understand that challenges may shape you, but they do not have to break you.
Twenty-three years later, he is still one of my greatest motivations.
He is still my reason for fighting.
But these days, my “why” has grown.
Now there is another little person who has stolen a piece of my heart.
My granddaughter.
The one I affectionately call “my Assistant.”
When I look at her, I see the future.
I see more birthdays.
More holidays.
More family memories waiting to be made.
More reasons to keep going.
Together, my Manager and my Assistant remind me every day that my story isn’t finished.
They are why I push myself through the fatigue.
Why I continue treatments.
Why I advocate for myself when something doesn’t feel right.
Why I ask questions.
Why I seek second opinions.
Why I keep showing up even on the days when my body wants to quit.
Why I refuse to give up.
Living with chronic illness has taught me that strength isn’t about never struggling.
It’s not about pretending everything is okay.
It’s about finding something worth fighting for.
For me, that has always been family.
My son taught me how to be strong.
My granddaughter reminds me why I need to stay that way.
And on the hardest days, when Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis try to convince me to slow down, I think about my Manager and my Assistant.
I think about all the moments I still want to experience.
The birthdays I don’t want to miss.
The memories I still want to make.
The legacy I hope to leave behind.
They are my purpose.
They are my motivation.
They are my why.
“Your why doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. It only has to be strong enough to carry you through the days when giving up feels easier than moving forward.”
💚 Thanks for reading The Dual Diagnosis Diaries.
If you’re living with a chronic illness, I’d love to hear about your reason why. What keeps you fighting on the days when it feels impossible?
Living with one autoimmune disease is challenging. Living with two requires resilience. Welcome to The Dual Diagnosis Diaries, where I share the realities of navigating life with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis—one day, one treatment, one setback, one victory, and one lesson at a time.
Because awareness creates understanding, understanding creates compassion, and no one should have to navigate chronic illness alone. 💚💜
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 💜 
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