My name is Lizzie and I am from San Diego, currently living in Portland, Oregon. I have a very spoiled, loving, and comically mischievous orange tabby, Linus.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 22 in April 2018, shortly after I moved to Portland. I knew very few people in Oregon and I quickly began looking for resources, community, and support to help me cope with this daunting diagnosis. I stumbled upon Girls with Guts one day during one of my panic-fueled internet searches.
I became a volunteer Girls with Guts blogger because of my love of writing and my desire to be part of a community. I have always loved writing, and always dreamed of writing something that mattered (never imaging that my bowel disease would lead me to fulfill my writing dreams). Writing for Girls with Guts has given me the opportunity to derive meaning from some of the most agonizing experiences of my life, and to become part of a loving community whose support is life-saving and life-enriching. Also, as a queer person with OCD, chronic pain, and other physical and mental illnesses, I wanted to write blogs about what it’s like to navigate Crohn’s in conjunction with complex life experiences and identities.
Outside of health-related appointments and part-time work, I spend most of my time reading, taking walks in the rain, journaling, and curling up with my precious cat, Linus.
