10 Small Victories IBD Patients Will Understand
Small victories make the world go round.
Some people rejoice when they find a good parking spot at the grocery store, others when they snag the last of a cute sweater on a rack.
But for those of us with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), small victories are often simultaneously odd and wonderful, and virtually unrecognizable for the average person.
Here are a handful of small victories that I experienced in the last week or so — the majority of IBD patients will likely relate.
1. Went an entire day without experiencing “roid rage.”
2. Walked through the whole of Target without having to sit on the floor of a fitting room to catch my breath.
3. Brushed my hair and didn’t pull out enough strands to make a life-sized replica of a toy poodle.
4. Acquired a pair of shorts that fit me in my peculiar too-big-for-my-flare-up-shorts-but-too-small-for-my-pre-UC-diagnosis-shorts phase.
5. Remembered to take my mesalamine pills before ingesting food.
6. Ate ground beef and didn’t hate myself afterwards.
7. Made it through an entire night without ending up in the bathroom for an hour.
8. Didn’t bleed after administering my Humira injections.
9. Went to dinner with my best friend and was able to order off the regular menu without requesting any substitutions.
10. Found beauty in my body, despite it’s ever-changing state.
Here’s to small victories. May they pop up when we least expect them, and may they sustain us when the going gets rough.
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Lead photo by Thinkstock Images
I am a teacher, writer, and mother of two small children juggling the demands of my crazy day-to-day life while dealing with chronic illness.
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