Happy 2nd birthday to my blog.

“The key to a happy life is to have accomplishments to be proud of and purpose to look forward to, and at the moment I had both. How wonderful it was to be me.” ~Jeff Lindsay

Great quote.

When I began writing this blog, I named it “Keeping Things Inside is Bad For My Health” because I felt like it was the essence of what I wanted to portray to the world. I didn’t know that it would make for one heck of a lengthy URL though. Or rather, that it mattered.

As I started to become more entrenched in the Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis community and began to become friends with other IBD advocates, I started to learn. I not only have grown as a person over the past two years but these last two years have been an amazing experience as an advocate as well.

I had always hoped that one day I would be able to help others with my story. I have always hoped that I would do it in a big way, as if to say F You Ulcerative Colitis. F You all those doctors who were terrible to me. F You {whoever/whatever I blame for my disease} for destroying my life.

I needed to feel empowered but I had to be in a place where I accepted my ostomy first and foremost. As I have stated in this blog here, I needed to exhaust all other options before resorting to life with an ileostomy.

“The kock pouch surgery provided me with an opportunity and a way my life could be that was of my choosing. Granted, it wasn’t a great option but was a lot better than how I had been living. My parents had to take care of me (and therefore needed to be okay with that) but this decision ultimately was my own.

It felt good to feel like I had some control over where my life was heading. Eight years ago today I took the first step on a journey that I had needed to take since two years prior. It was awful in so many ways but something I needed to do. I will never regret going through it. I will never forget what that whole experience did for me: it showed me that life wasn’t necessarily decided for me. It gave me my control back after six years of not having one ounce of say in how my life was going. It gave me my voice back. It paved the way for me to eventually accept myself and my body as is.” ~Written on January 5, 2014

There was no way I could share my story and commit, in many ways, to making my life an open book until I was comfortable with who I was. I don’t mean every part of who I am but in certain key ways. For me, my biggest hurdle has probably been accepting my ostomy as permanent. This blog has also been incredibly helpful in me sorting through a lot.

As I continue on my path of sharing my story, raising awareness and helping others with inflammatory bowel disease, I know I will evolve even more. Some of the work I am currently doing has even given me a different perspective on certain things.

I also want you guys to know that if you type in “JournalingIBD.org,” it will re-direct you to this website. I am in the process of putting that together now.

Thank you all for a great two years!!! I have loved connecting with {some of } you and feel honored that you take the time to read my work.