FlaredupFitness

Looking back, it’s been just over 4 years since I started FlaredupFitness.

To be honest, I haven’t been blogging much. There’s nothing I love more than waking up early on a Saturday morning, caffeine buzzed and pounding away on my keyboard as the sun comes up. I find blogging therapeutic. It gets all the chaotic randomness constantly going through my head organized onto a page (hopefully) in a clear and concise manner.

I started blogging for a reason and I often forget why I do it. I write these blogs because I genuinely want to help others in a similar situation as mine. I know what it’s like to feel alone and secluded with no idea where to start.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2009 at the age of 17; a disease I had never heard of before. With little information online, I struggled to find the answers I was looking for. Doctors were not a lot of help, they just couldn’t relate without going through it for themselves. Living in a small town, isolated from large urban centers, I personally did not know anyone that had IBD or anyone that could relate to what I was going through. I couldn’t find the resources online that I was searching so desperately for. I had to figure out for myself through trial and error and what worked specifically for me. I started FlaredupFitness to share my story and hope that it can help someone avoid the mistakes I made along the way.

Connecting with others from all over the world has been the most motivational and inspiring part of starting FlaredupFitness for me. I had no idea that hearing others struggles, successes and failures that are undeniably relatable to mine creates an instant connection that I can’t find anywhere else. Knowing there are others out there doing amazing things despite their disease keeps me going and gives me hope.

What I’ve learned living with Crohn’s

Going through the process of living with an incurable disease is certainly an invaluable learning experience and I am glad I went through it despite my suffering and setbacks. I am inevitably stronger and more capable than I ever was before Crohn’s. I know I can overcome and persevere through whatever life throws at me. I took what I learned along the way and used that passion and burning desire to succeed to apply it to all other areas of my life. Something I do not know if I would have found inside myself without the suffering and adversity that comes along with a chronic, incurable disease.

Taking a look at where I’ve come from and being inspired by where I’m going, always puts a smile on my face. My experience with Crohn’s has opened my mind and taught me so much about myself that you can only learn through adversity. I know what it’s like to hit rock bottom and it eliminated the fear of unknown for me. I know I can dig deep and pull myself out of whatever unfortunate situation I’m faced with when times get tough.

Through the adversity, Crohn’s has instilled a mental tenacity and toughness far beyond what I thought I could make it through. Through my experience, I learned that I am always more resilient than I ever imagined, and I would have never known it until I was backed into a corner, fighting for my health.

Although I have a hard time slowing down, sometimes taking my foot off the gas and regrouping is just what I need to bring everything full circle. I often find myself asking “why am I doing this?”

Remembering why I started comes down to the pure passion and purpose of feeling like this is exactly what I’m meant to be doing. It brings everything back into perspective again.

Whenever you feel lost or unmotivated, remember why you started.

Thanks to everyone for a life changing 4 years of FlaredupFitness! I’ve learned and experienced so much in the last 4 years and can’t even imagine how much further along I’ll be in another 4.

If you haven’t yet, download the Oshi Health app to see all my latest blog posts! Any topics you want me to tackle in an upcoming blog post, comment below.

-Troy