Day 5 Prompt: You’ve already made a list of your negative qualities and how they’ve helped you through IBD. Now make a list of your positive qualities and pick the one you feel most exemplifies who you are today and why it makes you proud. (From Full Frontal Ostomy)
There are several qualities I have that I know have sustained me since my diagnoses, but the one that I think has truly saved my life is that I’m a fighter. And that may not always be a positive attribute, but I will go after what I want and I won’t give up until I get it. This has been a vital key in my life. I’ve had my moments when I’ve crashed from exhaustion or had to be admitted to the hospital due to my Crohn’s, but for the most part, I’ve fought for a normal life. I’ve fought through 13 years of illness and the last 5 years of unending symptoms, running to the bathroom 8-15 times a day and struggling with weight loss and gain.
I had a hard times coming to terms with having my surgery because in my head, I saw it as giving up… no longer fighting. But I see now that it was just my best weapon in this fight. And I’ve still be fighting since then. That’s how I believe I’ve made as much progress and I have over the past two months. Now I’m stronger than I’ve been since I graduated high school. And I’m still fighting, just the battle has changed.

Give ’em hell, turn their heads
Gonna live life ’til we’re dead.
Give me scars, give me pain
Then they’ll say to me, say to me, say to me
There goes the fighter, there goes the fighter
Here comes the fighter
That’s what they’ll say to me, say to me, say to me,
This one’s a fighter
-Gym Class Heroes, “The Fighter”