Posted by Allison Lake on March 10, 2020
Hello, my name is Allison. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of seven. Currently, I’m a first-year college student. Something interesting about me is that I have two older sisters and two brothers-in-law.
My biggest struggle is dealing with an invisible disease while my peers have no idea what I'm feeling. When I am in any sort of pain, my mood changes and I do not act like myself, but people around me are still not aware of what I’m going through. This makes it hard for me to be my usual happy, energetic self.
I have learned to be open about what I'm dealing with. I make sure to tell my friends if I am feeling under the weather. I also try to be self-sufficient; I like to handle as much as I can the best way possible – including balancing my health, school and social life. But I know that I can ask for help if I need it.
I have always enjoyed giving back and helping in any way possible. I am a patient mentor through Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and this is how I was introduced to ImproveCareNow. I hope that through the PAC and ImproveCareNow I can positively impact others who are also dealing with this invisible disease like I am.
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