Ironman for Crohn's and Colitis!
With IMWI 3 weeks away, I have two goals- #1 finish within 17 hrs still smiling, and #2 raise $$$ for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to support research, education, and patient support for these awful diseases. Not sure what Crohn's or Colitis are? Imagine the worst possible GI distress on an Ironman, and then imagine living with that, battling flares of 30+ bathroom trips a day, or being in remission, taking medications with terrifying side effects and living in fear of when the next flare will start.
I was diagnosed when I was 17, and have been hospitalized more times than I can count since then. I've had periods of time where I took over 36 pills a day. My college orientation was spent in a hospital room. When I was my sickest, walking to the nurse's station was a seemingly impossible task. I just wanted to have a normal life, and couldn't imagine that I'd be healthy enough to race an Ironman one day.
I've chosen to fund raise as part of my Ironman journey for a few reasons. I think we need to remember that this is all a game, and that there are more important things out there- this gives me something more to my mission. I also don't think I ever would have been possessed to see how far I could push my body and truly appreciate being able to do so if I hadn't seen how weak I could be. This disease in some ways has been the best motivation. Lastly, so many people suffer from these diseases, but are both embarrassed to talk about them (apparently outside of the triathlon circle, talking about GI issues isn't socially acceptable) and don't see any light at the end of their tunnel. I hope my mission will both encourage people to talk about their struggles as well as be inspired that their dreams, whatever they are, can still be accomplished with these diseases.
Please consider donating to my cause:
http://www.active.com/donate/
(the URL is a bit weird since my fundraising page was set up as if I was a member of CCFA's Team Challenge for the Vegas HM).
Also, if you have any experiences with these diseases, I'd love to hear your stories! I'll never forget flaring the night before my first HIM!