Madison Harbison. I’ll always remember the first time our paths crossed. 
I had just gotten off the stage after speaking at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Patient Symposium Event in October. Her and her mom, Michelle, approached me outside of the auditorium. Tears in their eyes. Smiles on their faces. I immediately felt a connection and knew this little girl was something special.
Madison was only three years old when she started experiencing symptoms. Bloody diarrhea was the first indicator. After E.coli and C-diff were ruled out by doctors, this little girl underwent a colonoscopy. Imagine that. Three years old. Drinking the prep. Dealing with everything in the bathroom. And not being able to understand why this was happening or knowing what was wrong with you. Being a little girl, naïve to what it means to have a chronic disease that would be a part of her, for her entire life.
Imagine how overwhelming it felt for her parents. Michelle said it felt like they were torturing their daughter. Madison is now 12 years old. 
She’s had a total of three colonoscopies, an endoscopy and an MRE. She’s been hospitalized due to flare ups three times. She has three siblings at home, so as she’s in the hospital or going to the doctor, her parents have to care for them as well. There’s a reason for the saying—’it takes a village’… because it really does.
Madison has indeterminate colitis. Her inflammation is centered around her colon. She also battles arthritis that is secondary to her IBD. Just like me, Madison is on Humira injections. Her parents give her the shot—and each time she gets anxious and upset before and after. As a 34-year-old grown woman, I still react the same way at times. So, I can only begin to think what it would feel like for her. Aside from Humira, Madison takes Sulfasalazine, Imuran, Vitamin D, Iron and a multivitamin.
When it comes to advice for fellow parents, Michelle says, “Try to connect with other parents who are going through the same thing. There are “support groups” on Facebook that have helped me so much. Do not give up hope. I have every reason in the world to believe that Madison is going to accomplish everything that she sets out to. This disease is only one part of the amazing person that she is. It does not define her. 
Also, as a parent of a child with a chronic illness, we are their best advocate. No one knows your child better than you do. If you think that something isn’t quite right, trust your momma instincts!”
When you talk to Madison she radiates strength and resilience. You can see it in her eyes. She’s very mature and well spoken. She says IBD has made her a stronger person. “It’s made me more responsible in the sense of taking my medication, thinking about what foods affect me and always telling my mom if anything is wrong.”
As far as her Humira injection routine (let’s be honest, we all have one!)…her parents take the pen out of the fridge and let it warm up for a few hours, to lessen the sting. Madison likes to use Pinterest on her phone as a distraction. She wipes her leg with the alcohol swab and nods at either her mom or dad so they know to start. 
Right before the shot, she relaxes her leg, takes a deep breath and pretends she’s anywhere but the living room couch.
Each summer, Madison attends Camp Oasis. It’s a unique experience where kids with IBD have the chance to be on their own, to make decisions and to take responsibility, while being in a safe and compassionate environment. All the campers have IBD. “Camp has really showed me that I am not alone battling this disease. It is the coolest thing to be surrounded by other kids who know and understand what I have experienced.”
Madison doesn’t let her disease hold her down. She’s an avid soccer, basketball and volleyball player. She’s gearing up to take the stage in “Annie” and she excels at dance. This girl does it all.
Guess what she wants to be when she grows up? A Pediatric Gastroenterologist. Madison wants to help kids who are going through what she’s gone through.
Out to lunch with Madi, taking on IBD together one day at a time.
I can without a doubt say, I know she’ll achieve this goal and follow her dream. She’s a true example of an IBD hero. Someone who hasn’t allowed her disease to rule her life. Someone who looks adversity in the face and says ‘not so fast.’ Someone who I admire and look up to, even though she’s more than 20 years younger than me. If you ever need inspiration—think about Madison during that next Humira shot, think about her when you’re taking that dreadful colonoscopy prep, think of her when you’re getting rolled down to that next CT scan. I know I will.
We tried new medications, but after eight months of no change in my small bowel, my gastroenterologist thought it was time to say goodbye to the diseased portion of my intestines. I remember the phone call from her just saying “I’m going to give this to you bluntly, you need to get them out.” At first, I was shocked, then angry that my body was failing me. I brought my husband to my surgery consultation, and I’ll never forget the look on his face as the surgeon was asking me very detailed symptom questions and I was answering them honestly. It was a look as if I had by lying to him for years. Even my husband, the person I spend every waking hour with, have been with for almost six years and since I was diagnosed, didn’t fully understand how bad my disease had gotten in the last three years.
As a mom and a wife, I questioned how my family would make do without me… But as surgery drew closer and I was in so much pain that I could only eat liquids and was basically confined to the fetal position, I knew it was time.
Getting surgery has changed my life in just 12 weeks. I can’t even imagine how much it’s going to change my life in the next year or two. I know the statistics aren’t in my favor, but until then I will totally be living my best life with a foot less of intestine and a bigger smile on my face!
