Arianna Nacca

My Journey with Crohn’s Disease

Hello everyone!

My name is Arianna, and this September I am taking part in the Live Fearless Challenge to raise awareness and money towards research and funding for such an important and under-talked disease. 

A little bit about my journey:

Late 2022, I was faced with symptoms that were considered ‘unusual’ for someone of my age. These symptoms were painful, debilitating, and overall bizarre for someone that was living a healthy, active lifestyle. After a constant battle, endless doctor’s appointments, hospital admissions, surgeries, scans after scans, constant poking and prodding, and a whole lot of advocating for knowing in myself that ‘something wasn’t right’, I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. 

Crohn’s Disease, in some simpler terms, is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) where an individuals body does not recognise their digestive track from their mouth to their bottom, therefore causing the bodies immune system to attack it. I could talk to you all day about the symptoms and challenges I face each and every day but I would be here forever. To add to this fun, late 2023 I was diagnosed with the other type of IBD, Ulcerative Colitis. I won’t dive deep in to my journey with UC as I am now hopefully in remission, as we found the right treatment to keep it under control. 

A little look in to my life with Crohn’s consists of constant pain and nausea, scans, specialist appointments, medications after medications, and surgery. This may seem strange, but that is because Crohn’s is an ‘invisible’ illness, meaning you cannot physically see that someone has it. Crohn’s is a chronic condition, meaning there is no cure. Despite this, I live a happy, active life, as having a chronic illness will not stop me from living life how I would like to. 

Support is one of my biggest drivers to stay positive in life, having a strong support system motivates me to get up, and get out, to be happy and not let this illness define what I can and can’t do. In saying this, it would mean the absolute world to have your support in my journey, and completing the Live Fearless Challenge, 2024. 

Any donation contributes to assist people like me, advocating for diagnosis, and better understanding what the disease really is. 

I look forward to embarking on my fitness activities for the Live Fearless Challenge this year, and I would love for you to all cheer me along the way. Thank you for your endless support, always. 

- Arianna x