Latest / Crohn's & Colitis Unfiltered / From misdiagnosis to advocacy: Kim’s unfiltered Crohn's journey

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From misdiagnosis to advocacy: Kim’s unfiltered Crohn's journey · Crohn's & Colitis Unfiltered

0:03
I just look at life a lot differently now. I
0:06
think I'm very grateful for the times that I
0:08
do feel really good. But it has changed. Like,
0:11
a lot of my relationships have changed. A lot
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of, like, the way I look. has changed. My hair
0:17
is a lot thinner than it was like a couple years
0:19
ago. My weight fluctuates like all the time.
0:22
Like I don't have a lot of energy anymore. So
0:24
just trying to like navigate those things can
0:27
be really hard because it's like I can't do what
0:29
I did when I was like 21 and I didn't have like
0:32
these issues. So just trying to find ways like
0:35
enjoy life, but in a different way now. This
0:40
is Kim, who got diagnosed with Crohn's disease
0:42
at age 26 in Atlanta, Georgia. In the beginning,
0:46
doctors dismissed Kim's symptoms as allergic
0:49
reactions, liver issues, and even IBS. Kim's
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story is one familiar to many IBD patients. Years
0:56
of being misdiagnosed before someone finally
0:59
put the puzzle together. Today, she's sharing
1:02
the ins and outs of living with Crohn's and what
1:04
it's like to jump from one flare to the next.
1:07
This is Talking S***, presented by Colitis Unfiltered.
1:10
My name is Frank Tabering, and Kim, welcome to
1:13
the show. Hi, thank you so much for having me.
1:16
It's a pleasure. So Crohn's, let's quickly talk
1:20
about the timeline of your disease. So when it
1:24
started and then also what you kind of went through,
1:27
where you are today. Take us to your timeline.
1:31
This disease is honestly taking me through hell,
1:34
but I would probably say back in like 2022, I
1:38
actually, my first symptom was kind of like an
1:40
autoimmune rash, and I didn't know it at the
1:42
time, but it literally like exploded like all
1:44
over my face, and I didn't really think anything
1:47
of it. I just thought it was like an allergic
1:49
reaction. Went to the dermatologist. They were
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like, yep, definitely allergic reaction, but
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it just never went away. And then a little bit
1:55
after that was like all the stomach pain started
1:58
happening. I was like in and out of the doctors
2:00
all the time. And they could never tell me like
2:02
what was going on. They just said, oh, yeah,
2:04
you have IBS. And they're like, oh, but you're
2:06
also anemic. But you also have like IBS. And
2:09
I was like, OK, well, what can I do about that?
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Because like I'm in pain all the time. Like what's
2:13
kind of going on? And it would kind of come like
2:15
in waves. So like there was a couple months where
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I felt like really good. I could eat whatever
2:19
I wanted. And then there were some months where
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I was just like. on like bedridden basically
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and it was really really hard because I just
2:26
felt like I didn't really have anyone like listening
2:28
to all the pain that I was going through and
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I finally went to another doctor they did like
2:33
an ultrasound and they said that I had like liver
2:35
issues and I was like okay I'm like 24 years
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old at this point and I just turned 28 like a
2:41
couple days ago so I was like how could I have
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liver issues at 24 like that actually sounds
2:45
insane and they're like yeah it's just mild fatty
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liver just like eat clean and you can reverse
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it and i was like okay and they're like yeah
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and you're also anemic so just like take an iron
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pill and you'll be fine and i was like okay cool
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did that for a couple months reversed my like
2:59
mild fatty liver but i was still in so much pain
3:02
like stomach wise And again, it came in waves.
3:05
Like I was really good one month, really bad
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another month. And I was like, what is going
3:09
on? I also lost like a dramatic amount of weight.
3:12
I was like 125. I went down to like 100 pounds.
