By: Cassidy Gundersen
Starting at age 12 I began to experience a variety of concerning health conditions such as chronic kidney stones, debilitating PMS and menstrual cramps, migraines that would cause me to throw up in pain, and twice monthly bowel movements. The doctors assured me that I was in good health and “these things just happened to people,” so I was convinced that I was healthy (despite all of my pain) and continued eating like it. My staples were Oreos, Dr. Pepper, and Snickers. You couldn’t have paid me to eat fruit or vegetables other than perhaps potatoes, raspberries, and peaches. But I was extremely thin, and that was all that mattered to me at the time.
As I grew up, I lived a busy and active life and was very involved. My health began to take a turn for the worst when I was Miss Idaho in 2012. I was on the road a lot and began eating worse than I already had been. I noticed that my mental and physical health were waning, but I was determined to serve a full-time mission.
After leaving to Canada in 2013 for my mission, the complications only worsened. I was barely able to get out of bed after 12 hours of sleep, and I was in the hospital more times than I can count. I had MRI’s, ultrasounds, colonoscopies, and countless blood samples drawn in an attempt to get to the core of the issue. More than one time the mission doctor and my mission president tried to send me home to get better, but I was more stubborn than I was sick, and I refused!
It was on my mission that I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, a diagnosis that would change my life. After my diagnosis, I was downhearted and began reading my Patriarchal blessing. I became angry as I read it because my blessing spoke of the Word of Wisdom and the health I would have by obedience to it. I was confused because I never smoked, I never drank tea, coffee or alcohol, nor did I do drugs, yet I wasn’t seeing any of the blessings I was promised. I had given some thought to the Word of Wisdom since one of my companions informed me that she didn’t eat meat because of the Doctrine and Covenants 89. However, I was convinced she was extreme and was sure that I knew better.
