Where do I start? It still feels surreal that it’s already been four years since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis- a diagnosis that truly changed my life. Without fail, I always get brought back to the emotions of early February 2020. And I’m thankful for that.
My Story
I’ve told the story of how I ended up being diagnosed with UC several times (click HERE for the very first post on what happened). Several years later, I prefer to tell a shorter version:
It happened fast. It came aggressively. It was scary. UC was confirmed on February 18, 2020. Medications didn’t work at first. Doctors wanted to take out my colon (obviously, I was desperate to keep it). Diet & lifestyle changes saved my life. It was lucky timing pre-pandemic. I got to recover at home with my family. I got to graduate college on time. I’ve had several flares since, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Each of these sentences is merely a bullet point in my brain now.
That’s pretty much it! I could write a novel on the full experience, as most people probably could about an event that changed the trajectory of their life. It’s not infrequent that I find myself wondering what the world would be like if everyone wrote an autobiography. Which ones would people read? Those they relate to the most? Those written by the people closest to them? Those that are the most distant, as a form of escapism?
Regardless, I can say with a lot of confidence that My Story changed everything for me. Gone were the marathons, the beloved daily bagel, and my medication-free life. Believe me, I took lots of time to mourn these loses and feel sorry for myself. Luckily, it wasn’t long before I started to realize how much I gained along the way: new strength, compassion, lessons, passions, this community, and the list goes on!
Health Updates
Honestly, my health has been a roller coaster since starting grad school in 2021 and starting a new job in a new state 7 months ago. Many highs, many lows.
Autoimmune diseases are tough like that. They all stem from a root cause(s) that can be so unique between different people. It wasn’t until I started going to see a functional medicine team at the Cleveland Clinic to narrow down my root causes that I could start to truly heal from the inside out, rather than keep trying to chase down ways to keep symptoms at bay. With that said, this is what I found from my functional medicine appointments over the past 2 years that I would’ve never found otherwise:
- High levels of mold toxins
- Hoshimotos
- A pituitary adenoma (a small benign tumor)
- Extreme gut microbiome dysbiosis
- Low stomach acid
As good as it felt to finally uncover the root causes of my UC diagnosis, it also felt overwhelming. I’m STILL working on strategies to address each of those things. Turns out, the saying “good things take time” hits home in a big way when it comes to this stuff. I’ll do my best to summarize the new healthcare tactics I’ve incorporated into my lifestyle, but yet again I feel like I could easily write a book on each of these things!
- Mold: I’m taking activated charcoal, bentonite clay, liposomal glutathione, and liposomal NAD supplements daily. I’ve also been prioritizing 30 minute infrared sauna sessions at least 5 times per week.
- Hoshimotos: Less cardio, more resistance training, & prioritizing sleep has made a huge difference. Adopting a higher fat diet has also helped regulate thyroid hormone production. The only supplement I was recommended to take for this issue was called Thyrosol, which is pretty much a glorified multivitamin that contains a little extra iodine and selenium along with myo-inositol and rhodiola extra that aren’t typically found in other multi’s!
- Pituitary adenoma: There isn’t much I can do (besides radiation) to reverse this, but I’ve been put on a therapeutic estrogen/progesterone birth control since my brain’s hormone receptors are being blocked by the tumor. This also impairs adrenal hormone signaling so I was put on to a cortisol managing supplement by Integrative therapeutics that combines ashwagandha and L-theanine with other active ingredients to help.
- Gut dysbiosis: I adopted an elimination-style, low-FODMAP diet for 3 months. I also took biocidin as a natural anti-microbial supplement paired with several herbal supplements during this time. GI Revive (slippery elm, L-glutamine, licorice root, and more), GI Detox (zeolite clay, apple pectin, aloe vera gel, and more), a bioactive immunoglobulin supplement (IgG) called SBI Protect, magnesium glycinate, and olive leaf extract were all a part of my daily supplement lineup during these 3 months.
- Probiotic stack: To re-establish a healthier microbiome after taking the herbal supplements, I’ve been taking a the dynamic duo of Seed spore-based probiotics along with a Saccharomyces boulardii beneficial yeast probiotic. Before I switched to Seed, I was using Biohm’s Total Probiotic, which was recommended by my functional medicine team!
