“Crohn’s might be a part of my life, but it doesn’t get to define it.” – Tahlia’s story
In November 2022, my life changed overnight. I was rushed to hospital after collapsing from severe pain and struggling to breathe. I had no idea what was happening – only that something inside my body wasn’t right.
After 13 hours in the emergency department, multiple scans, blood tests, and what felt like 900 different trips between imaging rooms, I was discharged with a diagnosis of kidney stones and a referral to a gastroenterologist due to an abnormality they’d spotted in my bowel.
What they found later was far more serious. A 10cm section of my bowel had narrowed to the width of a pinhole – when it should be about the width of your little finger. The diagnosis: severe Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.
Since that day, my life has been a whirlwind of appointments, treatments, and trial-and-error medications. I’ve been on high-dose steroids to reduce inflammation (which caused me to lose 50% of my hair), immunosuppressants to try and stop my body from attacking itself, and biologic injections designed to block the chemicals that trigger inflammation (fun fact, these injections are worth $4k a jab and I have 2 every month – thank goodness for government funding). Unfortunately, my Crohn’s seems to have a mind of its own, and I’m still searching for a treatment that will keep me well enough to avoid surgery in my 20s.
Crohn’s is so much more than “just a gut issue.” It’s constant pain, unpredictable flare-ups, and exhaustion that no amount of rest can fix. It’s the mental toll of never knowing when the next flare will hit – or how bad it will be. It’s living in a body that looks fine to most people but feels like it’s at war with itself every day.
Every time I eat, I’m reminded of the battle happening inside me. IBD is a silent and mostly invisible illness, but it affects almost every part of life – work, relationships, travel, and mental health. And yet, despite how common it is, it remains one of the most misunderstood chronic conditions in Australia.
I don’t share my story for sympathy – I’m not looking for people to feel sorry for me. I share it because awareness matters. I share it because too many people are fighting this battle in silence, and they deserve to be seen, understood, and supported.
Crohn’s might be a part of my life, but it doesn’t get to define it. I am still me – just a little stronger, a little tougher, and a lot more determined than before.