Kristen's Chronicles

A little over a year after the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the United States, I have officially received both doses of my...

As the nights become cooler and hints of fall are in the air, the four-year anniversary of my total colectomy has come and passed again....

Back in April, I started noticing an infrequent intense burning sensation in my lower right abdomen. For weeks, I brushed it off as...

I’ve removed my own staples. I’ve cut my own stitches. I’ve held clumps of dead hair in my hands. I’ve retrained my legs to walk and run...

What. A. Month. The last month has brought insurmountable changes for our world as we fight the ongoing pandemic and with those changes...

Just the other day, I was reading through some of my older blog posts from my time in the hospital, between surgeries, and on the road to...

When I first received my ostomy in 2016, imagining a time when I would be able to work a full-time job was difficult because, in the...

As 2019 comes to a close, I cannot help but reflect back on the year. This year brought many changes, as well as many challenges along...

Since my diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in 2016, I have watched as my life has completely changed in more ways than just one....

During my last update, I was preparing for a surgery. Now, I am writing to you almost a week post-op from the comfort of my bed...

I wiped silent tears from my cheeks as I watched trees and open fields wiz past the window. It was Wednesday, July 24 and I was on my way...

I watched as the floor numbers flashed on the elevator screen. My stomach lurched as the elevator came to a stop. "Eighth floor, general,...

It's finally here: hot days, warm nights, pool parties, cookouts, and more. For many of us, May and June mark the beginning of the summer...

Blockages are one of the biggest fears of many ostomates. An intestinal blockage can happen when food, inflammation, scar tissue, or...

One of my most asked questions regarding my ostomy is what it is really like to live with it. Can I eat normally? Can I swim? Exercise? I...

It's here: the dreaded cold and flu season. If you're anything like me, you have bottles of hand sanitizer littered throughout your...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive tract, resulting often times in malnutrition and...

Before I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, I was a 21-year-old senior in college with a full plate. I was president of an...

While at work the other day, I began to feel my skin itching and burning. I knew the sensation all too well and was afraid of what I...

It is the holiday season again and that means time with family and friends, hot cocoa, and shopping for Christmas presents! After getting...