- Low stomach acid: Ginger shots and a Betaine HCl + Pepsin supplement have been game changers in my digestive health! Before using both of these about 15 minutes before each meal, I wasn’t even absorbing most of my protein since it couldn’t be broken down into smaller molecules by stomach acid.
Despite the huge health progress I’ve made from my daily efforts, I’ve experienced a handful of major setbacks too. As of February 2024, I’ve had 4 major UC flares that had me questioning everything. Progress isn’t linear: my go-to mantra. Learning how to be patient with myself and accept the lack of control I have on this condition has been a journey.
Life Updates
Since being diagnosed with UC when I was a 20-year-old college student at Penn State, my life has taken so many twists I could’ve never seen coming. First and foremost, a global pandemic surely rocked all of our worlds. Deciding to pursue my Masters degree studying the human gut microbiome instead of waiting to find a job in the industry was another unexpected life turn, but one that largely stemmed from my newfound passion for research in this field after being diagnosed with IBD. Finally, the latest update of them all: landing a job in Michigan!
Yes, I moved to Michigan. No, I didn’t know anyone here. Yes, I was scared. No, I have no idea what I’m doing or where I’ll be at this time next year. That’s what makes your 20’s so fun, right?!
Actually, for a Type A “planner” personality, its realistically slightly stress inducing. But with that said, I love my 8-5 office job (for the most part). I love living alone in my DREAM apartment (it’s in a quaint renovated old schoolhouse). My routine here in Michigan makes me so happy. My family is only 4.5 hours away. The people here are so welcoming, and last but certainly not least… I’m close enough to Canada to have the luxury of a Tim Hortons 900 feet from my front door!
Overall, life is so much sweeter post-grad. Gone are the 16-hour lonely lab days, grad school stress, pressure to perform, and desire to pursue a startup company at the same time. My lifestyle now is so much more gentle. It seems too simple to articulate without sounding stupid, but if I could go back in time and give myself advice it would be to keep it simple.
Not only would I have been able to recover better and manage my autoimmune diseases (which can be triggered by stress), but I also would have been able to form deeper friendships and show up as a better person in my existing relationships. I feel so much softer, compassionate, and slower to “freak out mode” than I ever have before. Whether it’s birth control or my new life, still unclear. But I’m here for it regardless!
How Thoughts on My IBD Diagnosis Have Changed
I used to think that IBD was something I was stuck with forever. Now, I view it as something I have to co-exist with… occasionally. There is a BIG mental switch my brain tends to make between the concepts of “forever” and “occasionally”.
When I was first told about this autoimmune disease by full-fledge, fully certified GI doctors, it painted as a disease that I would have to live with for the rest of my life. I would have to take Humira injections forever. Watch what eat forever. Expect flares forever. While this is somewhat true, I would argue that the medical perception of what IBD is was always a little mis-informed.
Research on IBD was rare before the past decade or so. As more studies come out, the more IBD seems to be just like any other chronic disease: it stems out of inflammation. I like to think of inflammation as our body’s response to protect us from unnatural things it doesn’t recognize. AKA our modern world.
Instead of viewing IBD as what is (Irritable Bowel Disease), I’ve come around to viewing it as a come-and-go condition that emerges when I have an extra dose of something unnatural. Or if I’m living in a way that goes against what my body’s natural needs are. Thank goodness for incredible people and organizations like Dane Johnson, my functional medicine team at Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Mark Hyman’s podcast, and so many others who have helped me get out of the “disease mindset”. At the end of the day, you’re only sick if you think you are.
There were days before my thoughts on IBD changed where I was convinced I would never be normal again. If you are going through the darkest moments of Crohns or Colitis symptoms now, I promise that living a full, healthy life is around the corner. YOU AREN’T STUCK!! Finding the ways to get out of the “vicious cycle” (also a phenomenal book by the way), what my root causes of IBD were, and surrounding myself with the most amazing supportive people to manage this condition (not disease) not only changed my life but made it so much better.
With love – Hannah
