Alison shares her decades-long struggle living with an undiagnosed auto-inflammatory disease and a myriad of other chronic health conditions. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 7, she began suffering from extreme gastrointestinal symptoms and complications that have continued into adulthood.
However, Alison also experiences many perplexing symptoms unrelated to her Crohn's, including severe fatigue, migrating arthritic pain, Raynaud's phenomenon, and random inflammation flare-ups on her body triggered by stress. Despite endless tests and specialist referrals, the source of these strange symptoms continues to evade diagnosis.
In this emotional episode, Alison opens up about her childhood blockage from Crohn's medications, the isolation of dealing with chronic illness as a kid, being dismissed by doctors, and the frustration of unexplained symptoms. She also shares how her health impacts dating, work, and everyday life. After decades without answers, Alison has a new referral to the National Institutes of Health, which offers hope for finally discovering what auto-inflammatory condition may be behind her myriad of symptoms.
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