Crohn’s, Motherhood and Resilience: Liesel’s refusal to give up

In this episode of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Liesel, who started experiencing swollen knees, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain while in college. It would take nearly two years before blood in the toilet finally led to a colonoscopy and a Crohn’s diagnosis.Liesel talks about navigating life with a chronic illness long before online communities and social media existed. She reflects on the isolation, anxiety, and depression that followed, as well as the devastating flare that led to emergency surgery just months after the birth of her first child. From living with an ileostomy to facing sepsis, multiple surgeries, osteoporosis, and even cancer linked to long-term immunosuppression, her journey has been anything but easy.Today, Liesel is a doctor, educator, mother, and passionate advocate who uses her experience with Crohn’s disease to help others navigate illness and adversity. Her story is one of resilience, perspective, and hope, showing that even after decades of setbacks, it is possible to build a meaningful and fulfilling life beyond IBD.For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com