“Keep pushing until someone listens.” – Amelie’s story
For years, I was told it was just stress. Hormones. Anxiety. “Period pain.” I lost count of how many times I heard that. Eventually, I started to believe it myself. I told myself I was just being sensitive – that everyone probably felt like this.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong. The pain was constant and unpredictable. One minute I’d be doubled over, the next, exhausted to the point of collapse. I couldn’t eat without feeling sick. I lost weight without trying. I couldn’t focus. Couldn’t live normally. And still, doctors kept brushing me off
I went to the hospital so many times – I honestly don’t even know the number anymore. Each time I hoped for answers. Each time, I left with nothing more than a painkiller, and maybe a vague suggestion to “reduce stress,” but never real help.
I felt invisible. Like I was screaming, and no one could hear me.
Then finally, after years of being dismissed, I saw a doctor who actually listened. A man, for once. He didn’t tell me it was all in my head. He didn’t send me away with a smile and a leaflet about yoga. He took my symptoms seriously. He ordered the right tests. And that’s when I got the diagnosis: Crohn’s disease.
I cried when I heard it – not just from fear, but from relief. For the first time in years, someone believed me. I finally had proof that I wasn’t crazy. That the pain was real.
Now I’m on biological therapy. It’s a big adjustment, but it’s helping. I’m learning to manage flare-ups, find what triggers my symptoms, and take care of my body in a new way. Some days are still hard. But I’m not alone anymore.
My partner Jayden, who’s been incredible through all of this. He’s seen me at my lowest and never once made me feel like a burden. That kind of support makes all the difference.
Crohn’s is part of my life now. It’s not who I am, but it’s shaped me. It’s made me stronger, more aware, and way more vocal about what I deserve especially in a doctor’s office. If you’re struggling and being dismissed, don’t stop speaking up. You know your body. Keep pushing until someone listens.
Because your pain is real. And you deserve to be heard.