3:15
Like it was just really bad. And then after I
3:17
like reversed my like mild fatty liver, like
3:19
I started eating a lot more. And again, like
3:21
I felt super, super good. And then early 2025,
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I would say I was just like throwing up like
3:29
all the time. Like it didn't matter what I put
3:32
in my system, water, like soup, everything I
3:35
was throwing up. And again, I lost like a whole
3:37
bunch of weight. And I was also like in and out
3:38
of the bathroom, like all the time. I couldn't
3:40
eat anything, had horrible stomach cramps, like
3:42
everything. Went to the doctor, would have listened
3:45
to me again. It wasn't until my mom like pretty
3:48
much called them and was like, my daughter's
3:50
literally like dying. Like I'm about to take
3:52
her to the hospital if like you don't do something
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about it. Got a colonoscopy done and then boom.
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They diagnosed me with Crohn's and it's been
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really hard. Like I wasn't on medication for
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a really long time and I was just kind of like,
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I guess in denial about like the whole thing.
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I was like, this like can't be happening to me.
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Like I'm super fit. Like I go to the gym all
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the time. I eat really healthy. Like why is this
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happening to me? And then I finally started medication
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and like I am feeling a lot better, but there
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are days where I just, again, like I'll randomly
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throw up. Can't eat anything. Can't even stomach
4:25
water. It's just, like, such a process, I guess.
4:28
So, yeah. You mentioned the first, like, symptoms
4:32
that you had until you got officially diagnosed.
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Months and months passed, right? Like, did you
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just see, like, one doctor and it was, like,
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oh, it's just the same doctor that told you,
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oh, it's nothing, it's nothing, and you just
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trusted that person? Or did you seek another
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opinion? Or how did you navigate sort of, like,
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the... the doctor -patient relationship and not
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knowing what is going on and nobody really telling
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you or trying to dig deeper, right, about what
5:00
you have. Yeah, I went to multiple doctors. Like,
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I went to a primary care doctor. She just wrote
5:06
me off and was like, you need to go see the GI.
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And I said, okay. Went to go see a GI. She was
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like, oh, you're just anemic. You probably just
5:12
have IBS. Like, you're stressed out or something
5:14
like that, which is causing you to have, like,
5:16
all these stomach problems. And I'm like, okay.
5:18
Went to another doctor. I probably went to, like,
5:20
three or four before, like, one actually took
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me seriously. And then even after I got diagnosed,
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my doctor was like, yeah, you can eat whatever
5:27
you want. Just don't eat anything hard. Like
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don't have like meat or like hard chicken or
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like fried chicken and stuff like that. And I
5:34
was like, you're actually insane. I can't eat
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anything. Like I can't even have like rice. Like
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everything makes my stomach hurt. Like you're
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not helping me at all. So that was the doctor
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that actually diagnosed you with Crohn's. Yeah.
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Yeah. And he was telling me, eat whatever you
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want. Like, it's fine. And I was like, well.
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I can't even drink water or have mashed potatoes
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or rice or anything like that. So I really don't
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know what you're talking about. And my mom was
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like not having it. She like, I wouldn't say
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she like cussed them out, but she was like, how
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dare you basically like treat my daughter like
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this? Like, this is all so new to her. It's all
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like new to us. Like, how could you do this to
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us? So yeah, we ended up finding another doctor
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and yeah, it's been a process. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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So right now today, You know, how are you feeling
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generally? I have good days and bad days. I feel
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like I have a lot more good days now just because
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like I'm on Sky Rizzy and that's like the first
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medication I started. And I started that like
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February of this year. And so I do feel a lot
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better, but I still get flares like almost every
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month. And I'm still trying to kind of like navigate
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like what's the main cause of it? Like, is it
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food? Is it stress related? Is it like? I don't
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know, just trying to like figure out what exactly
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like the root cause of it is. But I'm like starting
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to notice that like if I take too long, like
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like throughout the day or if I'm like really
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stressed out or really emotional, it like the
7:00
flares start to happen. So I feel better, but
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I'm still not like 100 percent. When you're being
7:08
pulled into one of these flares, how did you
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navigate them? First of all, like how long do
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they typically last and what do you do? to sort
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of protect yourself, apply some self -care? How
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are you experiencing those flares? What are you
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doing? How are you surviving those flares? That's
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a really good question. I'm actually in a flare
7:26
right now, so it's funny that you say that. I
7:30
think before medication, my flares would last
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like at least a week or more, and I would pretty
7:36
much just be in bed. like the whole day now it's
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more like it'll last like a couple days and like
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I'll slowly start to like eat again so just eating
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like a lot of soft foods like my pantry is just
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stocked with like cans of chicken noodle soup
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so I'm like always prepared same thing with like
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protein shakes and my heating pad is always next
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to my bed I do castor oil packs like every night
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so when I do get into a flare I do them like
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more often like I'll keep it on like the whole
8:05
entire day and at night too And I just like rest
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and just hydrate as much as I can and just like
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trying not to stress myself out. I noticed like
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during flares too, I will have like a lot of
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anxiety. So I try to like keep myself like kind
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of busy. So I'm not just like laying in bed.
