Posted by Dawn Hunter on August 20, 2019
Our son, Grant was an extremely active 13-year-old who played lacrosse and tennis, mountain biked and skied. It was hard to believe he had a disease when he looked and acted so healthy. What caught our attention was an abscess that would not heal. After three surgeries, a series of tests, and a colonoscopy, it was confirmed Grant did, indeed, have Crohn’s disease.
We received the official diagnosis in May 2018, and Grant attended Camp Oasis that same summer. Through camp he realized he was not alone on this journey. He learned he needed to create a support team for himself. He knew his family supported him, but he made many more friends experiencing the same things he was. He enjoys texting these fellow IBD patients before, during and after his treatments.
He says, “We give each other ideas to make it go smoother. None of us enjoy it so it’s good to have suggestions from others who must endure it.”
Grant returned to Camp Oasis this year and had another great experience and encourages other IBD patients to attend the camp.
Crohn’s has been part of our lives for more than a year now, and our family is still adapting to this new normal. But we all know what the goal is. Grant’s GI physician summed it up pretty well when he said, “If Grant isn’t out there on the field playing then I’m not doing my job.” We want to do everything we can to make sure Grant is healthy and can do the things he loves to do.
Crohn’s has been hard, but it hasn’t been the worst thing for our family. We have learned to listen when Grant and his friends have flare ups. We have become a lot more empathetic. We always try to think of Grant first; what he can eat and how he is feeling. This has made us less selfish when interacting with others. Turning lemons into lemonade makes his journey a little less sour and a little more sweet.
--
Stay in the LOOP - sign up for updates and never miss a post!
Read more posts by Parents on LOOP >>