Austin Gastro Beyond the Diagnosis: Living with Crohn's Disease - Erin's Story

Erin Bush has lived with Chron's Disease her entire life, but was not diagnosed until she was 18 years old when she happened to have emergency surgery because of severe abdominal pain. When she was formally diagnosed, Erin's doctors told her she would probably not be able to live a full life. They warned her that becoming a mother would be unlikely and that her quality of life would be severely impaired because of our Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Erin's story is one of triumph over her diagnosis because she has realized so many of her dreams including becoming a mother, having a career, continuing her education, eating delicious healthy foods in restaurants, traveling and volunteering her time. The key to her success has been remaining steadfast with her treatment plans. She never stops taking her medications or infusion treatments, even when she's feeling great. Erin made it her mission to challenge the limitations her physicians laid out for her and worked with her doctors to find treatment plans that worked for her during various stages of her life. Erin is now in her 40s and hasn't had a single IBD flare in almost 7 years.