SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An Aurora College nursing student in Yellowknife has posted an open letter on her Facebook account detailing her experience with Crohn's disease.
Michaelis Hurst, 26, told Yellowknifer she has done this to help others, particularly young people, who are living with inflammatory bowel conditions.
"Nobody wants to talk about poop. Every other condition seems to be more acceptable to talk about," Hurst said. "No one wants to talk about going to the washroom. You can't be afraid to talk about what the disease is all about."
Inflammatory bowel disease involves chronic inflammation of all or part of the intestinal tract, according to the Mayo Clinic. It most commonly includes Crohn's disease and colitis. Symptoms are diarrhea, pain, fatigue and weight loss. It can sometimes be debilitating and even lead to life-threatening complications.
Hurst points out in her letter that people suffering with the disease need to know that they are not alone.
"It's not always pretty or fun to talk about. Which is why I like to tell my story," she wrote.
Hurst stated she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was volunteering in Australia about seven years ago. She says she was treated well in Australia once the diagnosis was made. Once her symptoms were being properly managed, she said she was able to keep travelling.
"Living with Crohn's is terrible, but it's manageable. With awareness, encouragement and support, those living with IBD can move onward and upwards," she stated.
When she came back to Canada, she wrote that she found volunteering with support organizations such as Crohn's and Colitis Canada to be "really helpful."
"Having a place to talk about medications, surgeries and day-to-day struggles is essential, so I took it upon myself to start a support group here," she wrote, adding that considering one in 150 Canadians live with IBD, it came as no surprise to her that she quickly met 20 people here though word of mouth alone.
"We've grown considerably since then and all find meeting, chatting and sharing resources helpful," she stated. "Living with IBD in an isolated area offers its own set of challenges, but together we are overcoming them. I want people living with IBD in Yellowknife to know that they are not alone. There is support here for you if you need it. I want everyone else in Yellowknife to understand that dealing with IBD can be challenging, but your understanding and respect can help make it a lot easier."
Hurst, who is in her final year of nursing school, won a $5,000 scholarship which was offered through Crohn's Colitis Canada.
"This scholarship will help support my studies in nursing at Aurora College," she said. "It will also be incredibly helpful in fueling my work to continue to build a Crohn's and colitis support group here in Yellowknife."
Hurst said the support group in Yellowknife can be found on Facebook at Crohn's and Colitis Yellowknife. She added the group expects to hold a fundraising and awareness walk in the spring, similar to what other health support groups do.
