Brazil Chronicles: How Illness Became a Life Blessing

A woman who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease more than a decade ago says the chronic illness pushed her to live a healthier life, even though she did not see it that way at first.

The patient had visited multiple doctors over several months for pain in her lower right abdomen. Each time, the doctors told her the pain was caused by stress. One suggested she travel and relax. She followed that advice but the pain did not go away. Another doctor told her to exercise more and rest. She did that too, and still woke up in the middle of the night with sharp pain.

After a friend recommended a third doctor, the patient heard the same explanation: stress. This time, she pushed back. She told the doctor something was really wrong. The doctor ordered a CT scan, which showed something in her lower intestine. A specialist performed a colonoscopy and took a biopsy. The results came back with a diagnosis: Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s is a chronic condition where the immune system attacks the digestive tract, causing inflammation and pain. The specialist told the patient she would have to manage the disease for the rest of her life. He prescribed medication and said she would need to change her lifestyle and diet to avoid surgery.

The patient spent about two years figuring out her triggers. She found that alcohol, spicy food, orange juice, greasy fast food, and coffee caused flare-ups. She cut those items out completely. Coffee was the hardest to give up, she said.

A friend told her she was lucky to have the disease because it would force her to take her health seriously. At the time, she did not agree. But about 15 years later, she said she sees his point. The discipline from managing the disease changed how she treats her body. She has not had a flare-up in a long stretch of time.

The patient said the experience taught her to trust her body and keep advocating for herself. She said she heard “it’s stress” three times before a doctor ran the test that found the truth. She also said a hard diagnosis can be a turning point, not because the illness is good, but because it can force changes that a person has been putting off for years.