How I healed from Crohn's Disease

I have written an article about it that was published in Australia's Living Now Magazine so here it is:

I am 39 years old and I had Crohn’s Disease from the age of 23 until the age of 34. From that statement you’re probably thinking why I said I ‘had’ Crohn’s when the disease is not curable. Let me explain.

One particular morning in July 2006 I wake up and just like every other morning I had a rough sleep, getting up in the middle of the night often, running to the bathroom, getting woken up by my bowels again in the morning, seeing blood in the toilet again, experiencing pain, having very low energy levels and being extremely moody and angry. I then get angry at my wife at the time for no particular reason and get frustrated with my daughter, I am stressing over work and money and I am also frustrated at the fact that I have to go to an appointment with my gastroenterologist to get my results from my colonoscopy, thinking it’s probably going to be another waste of time, but hoping that this time there is something new that he can tell me that might help.

My weight is the lowest it’s been since I was a teenager, I hate eating because I’m either not hungry due to pain or being uncomfortable and when I do get the slightest of hunger I am scared to eat because it will affect my bowels. Because I am thin, I try to eat as much as I can anyway, but it seems to go right through me. My mother tells me that I look like I’m dying.

I leave for my appointment and as usual I mentally prepare considering which service stations with toilets along the way in case I need to go. I go to the specialist office, the receptionist ladies and I greet each other by first names since I have been here so often. When I go in to see the specialist, he says that I have a severe case of the disease and shows me photos of the inflammation with ulcers and polyps which have gone all the way up to my mouth via my oesophagus.

I ask him if there is anything else I can do as I have tried all the different medications he has prescribed for me in the past. He says that I should start thinking about having surgery to have part of my bowels removed and possibly carrying a bag around. He also says that I am high risk of getting bowel cancer and high risk of osteoporosis at a young age from the medication. I come out of the appointment very scared and angry and drive back home.

As I am driving home I ask myself, “Why me? Why do I have to suffer so much?”. I feel sad and depressed and sorry for myself. I get angry at everything including my family, my financial situation, my work, my life, the world, the government and especially the health system for not having a cure or a good enough remedy. “Why do I have to suffer?” I ask myself again and again. This went on for days.

Eventually, somehow, something inside me changed. I made a conscious decision to heal no matter what. Even if the health system says it is not possible, I will find a way somehow. This was my time to heal. Most people didn’t believe that it was possible; others who also had Crohn’s, responded with “It’s not possible. You’re wasting your time – you are not God, and you are not a doctor”. In one way what they said is very true but in another way I believed in myself and what I could achieve.

I took all the responsibility upon myself by listening to myself and my body as well as doing research and experimenting on myself. Other sufferers thought I was crazy because I could actually make things worse for myself. I sought help from a Chinese medicine lady who had Western medicine university qualifications. When I asked her if she thought I can be cured of Crohn’s Disease, her response was, “Yes, definitely, via diet, herbal tea and acupuncture”. So I did as she suggested. It was a really tough change with the new diet (no processed foods or sugar was a big thing) and the herbal tea I had twice a day tasted disgusting.

I quit smoking and drinking at the same time and also spent time for myself, reading motivational and self-help books, learning how to release my own emotions, managing my stress levels, learning how to change my mindset and perceptions, learning how to appreciate life including the smallest things such as the fact that I could see, and even a blade of grass. I did visualisations of perfect health every day and did some yoga and jogging, focused on breathing much more and placed more focus on my belly. I moved out of my depressive state and self-pity cycle and started focusing on health rather than illness, regardless of how much pain I was in or how many times a day I would go to the bathroom – all this while trying to maintain my work from which I was now taking a day or two off per month.

At about four weeks in I was ready to give up. I had no real signs of improvement and I was actually losing more weight. It was very difficult to keep up the diet, and the tea somehow seemed to be tasting worse by the day. When I went to see the Chinese medicine lady she told me that I hadn’t been diligent enough with my food. So I became stricter and she increased my dose of acupuncture. I also took two days off work for relaxation. Although physical improvements were not there, my mind seemed to be more relaxed and I was more positive than I had ever been. I suppose that gave me the courage to continue, and just as well, because by around the six week mark I had shown definite improvement.

