Kristen Elizabeth
Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine as a Crohn's Patient
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...
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Kristen Elizabeth
Aug 25, 20204 min read
7 Things I've Learned Since My Diagnosis
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....
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Kristen Elizabeth
Jul 30, 20205 min read
The Kidney Stone Chronicles | Kristen's Chronicles
Back in April, I started noticing an infrequent intense burning sensation in my lower right abdomen. For weeks, I brushed it off as...
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Kristen Elizabeth
May 19, 20204 min read
World IBD Day 2020 | Kristen's Chronicles
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...
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Kristen Elizabeth
Apr 7, 20203 min read
Self-care in Uncertain Times | Kristen's Chronicles
What. A. Month. The last month has brought insurmountable changes for our world as we fight the ongoing pandemic and with those changes...
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Kristen Elizabeth
Mar 1, 20204 min read
Health Update | Kristen's Chronicles
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...
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Kristen Elizabeth
Feb 10, 20203 min read
5 Tips for Working with an Ostomy | Kristen's Chronicles
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...
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Kristen Elizabeth
Dec 25, 20193 min read
19 Things I Learned in 2019 | Kristen's Chronicles
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...
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Kristen
Dec 1, 20194 min read
HOPE Conference 2019 | Las Vegas
Since my diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in 2016, I have watched as my life has completely changed in more ways than just one....
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Kristen
Aug 11, 20193 min read
The Gracilis Muscle Flap Surgery
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...
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Kristen
Jul 28, 20192 min read
Pre-op and Meeting My Surgeon
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...
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Kristen
Jul 6, 20194 min read
Change is Coming | Life Update
I watched as the floor numbers flashed on the elevator screen. My stomach lurched as the elevator came to a stop. "Eighth floor, general,...
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Kristen
May 20, 20193 min read
Navigating Summer with an Ostomy
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...
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Kristen
Apr 19, 20193 min read
Recovering from a Blockage
Blockages are one of the biggest fears of many ostomates. An intestinal blockage can happen when food, inflammation, scar tissue, or...
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Kristen
Mar 10, 20193 min read
#NoFilter
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...
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Kristen
Feb 27, 20193 min read
Navigating The Cold and Flu Season With An Ostomy
It's here: the dreaded cold and flu season. If you're anything like me, you have bottles of hand sanitizer littered throughout your...
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Kristen
Feb 2, 20195 min read
DripDrop ORS: Behind the Company
Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive tract, resulting often times in malnutrition and...
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Kristen
Jan 12, 20195 min read
The 5 Hardest Life Lessons my Illness Taught Me
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...
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Kristen
Jan 3, 20194 min read
Tough Moments With Your Ostomy: How to Cope
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...
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Kristen
Dec 21, 20183 min read
The 8 Best Self-Care Gift Ideas
It is the holiday season again and that means time with family and friends, hot cocoa, and shopping for Christmas presents! After getting...
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