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Stories of Triumph

I was diagnosed at age 20th in 2005 with Ulcerative Colitis. It falls into the Inflammatory Bowel Disease family.  

I showed all of the symptoms associated with Ulcerative Colitis. At the beginning of 2004, the disease became debilitating, destroying my life. (I felt like I was being held hostage inside my own home). I could not be out in public for more than 10-15 minutes without having to run to a bathroom. Trying to keep a job was problematic—furthermore, the embarrassment attached to my condition when I attempted to explain my situation. I was either eventually asked to leave or fired on the spot. In 2007, I retested with a different gastrointestinal doctor who determined that I have Crohn's Disease, not Ulcerative Colitis.

The doctors decided to pump me with numerous types of drugs to help reduce my symptoms. However, my intestines got more inflamed, and I lost more weight than I ever had before. I went from 185 pounds to 102. The doctors advised me to hold off on surgery. They told me they could use other drugs that might put my symptoms in remission. I decided to ignore them, go forward with the surgery, and rebuild my life.

 My first ileostomy surgery was in October 2007. Seven months later, the doctor reversed the ileostomy. Within three months, my symptoms returned. I decided to go back into surgery to have a permanent colostomy in September 2009. I had to make several changes in life, but I'm happy and doing fantastic now. 

Sincerely,  

Gregor Martin, CEO & Founder
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