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Like, why is this happening to me? So like reading
8:24
or just finding anything to kind of like distract
8:26
myself and just like taking it easy. Like if
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the only thing I did today was get up and take
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a shower, that's like an accomplishment for me.
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I think the heating pad is definitely resonating
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with me because one of the things that I used
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to do during my colitis flares is just heating
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pad, comfortable blanket. And literally, I would
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lie on a comfortable carpet even because it's
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a little bit harder surface, you know, in fetal
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position and then just rest, you know, like nothing
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else matters. It's just getting through the pain.
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So I can definitely relate to that. Now, going
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back to your diagnosis. When the doctor told
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you you have Crohn's, what went through your
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mind? Have you heard of Crohn's before? Did the
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doctor explain it to you? Did you have to go
9:09
and do your own research? Take me a little bit
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through the process of moment of diagnosis and
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what went through your mind. So it's actually
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funny. I heard of Crohn's like a couple of days
9:20
before my colonoscopy because my mom is actually
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friends with a nurse and it was like telling
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her like what was going on. And the nurse was
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like, oh, like she probably has Crohn's. And
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so I looked it up and I was like, oh my God,
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like this is the last thing. that I want and
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I was like hoping and praying I was like I don't
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care what it is I just really don't want it to
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be this but of course like I just have bad luck
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and I was still kind of like loopy like from
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coming out of like my colonoscopy and they're
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like yeah like she definitely like has Crohn's
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and I was just like of course like of course
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I have Crohn's like I just felt like super defeated
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never even like heard much about it they were
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just like telling my mom like it's hereditary
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or it's caused by like environmental factors
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and i'm like well nobody in my family has it
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so i'm just like the unlucky one that got this
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yeah yeah so we talked a little bit about what
10:14
you're doing while you're flaring but then when
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you have periods that you're you're actually
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feeling good you're coming out of the flare and
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me for instance i've been lucky enough to be
10:23
in remission for a long time But every time,
10:25
for instance, for me, if I see a little bit of
10:28
like a difference in my stool or I have some
10:31
abdominal pain, there's this fear that creeps
10:34
into my head, right? Telling me, could this be
10:36
the next flare, right? Could this be the end
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of my remission? So when you actually feel good
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in those periods where you're not necessarily
10:43
flaring, how do you manage this fear of when
10:50
does the next flare show up? it's always kind
10:54
of in the back of my mind, you know, when I do
10:57
have periods of, like, feeling good. I think
10:59
I'm just so used to getting one, like, every
11:00
month, and I'm just like, okay, well, I know
11:02
it's gonna come eventually, so I'm just kind
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of, like, anticipating it, which I feel like,
11:08
in a way, like, isn't good because, like, your
11:10
gut and your mind are very connected. Like, your
11:12
gut is, like, pretty much your second brain,
11:14
so I feel like just by me saying, oh, yeah, I'm
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about to get one in, like, the next couple weeks
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because I haven't gotten one this month, and
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it's just, like, In a way, like, signaling, like,
11:23
my body, like, hey, like, we listen to you. Like,
11:27
words are powerful. Like, it's going to happen
11:28
if you keep saying that. So, yeah, I mean, it's
11:31
always kind of in the back of my mind. And I
11:33
try to be a lot more cautious about it now, but
11:35
it still, like, creeps up on me. What I'm hearing
11:39
is that at least when you're feeling good, you
11:41
have these thoughts. I guess it's almost like
11:44
a negative emotion, right? Because it's tied
11:46
to fear that is coming. And you tell me that,
11:48
well, then it's almost like you're sort of unwillingly
11:50
manifesting it and it might show up after. Are
11:53
you also experiencing it the other way around?