I kept with the plan and kept listening to myself and my body. As time went on my health slowly improved. When I was starting to feel quite good I went for a colonoscopy which came out clear. I still remember the exact words of my specialist which were, “Whatever it is that you are doing, keep doing it”. Once it was confirmed that my inflammation had gone I started weaning off all my prescribed medication one at a time. Then I weaned off all the natural medicine until there was absolutely nothing that I was taking for my illness. From that point I slowly reintroduced all my old foods completely including all the not-so-healthy foods I used to love. In Autumn 2008 I was completely symptom free for at least two months – so I even reintroduced my smoking and occasional drinking.

I had reintroduced everything into my life that I had taken away in order to heal. I even stopped exercising and yoga. The only thing that remained that I had used to help me heal was my mindset and perception change. I was a new person mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I appreciated everything. Life was feeling exciting and fresh again. I felt like I was ten years younger and really enjoying life.

It has now been over 4-1/2 years and during that time I have not had any flare-ups or any symptoms whatsoever related to Crohn’s disease. I have no special diet or exercise schedule. I am not on any type of medication including natural remedies. What I am doing now is not leaving anything to chance. I have decided to live a healthy lifestyle by choice and have given up most unhealthy habits. I choose to practise well-being in all areas of my life and live my life day by day as if I never had Crohn’s to begin with – and I feel great. Am I cured? Or is it just remission? Either way I am grateful for the last 4-1/2 years of a Crohn’s-free life and hopefully many more years to come.

When I think back and look at what it really was that healed me I find that it was me. I healed me. I did it by paying attention to myself and the four bodies: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Each body affects the other. When we work the more we pay attention to what we are doing the better the result will be. The same factor applies to our health. This is why I think that we all have the solution inside us. We all have the power to heal ourselves, the roots of healing lie in changing the holistic balance of mind and body and only we can do that to ourselves. I’m not saying that the doctors don’t help, because they definitely do but only to a certain point. They are missing something special and that is our own internal healing power. To everybody that is suffering from any illness right now I ask you to find that power within, look for it and ignite it. Trust me, it is definitely worth it.

Oh my goodness. While I appreciate you sharing what worked for you, please don't try to say that we are sick because we lack willpower or a desire to heal. I think your medications had a lot to do with it, combined with herbal meds. I hope for your sake that it stays in remission, but I personally believe that we all have trials we need to go through in order to learn and grow. I've had a very difficult two years with this diagnosis, but I wouldn't trade it for all the health in the world if it means giving up the personal growth that I've achieved. I'm grateful for the opportunities I have to become better. I think our attitudes have a lot to do with healing in terms of not becoming depressed, doing what we need to in order to try to be healthy, etc. Faith plays a role, as well. But I also believe very strongly that we are individuals who are in need of different experiences.

I also hate when people tell me that I am sick because I think I am. My attitude didn't put me in the hospital with sepsis and severe dehydration last month.

Sounds a little familar , no processed foods, no sugar , strict diet ....Where have I heard about this before......Oh yes, now I remember....  SCD diet.   

don't hate the player, hate the game

I had my pain started 4 years ago. It took 1 year and half, a lot of reals(a live in Brasil), 3 different doctors to realise it wasnt only lactose intolerance. it was Crohns.
To get real, here in Brasil they dont sell the lactase ensyme everywhere. So I just stop taking milk products, for a year.
I used to eat the most naturals food there is, and brocolli every day. I made sports and had a complete social life and worked my ass off at my job. When I get the diag. I had to change all that to stay near by some doctors that could do something.
They send you to take antiinflamatory med, that ruins the digestion. They prescribe digestions meds, and some for the stomach. I don´t tolerate mg, so I had to experience some bad colateral effects till I stop taking those pills.
I found a doctor, that uses molecular medicine, wich helped me so much more that any mezacol could.(And I was taking a really high dose!)I still cannot go to visit anyone that has only one bathroom. You never know when a crise might start. But I got out of the meds vicius circle.
I dont drink, but still smoke. I want to start an ayurvedic treatment. I hear it can do really good, for the mind and for the body.
I listen to my body. When I was taking the meds, my body was telling me it could only get worst.
I go to a psicologist, that belive that every little sign the body sends you have to listen. This disease is real. but my own body created it. I know, much of the things I was taking, emocionaly, was kepped is my stomach for years. That is also real.
I am glad you shared that with us. I also belive is all about what you eat and how you feel about yourself.
The real treatment is on natural medicine, because otherwise it just go to a direction with no stop to a hospital.
I dont have anyone to take care of me. So hospitals are not a choice. And Gis they love to cut, they dont think about how we really feel or how we eat. They just want to see a scan and cut it right. Is how they learned. But you see...whatever you are doing, keep doing!!
take care, and good luck!

