Tim’s Story - What Started Invisible Condition

Hey! I’m Tim.

The past few years were a roller coaster. In addition to being severely sick physically, I was sick and tired of holding it all in, all the fear of judgment by others who lack understanding or awareness about my condition.

With all my appointments I had to manage and endure due to my Crohn’s disease and arthritis, constantly having to get a camera up my butt at colonoscopies, getting syringes in my bloated knee to drain excess fluid, being hooked up to IVs to get new blood and new iron….

With all that real stuff I had to deal with, I was done trying to come up with creative ways to avoid talking about my condition and medical appointments to make OTHER people feel more comfortable….

So I started to be more open and candid with friends, co-workers, and relatives about what I was going through physically and mentally. I started posting on LinkedIn about what I was going through and my frustrations with society when it comes to invisible conditions.

It was scary and it was hard. Yes, I did face judgment and discrimination. But I also found connections with SO MANY people who responded by telling me that they too had invisible conditions but were too afraid to share, fearing that they’d lose their jobs, lose relationships, be judged, or be treated differently.

In the winter of 2022, I literally could have died if I didn’t get the proper medical intervention in time, and now, after surgery and being on a new drug that has given me some quality of life back, I don’t want to waste it! There’s still no cure for Crohn’s disease, but hey, I gotta at least make it count for something good in this world!

My normal is different than your normal. And that's OK! Why? Because I wouldn't change my normal for anything! Ok, well, maybe I would like fewer bathroom breaks in my day but…