11:56
Let's say that if you're flaring or flare starting
11:58
and you try to, I don't know, apply positivity
12:01
or you're telling yourself, no, but I'm going
12:04
to beat this thing. Are you noticing maybe a
12:07
connection there as well? Or is it more like...
12:10
the negative thoughts or the negative thinking
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that, that always wins. I feel like it's always
12:15
a negative that always wins. I do try to stay
12:18
positive, like throughout the thing. And I'm
12:19
like, okay, like, you know, today I feel a lot
12:22
better. Let me get up and, you know, at least
12:24
like, let me try to clean my room. Let me try
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to at least do something. So I feel like it does
12:28
sometimes, like I am like positive about it sometimes,
12:31
but I don't think I've gotten to that point yet
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where I've like. can fully grasp like my disease
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because I'm still like so new to this like whole
12:39
thing and like I was undiagnosed for like three
12:42
years so this is like a whole new experience
12:45
for me but I am trying to like stay positive
12:48
and like hope that things will work out for me
12:51
like in the end but it's hard like when you're
12:53
not feeling good and you have stuff that you
12:55
have to do like I'm an adult like I have my own
12:57
apartment I have a cat like I have all these
12:59
things I have to do and then when I get into
13:01
a flare I'm like why is this happening how do
13:07
you think even though you're still early in your
13:09
diagnosis you've been experiencing at least symptoms
13:12
for a long time how do you think that Crohn's
13:14
is changing you as a person or has changed you
13:18
as a person already yeah I feel like it honestly
13:21
has changed like my whole entire life I just
13:23
look at life a lot differently now I think I'm
13:26
very grateful for the times that I do feel really
13:29
good and I'm just like happy when I feel good
13:33
and I just I'm like okay like this feels great
13:36
like I'm happy to be alive like even though I
13:38
have something that's like kind of debilitating
13:40
sometimes like I am just like grateful for every
13:44
moment that I feel decent but it has changed
13:47
like a lot of my relationships have changed a
13:49
lot of like The way I look has changed. My hair
13:53
is a lot thinner than it was, like, a couple
13:55
years ago. My weight fluctuates, like, all the
13:58
time. Like, I don't have a lot of energy anymore.
14:01
So just trying to, like, navigate those things
14:03
can be really hard because it's, like, I can't
14:06
do what I did when I was, like, 21 and I didn't
14:08
have, like, these issues. So just trying to find
14:12
ways to, like, enjoy life but in a different
14:15
way now. So, yeah, I would probably say, like,
14:19
everything about, like, my life has changed.
14:22
Some good, some bad. You know, I know my body
14:25
better than anybody else that's, like, technically,
14:28
like, healthy. So I guess that's also, like,
14:31
a good thing. And, like, food -wise, too. Like,
14:34
I can't really eat as much as, like, a normal
14:37
person, I guess. So, like, socially, like, body
14:41
-wise, physically, all the above. Like, my whole
14:44
life has basically turned upside down. Yeah,
14:47
I was going to ask you actually, you touched
14:50
on a few things that I wanted to mention as well,
14:53
but like how do you feel that Crohn's has affected
14:56
your body image, your intimacy, your relationships,
15:00
you know, have you seen this sort of like impeding
15:05
these things or in what ways has it or is it
15:09
having an effect on you? So I would probably
15:12
say like relationship wise, like it has been
15:15
a little bit hard, just like doesn't even have
15:17
to be like romantic. But I love my friends. My
15:20
life support system is amazing, but they don't
15:24
really understand what I'm going through. And
15:27
when I'm like in a flare or when there's like
15:29
something that I can't do anymore, it's kind
15:31
of like, oh, dang, but like you were able to
15:33
do those things before. And I'm like, yeah, but
15:35
it's different now. And I can't really do that.
