Kristen's Chronicles

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...

Positivity. It’s something we all strive for in our daily lives but staying positive in the face of adversity can be much more...

One of my biggest fears before my trip to California was flying with my ostomy. Not only had I not been on a plane since I was a baby,...

Several days ago, I set up and stepped out of bed, only to watch the room around me go black and spin momentarily. I steadied myself on...

Life with an ostomy is many things, including unexpected. As you can probably imagine (or understand if you are an ostomate), having an...

Summer is one of my favorite seasons. Sunshine, pool days, ice cream trips- it is truly a season of adventure. But summer also brings the...

I receive many messages a week with questions related to living with an ostomy from food to lifestyle and everything inbetween, so I...

I have always heard that life will present you with jobs, relationships, and opportunities when the time is right. But sometimes, the...

I have sensitive skin. Wait, scratch that. I have really sensitive skin. My skin is so sensitive that bandaids superglue themselves to my...

Ying and Yang. Hot and cold. Sweet and spicy. Life is about balance and without balance, things can become very.. well, unbalanced....

Exactly a year ago, we were on our way to Johns Hopkins Hospital for my pre-op evaluation before my second surgery. While a lot (a LOT)...

It is August 22, 2016. Cramped into a tiny room with barely enough room for a bed, my parents sit on the side of my bed while I lay,...

Full-time student, full-time chronic illness warrior. As I approach 5 months post-operative, I continue to be amazed by the way in which...

In my very first YouTube video on my new channel, Kristen's Chronicles, I have answered the questions you asked. From living with an...

When you are recovering from an illness or surgery, sometimes it can be easy to get ahead of yourself. You begin thinking about...

They say that strength grows in the moments when we think we cannot go on but keep going anyways. I found truth in this quote over the...

When it rains, it pours. Throughout my recovery there have been many trials and tribulations, but for the most part I have remained on a...

Dear Inflammatory Bowel Disease, I had never heard of you before we met. I grew up watching my dad receive boxes of supplies in the mail,...

Friday, July 21st marked 10 weeks since my reversal surgery and it is truly hard to believe how fast time has gone. With each week of...

My severe Ulcerative Colitis and C. Diff infection took my entire large intestine and came very close to taking my life. But this disease al