Date A Guy With Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s Disease (and/or Colitis) is a chronic, incurable, immune-related disease that eats its way around your colon and small intestine. Your immune system (for some reason) starts attacking that area causing massive weight loss, painful cramps, internal bleeding, loss of energy/cognitive thinking ability, and frequent trips to the bathroom. To top it all off, Doctors don’t know what causes it or how to cure it.

But amidst all of that chaos, Crohn’s has a bright side.

I’m a big believer in making your situations work for you to the best they can. We too often let our attitudes be reflections of a situation, when really; we should be cultivating powerful attitudes to change the situations we’re in for the better. It takes a lot of guts (pun intended) for someone with Crohn’s to see the bright side of what they have, so let’s hope this can act as some sort of inspiration. Crohn’s might get angry, throw a tantrum and try to kill you, but that doesn’t mean you have to. As with any disease, the extent to which it affects our daily behaviours is minimal… unless we let it.

I’ve come across many men with Crohn’s. They’re insecure about it, no doubt. [...] continue the story

Life with an Ileostomy: Celebrating 6 Years!

By Leah Sannar

Ahh, don’t you just love exploring the lighter side of life with an ostomy? Anyway – guess what? This month marks my 6th “Ostoversary.” In case you’re new to this fabulous term, which I know you are because I just made it up, it’s a combo – Ostomy/Anniversary. This is a big deal you guys! I can’t believe time goes by so quickly and that I’m already celebrating 6 years! And I do use the term “celebrating” on purpose, because that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m celebrating. Sure, living with an Ileostomy has had its challenges. And they are definitely challenging; I don’t mean to downplay them. But when you put those trials next to the ones I faced with active Crohn’s Disease – they feel mild, even easy. Maybe not in the moment… but they are 100% more desirable to me, than going back to life without an Ostomy. (Hear more about how I ended up with an Ileostomy here.)

People are always so fascinated with me when they find out about my Ileostomy. I always get this blank stare that says, “Oh man, I have so many questions… I really want to ask, but I don’t want to offend [...] continue the story

Stag Beetle

By Ptolemy Elrington

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

DISEASE: Psoriasis

FORMAT: Mixed Media Sculpture

ARTIST’S SUMMARY

This beetle is heading somewhere. It has purpose and strength and is preparing to fly. We often feel small under the eyes of others, and with a visible and constantly uncomfortable affliction this can cause us to feel reduced to the status of an insect. But everything has a place, and therefore everybody has validity which we must strive to recognize, and must strive to apply to how we view ourselves and others. This patient’s moment of meaning centers on hope, progression and potential.

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

“For over 17 years Psoriasis had become the essence of me, dominating family life. I was isolated, fearful and self-loathing, overwhelmed by long periods of hospitalization and endless clinical appointments. Although my Psoriasis is not cured, since 2005 it has become manageable. Psoriasis reminds me of its presence at the least convenient times. It no longer holds me back but propels me on to make my voice heard in improving the services available to other sufferers.”

About Perspectives

‘Perspectives – Art, Inflammation and Me’ is an initiative that brings together more than 200 artists with patients in more than 40 countries. Together, they have created a series of paintings, [...] continue the story

Fusion

By Pili Farrulla

COUNTRY: Puerto Rico

DISEASE: Crohn’s Disease, Psoriasis & Rheumatoid Arthritis

FORMAT: Painting

ARTIST’S SUMMARY

The painting is triptych or three paintings in one. The first painting shows the battle with joint pain that Rheumatoid Arthritis patients face. The second painting depicts Crohn’s Disease and Psoriasis – conditions that need heart and courage to fight. The third painting represents all three conditions. The transparent or gray person represents the emptiness and confusion felt when a patient is diagnosed. The middle person shows how as years pass, patients improve physically and mentally. All have heads held high, signalling their determination in overcoming obstacles.

The full-colored person shows an empowered and healthier patient. The three stripes represent each disease. Throughout the paintings, the color gray depicts the pain and emptiness in their lives.

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis: “At the moment of my diagnosis I felt like an outcast. I’m a true warrior who has been fighting an uphill battle that most of you can’t imagine. Now I feel very positive and I see the light at every step of my disease.”

Patient with Crohn’s Disease: “During this long journey of my disease I have found that my family’s and my physician’s amazing support has made it possible [...] continue the story

Endeavor

By Chloe Diana Saunders

Medium used: Acrylic on canvas & embroidery thread

Artist Biography

I am a Calgary based artist and third year painting major at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Media experimentation is a large part of my practice, however I work primarily in the fields of painting and drawing. I am interested in the qualities of form, color and composition in an abstract painting process. I believe that painting and drawing create a strong foundation in my practice from which I am able to explore ideas of material use, visual aesthetics and emotional responses in a complexity of directions.

Using the artist’s words, summarize the artwork and how they feel it reflects the patient’s moment of meaning

Getting to know Jennifer and her experience with her immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) gave me insight into the individuality of each case. The piece that I created is a reflection of how an individual can choose to react in the face of adversity. This piece depicts a choice to continue striving for ones full potential, despite the inherent challenges of living with an IMID.

Using the artist’s words, describe how they felt about this experience

I thought that this experience was a really interesting collaboration of [...] continue the story