15:38
and of course they're super understanding but
15:41
you know I'm just not the same Kim that I was
15:44
like a couple years ago and it could be a little
15:47
frustrating sometimes like oh I can't do those
15:50
things anymore like maybe they just like won't
15:52
want to hang out with me or things like that
15:54
but they've been very like gracious and amazing
15:59
like throughout the whole thing so I guess like
16:02
when it comes to meeting new people, like if
16:04
I want to make new friends or like if I want
16:06
to go on a date or something, I have to like
16:07
sit down and explain to them like, hey, I can't
16:10
like eat there because this is going to hurt
16:12
my stomach because I have like an incurable stomach
16:14
disease. And then I have to like sit down and
16:16
explain to them and like if I have to like cancel
16:19
plans with like a new friend because like I'm
16:21
not feeling well. So I think like my inner circle
16:24
understands, but meeting new people can just
16:27
be like a little bit harder, I guess. You say
16:30
your friends are supportive, but there's also
16:31
a certain lack of understanding. When you talk
16:35
to people about Crohn's, do you have a feeling
16:38
that they do at least understand what it is?
16:42
And also, and I think because when I talk to
16:44
a lot of people online, you know, that are not
16:46
really sure how to navigate this disease, they
16:48
always wonder, how should I approach this with
16:51
friends or new people that I meet? What would
16:55
you answer to them? on like how they should express
16:58
themselves and what they should say about their
17:01
condition that's a tough one um because it is
17:07
like a disease that a lot of like if you don't
17:08
have it yourself like You can't really explain
17:11
it to someone like I try my best to be like,
17:13
yeah, my flares literally feel like I have rocks
17:16
scraping my insides. And like, of course, they're
17:18
not going to know like what that feels like.
17:21
So I guess I would just kind of explain like,
17:24
you know, I'm going to have my good days and
17:25
I'm going to have my bad days, but my bad days
17:27
are going to be really bad. And like if you can't
17:30
accept and like understand that, then like we
17:32
have no business like being friends or like romantic
17:36
or whatever the case is, because this is something
17:39
that. you know you're gonna have like forever
17:41
even if you're in remission like you still have
17:43
it and so it's just kind of finding the right
17:47
words to like say I guess and just like letting
17:51
them know like I may not look like I have anything
17:53
wrong with me but I do and just because I'm moving
17:57
around and like doing all these things does not
17:58
mean that I'm not in pain so just for them to
18:01
be like more understanding about that. Who has
18:04
been your biggest supporter in this battle so
18:07
far and how have They helped you through this
18:11
disease. I would probably say like the online
18:15
community that I've like built like on TikTok.
18:18
Of course, like my friends and family like are
18:20
amazing and I'm not ever going to say that they
18:22
aren't. But again, it's very hard to explain
18:25
this disease to somebody that doesn't really
18:29
know like what I'm talking about. So I think
18:32
everyone that I've met. throughout like this
18:34
journey has been so like supportive and it's
18:37
so nice to be able to like rant invent talk about
18:40
medicine like all those types of things with
18:42
like people that just understand My roommate
18:45
is also amazing. She may not fully like understand
18:49
like what's happening, but she does try to like
18:51
be there for me like when I'm sick, especially
18:53
because like I lived with my parents like when
18:55
I was first diagnosed and my mom was always like
18:57
running to my room, making sure I was good, trying
18:59
to find like different ways to like help me.
19:02
And my roommate has kind of like taken that role.
19:05
And if I'm not feeling well, she'll make me like
19:07
a tea or she's like, you know, is there anything
19:09
I can get you? So I'm like really grateful to
19:11
have that. And also like the online community
19:13
like as well. And I'm sure your cat probably
19:16
as well, right? Yeah, she's a little spicy. But
19:19
yeah, I feel like she knows when I'm sick and
19:22
she won't leave my side when I'm, you know, going
19:25
through a flare or something like that. So I
19:26
love her too. See, there you go. You know, I
19:29
know that they can feel it when we're not well.
19:31
And even though they're buttholes sometimes with
19:34
their attitude and their character, I feel like
19:37
they sort of have this protectiveness, like they
19:40
want to protect us. Right. So it's good. Now,
19:43
let's talk a little bit about your presence online,
19:46
what you're doing, the awareness that you raise,
19:48
you're advocating for yourself and for others
19:50
with this disease. A lot of people really struggle
19:53
to talk about it and talk about it openly. And
19:56
yet here you are. And this is actually how we
19:58
connected because I stumbled across your profiles.
