Let’s be honest.
Crohn’s Disease sucks.
There. I said it.
Not the polished version. Not the inspirational version. Not the version where I talk about resilience and overcoming obstacles.
Just the honest version.
Crohn’s Disease sucks.
One of the hardest parts of living with a chronic illness is that there are certain symptoms nobody wants to talk about. The embarrassing ones. The messy ones. The moments that make you want to disappear.
But today, we’re talking about them.
Because if you’ve experienced them, I want you to know you’re not alone.
The Day I Sneezed and Sh*t Myself
A few years ago, I worked for a property management company where I traveled constantly. My position required me to spend about 95% of my time on the road, flying from city to city across the country.
One day I was sitting in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport waiting to board my flight home.
I was doing what most travelers do—scrolling on my phone, trying to pass the time.
Then I sneezed.
And immediately sh*t myself.
No warning.
No time to react.
No chance to make it to a restroom.
Just a sneeze and complete betrayal by my digestive system.
I sat there for a moment in complete disbelief.
Did that really just happen?
Surely that didn’t just happen.
But it did.
Thankfully, years of living with Crohn’s Disease had taught me to be prepared. I always carried extra clothes and baby wipes in my backpack because, unfortunately, Crohn’s doesn’t care where you are or what plans you have.
I gathered myself, headed to the restroom, cleaned up, changed clothes, and threw everything away.
While sitting in the bathroom stall processing what had just happened, I made the mistake of texting my mother.
I was looking for sympathy.
Instead, she laughed.
At the time, I was not amused.
Now?
I can laugh about it too.
Although I still feel sorry for whoever had to empty that trash can.
Unfortunately, This Wasn’t the Only Time
I wish I could tell you this was the only story like this.
It wasn’t.
Not even close.
Anyone who has lived with Crohn’s Disease long enough probably has their own collection of emergency stories.
The bathroom you barely made it to.
The bathroom you didn’t make it to.
The road trips.
The meetings.
The flights.
The public moments you’d rather forget.
I’ve lost count of how many times my digestive system has failed me over the years.
These are the realities people rarely talk about when they hear the words “Crohn’s Disease.”
Most people think it’s just stomach pain.
It’s so much more than that.
Crohn’s affects your confidence.
Your plans.
Your ability to leave the house without wondering where the nearest bathroom is.
Your sense of security in your own body.
And sometimes, despite your best efforts, it leaves you standing in an airport bathroom trying to clean up the aftermath of something completely beyond your control.
Myasthenia Gravis Has Its Own Humbling Moments
As if Crohn’s wasn’t enough, Myasthenia Gravis has given me its own collection of stories.
Before I was diagnosed with MG, I was still traveling extensively for work.
I was flying home from Denver to Los Angeles.
Like many people with digestive issues, I had a routine before flights.
I limited what I ate.
I limited what I drank.
I used the restroom before boarding.
Anything to avoid needing the bathroom on the plane.
The flight itself was uneventful.
Then we landed at LAX.
As I walked up the jet bridge, my vocal cords suddenly began to spasm.
At the time, I didn’t know that’s what was happening.
All I knew was that I couldn’t breathe.
What started as shortness of breath quickly became no breath at all.
My body immediately went into survival mode.
Fight or flight.
Panic.
Fear.
Desperation.
And then something else happened.
My bladder gave out.
By the time I reached the terminal, I was struggling to breathe and completely soaked.
I still had to walk through the airport.
I still had to make my way to the shared ride lot.
I still had to get home.
Feeling embarrassed.
Feeling defeated.
Feeling completely alone.
Looking back now, I understand that my body was reacting to a medical crisis.
At the time, all I felt was shame.
What I didn’t realize then was that my body wasn’t failing me—it was desperately trying to tell me something was wrong.
Months later, I would finally learn that Myasthenia Gravis was behind so many of the symptoms I had been struggling to understand.
Nobody Talks About These Things
The reality is that autoimmune diseases affect every aspect of our lives.
Not just our organs.
Not just our muscles.
Not just our energy levels.
They affect our dignity.
Our confidence.
Our sense of control.
Our willingness to leave the house.
Our willingness to trust our own bodies.
Nobody wants to talk about bowel accidents.
Nobody wants to talk about bladder accidents.
Nobody wants to talk about being unable to breathe.
Nobody wants to talk about the humiliation that sometimes comes with chronic illness.
But maybe we should.
Because silence creates shame.
And there is nothing shameful about surviving.
The truth is that these moments happen far more often than people realize.
Many of us simply suffer through them in silence because we’re afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or treated differently.
If This Has Happened to You
If you’ve ever had a Crohn’s accident…
If you’ve ever lost control of your bladder because of MG, panic, weakness, medication, or another medical condition…
If you’ve ever found yourself cleaning up in an airport bathroom, a gas station restroom, or somewhere you’d rather forget…
You are not alone.
I see you.
I understand.
And I promise you that more people have experienced these moments than anyone talks about.
Autoimmune diseases are messy.
Sometimes literally.
And it’s okay to talk about that side of them too.
Because the more honest we are about what these diseases really look like, the less alone we all feel.
The truth is, Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis have humbled me more times than I can count. They’ve forced me to confront situations I never imagined, tested my dignity, and challenged my confidence.
But they’ve also taught me something important.
There is freedom in telling the truth.
There is healing in sharing our stories.
And there is power in reminding others that they are not alone.
“The things we’re most afraid to talk about are often the things someone else needs to hear.”
If my willingness to share the messy, uncomfortable, and embarrassing parts of this journey helps even one person feel seen, then every difficult conversation is worth having.
Until Next Time
Your diagnosis may be part of your story, but it does not define your worth.
Keep fighting.
Keep advocating.
Keep believing.
And most importantly, keep giving yourself grace on the hard days.
With gratitude,
Kia Lorice
Founder, The Dual Diagnosis Diaries Foundation
Living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis. Sharing the journey so others know they are not alone.
💜 If this post resonated with you, please like, comment, and share. Your story matters, your voice matters, and together we can bring awareness to the realities of life with chronic illness.
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 💜 
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