I was only 11 when I was diagnosed with Crohn's and it took my parents four months to realize what was going on. In my case it was pretty sad because both of my parents have nursing degrees and taught nursing.

So anyways, I didn't really notice that I was sick - I didn't want to believe that anything was wrong with me. I was the youngest and I was afraid that if I was sick or anything it would give my parents something else to fight about. For once, they actually quit their fighting and acted civil when I was sick.

I was put on steriods because I lost soo much weight (like 40 lbs - lets just put it this way... I was like 85 lbs now) and I really blew up that summer. It was hard for me to go back to school because people really noticed the difference. My closest friends didn't say anything but other people did. It was also hard because my teachers knew about my crohn's because we had to have a meeting with them (which I ended up crying at because all I saw was pity in their eyes).

That summer and the following summer I had a flare. It seemed like I would only get sick during the summer. I was surprised when I didn't get sick the summer before the ninth grade because I was diagnosed in the summer before sixth grade and had flare ups in the summer before seventh anad eighth grade. It was really hard because they kept putting me on steriods and I couldnt loose the weight. Which I was okay with as long as I wasnt sick when school came around.

Then it happened. It was the summer before  ninth grade when my mom told my dad that it was over. This seems really bad to say, but I was glad. I wouldn't have to hear them fight anymore...or so I thought. In stead they dragged me into their divorce. It didn't really help that I was already stressed out about my brother starting college (he was the father figure because my parents worked weird hours) and I was starting freshman year. I was okay until mid-September then it happened...I had an accident at school. I covered it all up so nobody would know - they would think that I just got sick or something. This year was different. I could no longer just take steriods and be over it in two months. The doctor told me that if I take steriods again, my heart could give out.

I was scared and I didn't want people to know about my Crohn's. I figured that if I pretended that I wasn't sick, then nothing could happen. I was wrong my freshman year I missed over forty days of school. Then I missed thiry-five days my sophmore year. I was getting better because they put me on Remicade. Then my dad got sick my junior year...I wasn't really close to him until now because he kept his distance as I never truly got out of my flare. It seemed like he was doing better, so I was doing better. I had a mini-flare near Thanksgiving because a classmate of mine was killed in a car accident but by my 17th birthday I was getting back on track. Then it happened, my dad died on March 12th, 2009. I was devastated because we had grown close. My flare got worse so I just avoided everything and focused on school.

I started my senior year this past fall and I only missed four days the first nine weeks, three the second nine weeks and were just starting the third nine weeks. I got my license and parking pass so that I can drive to and from school and leave or go in late if I feel ill. I got accepted into all five of the places that I applied to and told my number one choice that I am going to go there. I will be majoring in history and minoring in secondary education, social studies and english. I have had Cronhs for almost eight years (come July 5th) and I am not letting it run my life. My life is hard, but I truthfully cant remember what I felt like before I got sick. This is my life and I'm living it the way I want to.

As my uncle says, "Live to Ride, Ride to Live."

As my sister says "Live, Laugh, Love."

As I say..."This is not a democracy, this is a dictatorship and I'm (insert your favorite dictator)."