20:00
I was like, wow, you know, you're just really
20:02
out there and you don't have any filter. And
20:04
that's perfect. You know, I was like, I got to
20:06
talk to this one. So how did you find the courage
20:10
to do this? Did you just one day wake up and
20:13
say, you know what, I need to share what I'm
20:15
experiencing? Or was it like gradual? How did
20:18
you go from, you know, somebody who's really
20:20
suffering from this to sharing what you're going
20:23
through with the rest of the world? So I actually
20:28
used to be like a very like I didn't even want
20:30
to be like known online like posting a video
20:33
and just like listening back to myself I'm like
20:36
oh like I just don't want to do that like I just
20:39
I would post like little videos but I would never
20:41
speak I would never sit in front of the camera
20:42
like I would never do any of that and then I
20:45
think like when I got diagnosed like I said earlier
20:47
like I just feel like my whole perspective on
20:49
like life change and I'm just like you know life
20:51
is like too short I'm already sick I'm gonna
20:54
be sick for a long time even if I get into remission
20:57
like I'm still gonna have like whatever's going
20:59
on with me so I'm just like I might as well just
21:01
do whatever I want at this point like I don't
21:03
really care what anyone has to say about me like
21:05
I'm gonna post about this and that's it And I
21:09
didn't really expect it to like get to the capacity
21:12
that it is now because I do get a lot of messages
21:15
from people that are like, have you done this?
21:17
Like, have you done this? Like, oh, I've seen
21:19
your page. Like, you know, this is what I'm going
21:21
through. And like, it makes me feel good because
21:23
I'm like, OK, yes, I have this thing that's like
21:26
going on with me, but like I'm not the only one.
21:28
And I love when people reach out to me and I
21:30
love when people ask me questions because I feel
21:32
like I'm kind of helping in a way. And even though
21:34
like I'm not a doctor, I'm just like a girl that
21:36
has like stomach issues. I just. you know, I
21:39
just like doing it at this point and I just don't
21:42
really care. Like I just, I'm going to speak
21:44
my truth and whoever likes it, likes it. And
21:47
whoever doesn't, then like, it's fine. You don't
21:50
have to follow me or have to listen to anything
21:52
I have to say, but I just kind of have the mindset
21:54
of like, I'm going to do whatever I want in this
21:56
life because I already feel like a big part of
21:58
me is gone. So I might as well just make the
22:01
most of it at this point. You're talking as we
22:03
sort of slowly move to the closing, you are talking
22:07
to people, you are answering questions, messages
22:10
that people ask you online. So what kind of advice
22:15
would you have for friends and family who are
22:19
supporting someone with Crohn's but may not fully
22:22
understand it? What would you tell them? How
22:25
should they act towards that person? You know,
22:27
how could they best support a person with Crohn's?
22:30
I'd probably say the number one thing is like
22:32
be patient because they're going to have days
22:35
where they don't feel good and they might cancel
22:37
plans and they might, you know, like there's
22:40
just so much that comes with this. And I don't
22:42
think people really, again, like people don't
22:44
really realize like what we go through. So I
22:46
just think being patient and understanding like
22:49
where they're coming from and just because they
22:51
look okay does not mean that they are. So probably
22:55
be patient. Ask them questions, like, let them
22:58
know that I'm here to support you in, like, whatever
23:00
you need. Like, can I bring you soup? Can I take
23:04
you to your doctor's appointments? Can I take
23:06
you to your infusions? Like, anything to kind
23:07
of let them know that you're supportive. Because
23:10
even if you don't understand, I feel like that
23:12
would make a world of difference. I know my friends,
23:15
like when I first got diagnosed, they were sending
23:17
me like articles. They're like, oh, you should
23:18
take like these supplements. Like even doing
23:20
things like that just like makes me feel good.
