CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Although their journeys are different, Charlitta Hatch and Audra Miller’s stories about their experience suffering from a nameless, undiagnosed pain are similar.
“Probably at five, six years old, I remember having issues," Hatch shared. "Having issues on the toilet. You know it’s not a sexy thing to talk about it."
Miller said growing up she always had a sensitive stomach.
“But when I hit my 20s, after graduation, I started having more issues," Miller explained. "That sensitive stomach transitioned to severe pain."
As for Hatch, she initially went to the doctor to get her stomach issues checked out.
“After I graduated college and got insurance, I went to the doctor, and I started talking to them about it. I think I have some issues with my stomach, and they told me [I was] just stressed,” Hatch said.
Hatch said her misdiagnosis led to her losing weight and going through even more pain.
“I was going to the bathroom. I was throwing up a lot," she recalled.
While Miller was mindful about what she ate, she said she couldn’t shake the symptoms.
“I lost a lot of weight. I had to wear size zero clothes and those were baggy. At that time, I had to quit my job,” Miller shared.
However, the breakthrough for both women came when they finally got a diagnosis.
“I’ll never forget Thanksgiving in 2011 when they called me and told me I have Crohn’s disease ... and I said 'Yes,'” Hatch said with a smile.
Hatch said she never feared the diagnosis because now she finally had a name for her ongoing problem. Miller said she had a similar feeling.
“So, when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, like many others, I was actually happy because it was something we could work on,” Miller said.
Crohn’s disease is a condition that causes swelling, or inflammation, in part of your digestive system.
“It’s not one of these things that people are walking around and talking about how their bowel movements are,” Dr. Tiffany Linville told WCNC Charlotte.
Linville is the board president for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Carolinas Chapter. She said their goal is to help and empower patients.
“We do a lot of educational events for patients, but we also have support programs. In the last couple of years, we’ve developed the “We Can’t Wait” app. It helps patients find restrooms easily in hard-to-find places. There’s now a gut-friendly recipes app,” Linville said.
According to the foundation, nearly one in 100 Americans are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.
When it comes to Crohn’s, the exact cause is still unknown, and there’s no known cure.
However, Linville said over the last 20 years, treatments have improved.
“We now have about eight to 10 different medications, depending on the diagnosis, that can be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease,” she said.
After having surgery, not long after her diagnosis, Hatch said life has been much better.
“My quality of life has exponentially increased. There’s been so much research and so much awareness. I’m no longer taking 20 pills a day,” she explained.
Hatch and Miller hope their stories can help others along their journey.
“If I look at young Audra 20 years ago, I wish I could tell her, be open,” Miller said.
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation says building a network is key for people living with the disease.
The organization is hoping to continue doing that with its Charlotte Take Steps event on Saturday, May 11 at the Whitewater Center. WCNC Charlotte's Nick Sturdivant will be the emcee for the occasion.
For more information about the Charlotte Takes Steps event or how you can help, click here.
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