She’s not your typical patient advocate. She’s an author who uses her sense of humor to not only inspire, but also make you laugh. She says things many of us think, but won’t say. Her most recent piece of work, “
That gives you an idea of what an incredible resource this book is for women in the chronic illness community. Kathleen’s ability to share her experiences and speak to others to make a difference, inspires me to be strong in my patient journey. Though we’ve never met in person, we’ve been “friends” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for years. I had the chance to interview her about her latest book. Here’s what she had to say:
People seem to enjoy the humour spattered throughout and find it to be informative and inclusive which is what I’d hoped for! This time round has been nerve wracking again so i try to only dip in and out of reading reviews for the sake of my own sanity/ego!”
Kathleen is dedicated to helping others feel less alone and afraid in their fight with chronic illness. As someone who’s battled Crohn’s more than 12 years, I can tell you firsthand her words empower me to be strong. I constantly find myself nodding along while I’m reading and even laughing out loud. You can follow Kathleen on Twitter and Instagram @kathfantastic.
Yes, we know that Pumpkin Spice lattes or those peanut M&M’s may not be the best decisions—but every now and then we want to live a little and take a risk. Just because coffee, nuts or popcorn caused pain one time—doesn’t mean that’s always going to be the case. In the end, if what we eat and drink causes us pain, we’ll be the one paying the price, not you. Please refrain from staring at us and questioning every time we put food in our mouths. We get it. No need to question or reprimand us. There’s already an ongoing inner dialogue 24/7 about every little decision we make and how it’s going to make us feel, trust me.
Understand that when you make plans with someone who battles IBD, the way we feel can change up to the minute we’re supposed to meet. While I know that can be aggravating, you must be patient and think about what you would do if you had stabbing pains in your abdomen and couldn’t stand straight up as you rush to the bathroom. More often than not, rather then canceling we put a smile on and pretend to feel well. So, the times we cancel—I can guarantee you, it’s a legit excuse and doesn’t make us happy either. I’ve had moments where I was all excited to go out with my husband and meet friends and he would see me walking around putting my make up on with my pants unbuttoned, because I was in so much pain and he had to tell me—we’re not going.
The primary goals of surgery for Crohn’s disease are to conserve as much bowel as possible, alleviate complications, and to help the patient achieve the best possible quality of life. Sure, you may go into surgical remission or be given a “fresh start,” but that disease will always be a part of you. When I had my bowel resection surgery in August 2015, they removed 18 inches of my small intestine—a decade of disease was taken from body. Of course, as I healed, I felt better and still feel a lot better nowadays, then I did prior to the surgery. Regardless, I live with Crohn’s every day and those symptoms are still present quite often. About 23-45 percent of people with ulcerative colitis and up to 75 percent of people with Crohn’s disease will require surgery. As I type this, I have stabbing pains in my stomach. I felt completely fine when I started writing this.
Normally when we hear those commercials, if they don’t pertain to us, we may kind of laugh and wonder who in their right mind would take a medication with all those risks. For those of us with IBD, we oftentimes don’t have a choice. It’s a high risk with a high reward. Quality of life has to come first. I know before I got pregnant with my son, there were multiple occasions where friends would question my decision to be on Humira. Once you are on a biologic and your disease is this severe, you don’t have a whole lot of options. Don’t you think the risk of new and worsening heart failure and being immune suppressed is already a worry we deal with as it is?
Sadly, the people who you think you are closest to often seem to disappear when you’re in the hospital. Rather than focusing on getting better, your mind may race and you may feel hurt that so and so hasn’t even called, texted or visited—even though you know they saw your post on social media about your most recent hospital stay. If you’re questioning whether you are going to bother the person or if you think it’s not your place to reach out—please change your mindset. It’s the people who reach out when you’re at your lowest point that you realize are worth your time and energy. IBD is isolating enough as it is, please be a good friend and show us some love when we’re going through a flare. If you were hospitalized, would you want radio silence from every person who matters to you?
I apologize if you feel that way, but I hope it has the opposite impact. I hope it brings you clarity and that it made a light bulb go off so that you know how to navigate your friendships and relationships with those who battle IBD. This week is a time to bring awareness about Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, it’s a time for these diseases to be in the spotlight. This week, and all that follows, please be gentle with your words and be the type of support you’d want in return.
Each day, about 22 people die waiting for the phone to ring. That’s about one person an hour.
“What we do with any donor—no matter what—is assess the function of every single organ. So, for instance if the kidney, lung or liver function isn’t up to par due to long-term disease process or from long-term side effects from medications, the organ will not be transplanted. The last thing we want to do is transplant an organ and have the recipient develop a disease from a transplanted organ,” said Dr. Marklin.
As someone who’s battled Crohn’s disease for more than 12 years, and as someone who’s witnessed firsthand the incredible ripple effect created by organ donation within my own family—I can’t reiterate enough, how imperative it is to be a donor.