23:23
And like I'll have friends that are like, oh,
23:25
like they're doing this research study like on
23:27
Crohn's and they'll like send it to me. So just
23:29
like little things like that, like kind of doing
23:32
your own research on the disease itself. like
23:35
taking them to like finding supplements like
23:38
food that they could probably eat like you know
23:40
if we're gonna go out to eat or something and
23:42
they're like gluten and dairy free just being
23:44
like considerate you know just like oh they can't
23:47
eat here but like maybe we can eat here so i
23:49
would say definitely being patient and like considerate
23:51
of the person because their whole life like just
23:53
changed they they don't need to be dealing with
23:56
all these external factors when they have like
23:58
an internal war going on like in their body you
24:01
said something that i absolutely believe to be
24:03
a very good and that is for them to do their
24:06
own research as well, to educate themselves first.
24:09
And then I always say, while this is a really
24:12
great tactic and it's a really great sign of
24:14
support, just be careful that you don't overdo
24:19
it and that you don't necessarily force the knowledge
24:21
that you discover onto the patient either, right?
24:24
Yeah. Because we might just not be receptive.
24:29
So it's just, you know. Take whatever you learn
24:32
by yourself with a grain of salt. I think offer
24:34
the help. And then when we are ready to accept
24:37
it or to take it. And we will let you know. Right.
24:40
And we'll go along with it. So, yeah, no, that's
24:43
really great. That's really good. I would wait
24:44
for all that research talk after they've like
24:47
marinated in the fact that like they have it,
24:49
because I know that when I was first diagnosed,
24:51
like my family, especially, they're like, well,
24:53
you can do this and you can do that. And I'm
24:55
like, honestly, I don't want to hear it. Like,
24:56
I don't even want to have this. Like, I don't
24:57
want to hear it. I don't want anything to do
24:59
with this. But now I'm a little bit more like,
25:01
OK, like hear them out. So, yeah, just wait for
25:05
them to like grasp that they have the disease.
25:08
then share all the research and things like that
25:10
exactly exactly give them some time some space
25:13
I think that's that's the winning formula and
25:15
then letting them know that whenever they're
25:18
ready they can just come to you and and they're
25:21
there for help so showing up I think that's really
25:23
like a strong part yeah that's really cool so
25:25
we talked about the past we talked about the
25:28
present now and I would always like to end with
25:31
the future and this is a question that might
25:33
be extremely difficult to answer But I do believe
25:36
that everybody who is going through IBD has some
25:39
sort of an idea or at least a wish. Do you think
25:42
that in our lifetime we'll see a cure to IBD?
25:46
I would love to see that. And I don't see why
25:49
not. I feel like medicine has definitely come
25:51
a long way. I'm in like in a support group on
25:54
Facebook. And there are people that have been
25:56
diagnosed for like years. you know, since they
26:00
were like my age, like long, long, long time
26:02
ago. And they've said like, you know, medicine
26:05
has come a long way. So I don't see why not.
26:08
I feel like if they're doing like the research
26:11
like behind it, I don't see why there couldn't
26:13
someday be a cure to this. I don't know if it
26:17
will be in my lifetime, but I would still love
26:20
to be able to see it if it is, but it would be
26:23
nice. it absolutely would be i always say as
26:26
well i don't necessarily think that it's going
26:29
to be in my lifetime but the one after I think
26:33
they're getting or they will get much, much closer.
26:35
Yeah, that's true. So we'll leave with a message
26:38
of hope and see what happens. Well, Kim, thank
26:42
you so much for taking the time to talk to me
26:45
today. I really enjoyed learning about your struggles
26:48
and also about how you're doing right now. The
26:50
only thing I can say to you is keep doing what
26:52
you're doing with your online presence. And I
26:56
hope that your treatment continues to be effective
26:59
and really hope for you that. the number of flares
27:02
will decrease and the number of good days will
27:05
increase. So thank you so much for being on the
27:07
show. It was a pleasure. Thank you so much. Thank
27:09
you so much for having me. That's it for today's
27:13
episode of Talking S***, presented by Colitis
27:15
Unfiltered. I'm Frank Tabering, and if this hit
27:18
home or hit your gut, do us a favor, subscribe
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27:28
and Reddit. We'll see you soon. for more inspiring
27:31
stories from the bathroom floor.