In the beginning . . .

There was pain. For four years, I had stomach pain. It started randomly, could be several times a day, wasn't related to what I ate and it was invisible. Also diarrhoea and a bit of blood, but I didn't tell anyone because it was too embarrassing.

Four years ago, I had it tested. Ultrasound, upper GI (barium), blood tests showed nothing. Except that I was anemic. So I just dealt with it. Ignored it and kept going.

It didn't go away though. Last year I decided to do something about it. Again, went through all the tests. Upper GI, lower GI, ultrasound, more blood tests and nothing. I was given "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" which means they have no idea WTF is wrong with you.

So again, I dealt with it. I never took any painkillers because the pain came and went quicker than they could kick in. I curled up in a ball in my bed when it hurt too much to study, and I moved my boyfriend's hand off my stomach when we cuddled.

Then, one day after swimming I had pain. Near my hip, on the inside and at the front. Sharp, brutally painful and hurt to move. It went away after a couple of days, but then it came back. I saw a Dr. They told me I had iliopsoas tendonitis, and should take advil around the clock.

I took advil, and suffered for a week or two. It got so bad that I couldn't go to school, so I saw another Dr. We went to the sketchy walk-in clinic at the strip mall across the street. They prescribed a stronger painkiller. I took it and it did nothing, except make me throw up. I tried to study for a test that weekend, but I was in constant pain. On the Monday, I saw my family Dr, and ovarian cysts were thrown around.

I was freaked out, so we went straight to the ER for an ultrasound. Possible appendicitis or an abscess. Then a CT scan.

It was an abscess. And inflammation of the small intestine (iliocecal). One colonoscopy later, I had Crohn's Disease.