Posted by Andrea Nowakowski on January 16, 2018
My name is Andi and I’m a freshman at Indiana University-Bloomington where I study Biotechnology, Chemistry, Spanish and Pre-Med. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in April of 2008. I currently take Methotrexate, which has kept me in remission for about nine years now. A fun fact about me is that I collect snow globes.
One of my greatest struggles in dealing with a chronic illness, is the mental side effects that come along with it. I can be moody or withdrawn and I find it affects those around me.
I tried hypnosis therapy and found it greatly helped my attitude towards having a chronic illness. I have learned that mental health is just as important as physical health. It plays a huge role in how well I feel on a day-to-day basis, so I try to keep an open mind and positive attitude.
My experience is that doctors forget about the mental strain illnesses can cause and often only treat the physical ailments. What attracted me to ImproveCareNow and the PAC is their desire to develop well-rounded treatment plans that work for each patient, and to offer emotional support that is so crucial in a good recovery. They try to understand what it’s like to live daily with a chronic illness, like personally experimenting with a special and highly-restrictive diet that some patients might use to treat and manage their IBD. ImproveCareNow cares about the individual. I hope to gain advocacy skills to help others, as well as find a community of support and understanding.
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