So sick of these type of stories. Sorry but they usually come up to advertise a diet or self help book or supplement or whatever. I'm quite weary expecially since this is your first post, which the "I cured Crohn's Disease!" posts usually are first time posts. You don't heal from Crohn's Disease or cure yourself by a positive attutude or diet or medicine even. You are in remission if anything.

Good for you, glad it worked.  We have to search for what works for our each individual selves.

"Take advantage of natural methods that when used in conjunction with standard medicine can bring about amazing health."  This is a quote borrowed from a cancer website. 

We have to have hope.

pb4 said...
Not negative, but realistic, healed=remission, but it's not a cure and it's not fair to newcomers who are not aware that crohn's is a life long chronic illness with no cure, to be lead to believe there is one.

If there's a environmental cause of the inflammation and you remove it and you get better it isn't a cure? Why not? because mainstream doctors who admittedly say they don't know the cause is say so?

It's like putting soda in your cars gas tank and wondering why it doesn't run well. After giving it normal gas it runs well but you say it's not "cured" because it won't run well again if you put soda back in it.

realistic is the multitudes of people who eat well and have there inflammation go away without any meds.

livingwell249 said...
Here comes all the negative replies about someone who HEALED. It's unbelievable how its so hard for people to understand that a digestive disease can be healed by eating foods that your body is actually designed to digest.

A good number of people have also died throughout history based on the advice of snake oil salesmen selling false cures and potions.

While a change in diet may very well ease symptoms for a period of time, no change in diet will stop chemical processes within the body such as the over-production of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-a) which is a know cause of Crohn's Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, etc....

Nor will ANY diet change the genotype of certain genes associated with Crohn's Disease such as NOD2 & CARD15.

Also, a period of remission is not a CURE, it is just a period of remission.

I know you mean well livingwell249.

I recall from earlier posts by you, that you were never properly diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. You had one doctor suspect it, and another who refuted that claim. I'm not suggesting you haven't learned many things on your particular journey, with whatever gut troubles you had, however those here who have battled with severe Crohn's are in a different ballpark to yourself.

Just as you wouldn't claim that a broken leg could be healed by positive thinking and diet, you may want to consider that serious Crohns has a complexity to it that you do not fully comprehend. Medication and surgery are often vital components of treatment regimes.

As many people have said, there are those of us who have already done everything the original poster (and yourself) suggested, only to find the illness activity remains unabated.

livingwell249 said...

RA and Psoriasis is caused by toxins leaking through a permeable intestine and going to parts of your body that normally do not have to deal with these types of poisons. You can add Asthma and other so called "auto-immune" diseases as well.

You know whats so sad. All of this is science....

Since this is science, please post a link or cite the journal in which this has been confirmed. Thanks!

Ambling..Thank you for your reply. i was diagnosed with "mild crohns" by one doctor and "non-specific colitis" by another. Truth is it doesn't matter what it's called. its all inflammation. The only different cause is what pathogens are in your gut and how your body tries to protect itself.

Beave.. believe what you want. You can either go with people who healed and things that make sense or continue to follow the path mainstream doctors who have only been though how to push drugs to suppress symptoms.


I wish everyone the best. I'm not trying to make anyones day worse. I know I might be coming off bad but I would just like the newbies to know that there are alternatives out there. And maybe try something different and not get scared out of their mind .