faye eisan is no stranger to inflammatory bowel disease (ibd). diagnosed at age 24, eisan has encountered many twists and turns in her treatment journey, which now spans over three decades. when eisan was first told she had ibd, it was tough for her to imagine how the diagnosis would impact her life, as is true for many of the estimated 270,000 canadians who live with the condition.* the term “inflammatory bowel disease” encompasses a number of disorders that can cause inflammation and ulcers in the intestine. the main forms are ulcerative colitis (uc) and crohn’s disease. in uc, this inflammation is in the large bowel, whereas crohn’s disease can strike anywhere along the digestive tract.
in 1988, eisan began her ibd journey. during this time, she struggled with weight gain, insomnia, and acne. but these weren’t the only health effects eisan experienced. “when i got married in ’89, i was covered in stretch marks and had even grown facial hair, which i had to get removed before my wedding,” shares eisan. “i wasn’t at my best.”
two years into her marriage, eisan became pregnant. in the early 90s, an ulcerative colitis relapse during pregnancy was much riskier than today. not wanting to take any chances, she took some time off work to focus on her and the baby’s health. “i did everything i could to stay healthy during the pregnancy,” eisan recalls. “thankfully, it paid off.”