Catherine McAvoy
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2013. I didn’t think much of it at the time except it is now this thing that I have. I maintained pretty well for about 7 years. A few minor flareups that only lasted a day or two but nothing major. Then 2020 happened. I went into an intense flare up that left me in the hospital for a week and losing 30lbs in about a month. From there it was an uphill battle to get back to where I once was. I could hardly get out of bed or leave the house for 8 months. It was during this time I decided that I needed to make the most out of this life even with IBD. During this time I got married, even with the ever-changing Covid restrictions, and decided to move out of state for the first time. We decided to pack up from Minnesota and move out to Colorado. It had been something my husband and I had wanted to do for a long time. We have now been out here for over a year and it was one of the best decisions I have made. Now that I am doing much better, thanks to my doctors and new medications, I am able to enjoy the life I had dreamed about. I am active outdoors with hiking and snowboarding and still can’t believe I live next to the mountains. While I am not fully in remission yet, I do my best to make the best of my good days. It is never clear on when bad days will hit again but I try to remember where I was in that hospital bed and how far I have come. I am so grateful for my friends, family, doctors, and this community. My hope is to help others with IBD and give people the support they need to keep going.
Will SidorskI
Will was diagnosed with indeterminate colitis in late 2021 at the age of 7. It all started after he saw blood in his stool a couple of times. Thankfully, we had a pediatrician who referred us out to Children’s, and we ultimately got plugged into the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic there. He started on medication with sulfasalazine and has had a great response thus far. He had repeat scopes (endoscopy and colonoscopy) this past November that showed the ulcers in his colon have healed. He is not too impacted by his disease day-to-day thankfully other than the fact that he has to take medication three times a day, and has to have doctor’s visits with labs (the worst part) every 4 months. Prepping for the colonoscopy twice has also not been fun at all. For now, we will keep him on the medication and hope it keeps working for as long as possible!
We became connected with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation after his diagnosis as his doctor’s recommended it as a great resource, and it has certainly helped us understand everything a little better. We wanted to take part in the walk last year to help raise funds for the Foundation to further research. Since this is something Will will have for the rest of his life (which will hopefully be very long😊), furthering research is so very important to us.
Honorees
Take Steps Honorees understand first-hand how difficult — and empowering — it can be to live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Honored Heroes share their stories to let other patients know they are not alone on their journeys — because no one should face the challenges and uncertainty of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in isolation. Through their stories, Honorees raise awareness of these diseases, raise funds in support of the Foundation’s mission, and inspire hope in those living with IBD.
Our 2023 Colorado Take Steps Honorees will be announced in February. Please visit this page again to read their stories of hope and inspiration.
