Day 2 – This is an easy one.  I had previously posted about songs that relate to me and my dealings with Crohn’s.   One singer that I find weirdly connected with is Kelly Clarkson.  Her gripe is love, mine is CD.  Both are a love/hate relationship.

So, the quote I pick as my inspiration comes from one of her songs – “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.   Now, I know she didn’t coin the phrase but I just relate to it so much more with her music  🙂 .  As you know from my last post, I had it bad last year.  I was in pain, couldn’t get out of the bathroom, was depressed and really didn’t want to continue.   Looking back over the past year and seeing how far I have gotten, that pain really made me stronger.  It helped me learn more about my disease.  It helped me to connect with a lot of great people I would never have met otherwise.    Most of all, the pain I had turned me into a health activist.  A year ago I would never have thought about blogging.

I have talked about how many people helped to inspire me to do what I am doing.  Truth is, they helped me on my recovery which was the first step.  Without getting sick though, I would never have started the journey.  In the past I was content to say “I have Crohn’s Disease.  It’s an inflammation of the intestines that makes me go to the bathroom more than normal people.”  That is it because that is all I knew about it.  Now I can say “I have Crohn’s Disease but more specific I have Crohn’s Colitis.”  I can go on for hours talking about my disease now.  I have gained so much knowledge about it.  I am on experimental medicine thanks to all the research I have done.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  Such a powerful quote.  At times last year it felt like I was dying.  At times I wanted to die.  Instead though, my disease made me stronger.  Kelly – thank you for showing me that there is always more to life.  I am a fighter and will never be alone now with my disease.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone
What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn’t mean I’m over cause you’re gone

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone” – Lyrics from What Doesn’t Kill You by Kelly Clarkson