For years, I have been fighting Crohn’s disease. It’s getting harder and harder. It’s taking a toll on my body and my mind. I have tried every possible treatment, every medication, but nothing was easy. Every new treatment brought fear—fear of side effects, fear of what it would do to my body. Some treatments left me weak, in pain, unable to move or eat. I lost my hair. I felt like I was falling apart. But I never gave up.
Every time the doctors gave me something new, I was terrified. What if it didn’t work? What if the side effects were too much? But the pain was unbearable. My body was breaking down. People told me to try natural treatments, to relax, to reduce stress. I understand they wanted to help, but how can I live without stress? I don’t have money for an easy life, for vacations, for relaxation. I tried natural treatments. They didn’t work. Cannabis helped me eat, but after a few hours, the pain, diarrhea, and vomiting came back. I need something that will truly help, something that can give me a normal life.
After trying many medications, I finally found something that helped—Stelara, a biological drug. I inject it every six weeks, and it put me into remission. But there are still side effects. Not as bad as Entyvio, which gave me seizures every week, but my body still hurts, and I am always tired. On top of Crohn’s, I also have epilepsy. The medications for both conditions fight against my body, and I don’t know what they will do to me over time. Will I live a full life? Will these drugs send me to the hospital one day? I don’t know. I try not to complain, but I often have to lie about why I don’t go out, why I skip camping trips, why I miss parties. The truth is, my body is just too tired.
Living with two untreatable diseases is not easy. My seizures have gotten less severe, but I still feel them. And I think biological medicine is making them worse. But what choice do I have? Treat only Crohn’s? Treat only epilepsy? I have to treat both. I am strong. I fight every day. But some days, I just can’t get up. I just want to sleep. My husband is my biggest support, but I know it’s not easy for him either. He worries when I don’t pick up the phone. He has caught me so many times before I hit the ground. I can’t even count how often he found me on the floor.
One day, I found a website about stem cell therapy for Crohn’s disease: https://www.bioxcellerator.com/treatments/crohns-disease. It sounded promising. But then I saw the price. Too much. And it’s not even proven to work. They are still testing it. I don’t know anyone who has tried it. Maybe in the future, when more research is done and I can afford it, I will try. But for now, I keep looking. I will never stop searching for a better way to live.
So, what exactly is stem cell therapy?
Stem cell therapy is a treatment that uses special cells to repair damaged tissues. These cells can turn into different types of cells and help the body heal. For Crohn’s disease, stem cells may help reduce inflammation and repair the intestines. Some studies show that stem cell therapy helped about 90% of patients who didn’t respond to other treatments. But it’s still experimental.
There are different types of stem cell therapy. One method uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), taken from bone marrow or fat. These cells reduce inflammation and help repair tissue. But stem cell therapy is not yet a standard treatment. It is mostly available in clinical trials.
Is it safe? Early studies say it might be. Some trials show stem cells helped close fistulas in Crohn’s patients. But, like all treatments, there are risks. More research is needed to know if it’s truly safe long-term.
Where can you try it? Some countries offer stem cell therapy for Crohn’s:
United States – Available in clinical trials and some specialized centers.
United Kingdom – Some hospitals and private clinics offer it.
Germany – Known for advanced medical research, some clinics provide this treatment.
Spain & Italy – European countries with research and treatment centers for stem cells.
Mexico & India – Some private clinics offer it, but quality varies.
Is Crohn’s an autoimmune disease? It has autoimmune features, but it is also linked to how the immune system overreacts to bacteria in the gut. Scientists are still studying the exact cause.
So, maybe one day I will try stem cell therapy. Maybe with time, more research will be done, and I will have the chance to afford it. Until then, I keep fighting.
“Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. Focus on the good, no matter how small.” - Alice Morse Earle
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
Stem cell therapy is also a cure to my own genetic condition, but I think it's a bit expensive and still need to be bettered. I live in an underdeveloped country and honestly living with a condition can be really depressing. Take care of yourself and keep fighting
Thank you for your comment.I'm thinking a lot about this kind of treatment…
I'm not sure if stem cell therapy helps in the long run, and it's too expensive for many people to afford. They already tested biological treatment with me, and it was only on the market for seven years, so we don’t really know all the side effects yet. The same goes for stem cell therapy—we still don’t fully know what side effects it might have. I understand how hard it can be to live with an untreatable condition. Can I ask where you are from? Stay strong!
I don't really know whether stem cell treatment will come with a lot of size effects. However I'm thinking that it involves tampering with things like cells, editing the genes or even the DNA as well as the bone marrow. So maybe side effects like sterility might come up, including other ones we might not know.
However, it's very expensive at the moment despite all the uncertainty that comes with it. However if it were cheap, I wouldn't mind because I will take anything other than my condition.
I come from and still live in Nigeria
We may have an option to try it in the future, but it is not possible at the moment. It costs between $5000 and $50,000, and we definitely don't have this money. I don't believe health care will cover those costs if this kind of treatment ever comes into existence in my country. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you. How does health care in Nigeria work? Do you need to pay for your medications, and are they covering the cost of treatments and medical examinations?
That's actually a lot of money honestly. I've been hoping there will be cures that wouldn't cost a lot and actually be accessible. Which country are you from?
You're solely responsible for your medications in Nigeria and there are no options provided by the government to help people with my medical conditions. I spend a lot on monthly basis on medicines and the conditions makes it hard to even live a normal life. The government is corrupt and doesn't care about anyone. I've been hoping that someday I can afford to leave the country and go somewhere else better.
Oh boy, I cannot imagine being sick and living without health care…you used the right word…corruption…how can they look away when so many people need help 😔 I'm from Slovenia, but living in Austria…I moved because of the better pay and also because of the better health treatment. They have a lot more experience. They really take care of me. The only thing I need to pay here is for my prescription for pil, which is around 7€…I can be grateful I have options like this. It's sad the country won't help… I'm so sorry…But I hope you will have a chance to move soon.
We have health care but it's only private hospitals. We don't have capable doctors in the public hospital and the government don't care about anyone. No one takes care of you here unless you have a lot of money to afford big medical care. So it's really terrible here.
Have you tried conscious deep breathing to give all your cell healing? Also eating healthy and sane natural food?
I tried all kinds of breathing techniques, and I also learned a lot about breathing when I did joga…but this is only for me to reduce a little bit of stress. It doesn't work to put me in remission. And yes, I also tried a lot of different diets, and again, it helps, but not when I'm in an active state.
Really hope you recover completely… I know you will 💪💪💪💪
Thank u 😉
!DIY
Tough times never last only tough people last. 🔥
💪❤️