Help Kathleen raise money

In July of 2022 I experienced horrible abdominal pain that caused me to go to the hospital. I was convinced that this pain was caused by my gallbladder or my appendix bursting. I was excited to get to the operating room and have a quick surgery to fix whatever was happening! I got my first CT scan and the doctor came in and said “do you have Crohn’s disease?” I said “nope!” Apparently, whatever he saw on the scan looked like Crohn’s disease but that was not even an option in my mind! After a few days in the hospital I was sent home with instructions to follow up with a GI doctor in the outpatient setting. For the next couple weeks, I kept trying to convince myself there is no way this is a chronic issue and it was just a weird stomach bug! After a colonoscopy and an MRI, my GI doctor called me and confirmed it was Crohn’s disease. The next couple months included more emergency room visits, more hospital stays and the realization that life was about to get really different! Although this diagnosis has caused so many life altering changes and anxieties, it has also showed me how lucky I am to be surrounded by the most supportive husband, parents, siblings, family, neighbors and friends. I will never forget the people that were there for me during this time of my life. To call out these people specifically, we’d be here all day! How lucky am I to have so many people in my corner!? When I found out the Crohn’s and Colitis foundation has a team with the Falmouth Road Race- I knew I had to join! I have family that lives in Falmouth and growing up I always looked forward to our trips to visit them. I got to watch my mom complete this race and I have loved hearing about my cousins doing it. I was psyched when I found out I got a spot on the Crohn's and Colitis team! On August 17th I’ll be running for my family and friends that supported me during one of the scariest and most difficult times of my life. Thank you to anyone that is able to donate to this cause!