Gone are the days when I had to run to a bathroom when out shopping at Home Depot with my husband – or anywhere else. Gone are the days when I couldn’t commit to anything before 9 am – but I still prefer not to. Gone are the days of working from bed instead of my desk – unless I want to. Gone are the days when vacations are cut short because I just couldn’t walk around without pain, or the need for a bathroom.
It’s been almost 2 years since I’ve had any symptoms associated with my illness, Crohn’s Disease. As a matter of fact, I’m probably healthier than I was even before the onset of my symptoms in 1992. I realized that I was in remission on vacation with my husband in Boston in 2005 – even before my doctor gave me the official word a few months later – when we were walking the freedom trail and I had all the strength of a “normal” person. It’s a delightful state to be in, and a funny one too.
I can conjure up memories of those days and weeks and months when I was weak and in pain, but they do occur as memories from the past. I like that, I celebrate it, and sometimes feel weird about it. The conventional wisdom says remission isn’t permanent. I don’t know. I feel it’s possible that I’ve found equilibrium between my body and my environment.
I continue to pay attention to things that start to put me out of balance in my body. I take the prescribed medicines and guard my schedule enough to make sure that I get the rest I need, and I’ll still slow down if I push things to far. I continue to see the healing professionals who have positively helped me in this journey, and I think this helps. I’m even crazy enough to think that I could stay in remission for the remainder of my life. Why not? And if not, so be it.
Joan