For those that do not know, Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis are two separate Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs). Crohn's disease attacks the gastrointestinal tract, thickness of the bowel wall, and the beginning of the colon. Ulcerative Colitis attacks the large intestine and causes the lining to become inflamed which can result in sores and ulcers.

Ever since I was younger, I have lived with these two diseases. After my diagnoses, I was put on two medications that I take everyday. The one is mercaptopurine (6MP for short) which helps reduce the inflammation that Crohn's and Colitis can cause. The other one is folic acid which is helps with the lining of my intestine.

Not only do I have to take medications, but I also have to go through colonoscopies and endoscopies to check on my Crohn's and Colitis. If you do not know what a colonoscopy is, basically what happens is the doctor will insert a scope through the rectum and travels into the intestine. An endoscopy is when a scope is inserted through the mouth and into the digestive system.

In order to do both of these procedures, you have to have your whole body clear of everything. This means that for your prep, you are given laxatives that will "flush" everything out of your body. But this also means that you can not eat for twenty-four hours. Oh and by the way, I have gone through this procedure six times.

Now that we have covered the basics, let me tell you what it is really like to live with these two diseases. While this may sound a bit "TMI" this is real life, and the truth of these two diseases from someone who has both. Everyday, I constantly feel like I have to go to the bathroom, and not like the normal person does. It is all day, and even when you do go to the bathroom, you sometimes never feel like you're never "done" or you feel like you have to go again when you are.

My stomach can give me pains that sometimes cause me to not be able to function properly. My joints are weaker than other kids my age which can make it harder for me to workout or do simple tasks. For example, the yesterday I was walking a lot since my horse had injured himself. When I got back to my dorm, my knees were very sore from bending down and getting back up. My immune system is also weaker than the average person. Usually if I get sick, it takes me longer to recover than others. I can remember one time I had a simple cold, but it lasted a little over a two months because of how weak my immune system can be.

These are just some of the struggles that I have faced with these diseases, and my situation is only a mild case. There are many others out there who have it worse than me and others who have died from Crohn's or Colitis or even both. If you are interested in donating to help find a cure for these two diseases, please go to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America to donate.

While it is at times hard to live with, it has also been a blessing in disguise. I have realized how much we need to be thankful for those who are free of illness and perfectly healthy. But it has also opened my eyes to the darkness of the world. We see and hear of so many sick and in the hospital, but when you are actually in the hospital for a procedure and you see this in person, it changes the game. We can not take life for granted and must always be thankful for what we have. I, for one, am. Even though my guts make me different from others, I know that I am stronger because of Crohn's and Colitis. Which leads me to ask my audience one question.

Got Guts?