Inflammatory Bowel Disease affects 1.4 million Americans.
However, you probably wouldn’t know it if you saw them and chances are, it’s not a topic of conversation. Of those affected by IBD, 600,000 have Crohn’s Disease. The exact reason for developing Crohn’s Disease is unclear and there is no cure for this disease.
Brandon Havas of Salisbury, Md. was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disese in 2012 during the time of his wedding. He had digestive issues and a lot of weight loss and things were not getting better over time, so he went to the doctor where he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Brandon joins us on the couches to share his story.
Some symptoms that Brandon deals with on a regular basis are fatigue, anxiety, and digestive issues. People living with this disease could also have symptoms such as depression or fever. Brandon says a thing he struggles with also is getting enough nutrients.
There is multiple treatment options, but not the same treatment works for everyone with the disease. It’s more like a trial and error test to see which treatment options works best for your body. Brandon is on treatment number four so far.
Brandon has a two-year-old daughter at home and enjoys hobbies like the gym and golfing. He has learned that while living with this disease you have to prioritize your day and see which daily tasks are going to take the most energy and save your energy for that.
Brandon says one thing he has noticed in the past six years while living with this disease that has helped him is support from others dealing with the same disease. He created an Instagram page and has connected with people who are also living with Crohn’s Disease. Brandon has been able to connect with local youth dealing with this disease and chat with them to let them know they aren’t alone.
He says the Instagram page is a way for people going through this disease together to talk with each other and see what treatment options work for them and what hasn’t. Brandon also says it’s nice to have others to talk to about this topic that understands what the other person is going through.
“I can kind of pick other peoples brains and learn what’s working for them because there is not a cure and every person’s disease is so specific to them,” Brandon says.
Check out Brandon’s Instagram page here.
