I was diagnosed with Chron’s disease in 8th grade. I recall that i woke up one day with a very sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I ignored it”foolishly” thinking the pain would eventually subside. But it kept recurring, progressively getting worse and worse and then the bouts of diarrhea and profuse bloody vomiting started. I finally complained and was taken to the hospital. The doctors told me that it was probably stress related “considering i went to military school at the time” and that these symptoms would subside. Everything was fine for a few days until i began noticing that i was loosing weight. Rapidly. I was beginning to loose a half a pound a day before everybody was rushing to find out what was the matter with me. When i was diagnosed 2 weeks later, i was 86 pounds. After the diagnosage, began the lengthy process of constant examinations, ridiculous regimes of pharmaceuticals, and heavy doses of steroids. It took two long and painful years to send my Chron’s into remission, and i still have constant abdominal pain almost on a daily basis. My journey was by no means smooth at all, but it is important for fellow readers to know that with the right information, doctors, and support systems that a normal and healthy lifestyle is certainly a concrete reality.