Own Your Crohn’s

Empowering the Chronically Ill & Disabled to Lead Fuller Lives

My Health Became My Top Priority

My Health Became My Top Priority

**Originally published in Health Central on April 10th, 2019** CHAPTER 1 Crashing Down When I first began having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms in 2005, I had just graduated college, started my first job, and I gotten out of a difficult relationship. And...
OYC Trailblazers: What Healing Means to Natasha

OYC Trailblazers: What Healing Means to Natasha

By Natasha Weinstein My name is Natasha and I have Crohn’s Disease. I was diagnosed at the age of 11 after years of mild disease activity and extraintestinal manifestations (joint pains, random fevers and stunted growth). It was only when my disease became severe with...
OYC Trailblazers: Celebrating Melissa’s J-Pouch-versary

OYC Trailblazers: Celebrating Melissa’s J-Pouch-versary

And February’s OYC Trailblazer is…wait for it…Melissa “Mush” Willner! This month marks one year since Melissa had her ostomy reversed and her j-pouch became fully functional. So what better time than now to have Melissa share her story? Here goes nothing… ...
OYC Trailblazers: An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior

OYC Trailblazers: An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior

This year I’m starting a new series called Own Your Crohn’s (OYC) TrailBlazers in which I share stories of other chronic illness warriors and their experiences. And who better to begin this series than my father, a long-time veteran of Crohn’s...