#6 Invisible Disease
So what is Chrohn's disease?
Accodring to CDC, it is "a condition of chronic inflammation potentially involving any location of the gastrointestinal tract."
People who have Chrohn's like to define it as having food poisoning all the time. The symptoms are different for everyone, but what stays the same is the experience - it's a horrible disease to live with.
People with Chrohn's usually like to be left alone when they take bathroom breaks. Because they feel horrible all the time...
#5 Talking About It
Imagine being constantly tired. The kind of exhaustion that does not leave you even after a 15 hour sleep. Imagine going to dinner and eating a soft bread roll, only it really feels like it had glass shards inside of it.
These are the various kinds of experiences people with Chrohn's report. How do you talk about something that's so hidden away and the pain of which is only yours to bear?
Talking about it usually boils down to talking about poop. And that is totally taboo, especially if you're a woman. But not if you're Krystal Miller! Keep reading to know more about this beautiful brave soul!
#4 Meet The Star Mom
Krystal Miller decided that she had had enough, she had to come out of the shadows.
Krystal has been living with an ileostomy, a surgically made opening in the abdominal wall that redirects all digestive waste out into a bag. Unlike the anus, the stoma (where the cut is made) does not have a shut off vavle, so the waste just keeps coming.
Today at 32, she's posting pictures to Facebook that are taking empowerment to a whole new level. They are unapologetically blunt and full of curse words - much like life is. Hers' are one of the truest and most real depictions of reality.
#3 Super Mom!
Her photos include her life with her two children Lukas, 4 and Arabella, 5 months and also her husband Shannon. A common element across all her photos and posts is an unwavering love for her body.
Look at this picture. Look at her hand. Nothing screams "I'm proud of my scars" like Krystal Miller in a batman suit! She hopes to remove the stigma attached to the bag and Chrohn's itself.
But that's not all Krystal does. Keep reading to find out the entire story!
#2 It Wasn't Easy
Look at how happy Krystal is today. But she wasn't always happy.
"I would be in-tears uncomfortable if someone had to go to the toilet after me. ... And when you're young, it's embarrassing and it's pretty f*cking horrific. It's been slow progress , but I just kind of got sick of caring. Like, who gives a f*ck, it is what it is, I can't do anything about it."
She credits her surgery for her sanity today. Once it was done, the process of waste expulsion became nothing more than a matter-of-fact for her, and nothing more. It was that simple.
From there, she began redeeming herself. She revisited how she looked at herself and gradually rediscovered her confidence and sexiness.
Read where her journey has got her...
#1 You Will Fight It
Krystal is not studying to become a stomal therapist and her others like her redeem themselves and live the life they so deserve. Here's Krystal speaking at Fremantle Hospital.
But her message isn't all rosy and happy like that of other motivational speakers. She will not show you false hope, she will tell you how it really is and what you should do.
"It's not always going to be easy, and that's OK. We have earned that right to f*cking hate the world. We are entitled to f*cking be angry and to be sad and to have bad days. If you need to feel sorry for yourself, then feel sorry for yourself. But then pick yourself up and keep going."
We stand with you Krystal. #BagBitchesRock
