#campoasis

I’M BACK! And I Totally stole this pic from my girl @kgent 💜 • Last week was amazing. Volunteering at Camp Oasis is hands down one of the greatest things I could have done for myself in my adult life so far. • It’s truly amazing to be disconnected from the outside world and to connect with kids and other adults battling IBD. 💜 There’s just something about that feeling of being truly accepted right from the start. It’s hard to explain but it keeps me going back. Already miss my girls and can’t wait for next year!!! 💜🙌 . . . . . . . #camp #campoasis #camping #camptalltimbers #crohns #crohnie #crohnsdisease #crohnslife #crohnsfighter #crohnsawareness #crohnswarrior #colitis #ulcerativecolitis #ibd #ibdwarrior #ibdawareness #ibdsuperheroes #friendswithcrohns #chronicillness #chronicillnesswarrior #spoonie #invisibleillness #autoimmune #autoimmunedisease (at Camp Tall Timbers) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzHZBoNgYN6/?igshid=d7s28jyxm24d

It’s time for camp! Did you know that there is a camp made just for kids living with #IBD?! Contact @crohnscolitisfoundation for more information on #CampOasis !! #summercamp #ibdmoms #momlife

If I didn't have this shitty disease, I never would've met these three amazing people, who've carried me through the past 8+ years. My co-counselors and some of my very best friends. @kellbel28 @emkay526 @jesscah91 💜 #campoasis #cocounselors #ccfa #crohns #colitis #ibd (at Vie)

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words; well this one is worth a lot more—$4,650 for me, $3,530 for Mary-Kate, $3,470 for Eddie, a trip to New Orleans, four much-needed days with my Camp Oasis co-counselors, 13.1 miles, and one victory in honor of Zack, Jess & our Oasis family, to be exact. You can't imagine how good it felt to cross the Team Challenge finish line with these people by my side, with the support of everyone who donated and cheered us on. But looking at Mary-Kate's face (the face of someone who conquered a half marathon during a Crohn's disease flare-up, one week out of the hospital) should give you a pretty good idea. Sometimes this illness takes all we have. Sometimes it knocks us down, and keeps us there for awhile. But sometimes we get up and kick IBD right back in the ass, and this was one of those times. Maybe it looks like we're all feeling great, but what you don't see here are the constant naps we took, the texts sent from the toilet, the hellish joint pain we paid with, and the mad dashes to find bathrooms while doing the tourist thing. All of it was worth this moment, though, and the time we spent together (along with more than 300 people fighting for the same cause). To those of you who shared this experience with us, I can't thank you enough. Whether you took the time to read my story, or share the link to my fundraising page; whether you donated $5 or $500; came out to my fundraiser, or helped spread the word; posted photos and words of encouragement during event weekend, or followed along with my incessant social media posts; from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us get to NOLA and across this finish line. I hope the split second captured in this photo makes it all worth it to you, too. ✌🏼️💙💩 #TCNOLA #teamchallenge #ccfa #campoasis #crohns #colitis #ibd (at Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon)

Just came home to this amazing surprise care package from @lorridavidson! Though these gifts are meant for a laugh, I'm also so touched. As I'm pulling together cards and gifts to make an IBD care package for Amelle, I never expected to come home to my own (though Lorri has already told me she'll be sending something for Amelle, too). For those of you who don't know, Lorri's daughter Alex started Beautiful Beyond the Pain, and now her parents, family and friends carry on Alex's work in her memory. She fought a long, hard battle with Crohn's, but did so with a smile. As another Camp Oasis counselor, I regret never having had the chance to meet her in person before she passed. But I did follow her posts on Instagram @mermaidatheart7, and remember the very first time I read and shared her story; she continues to be an inspiration to me and many others. Though I know there are no easy days for Lorri, she is ALWAYS thinking about others, putting them before herself—not only the kids Alex was working so hard to send to camp through the foundation, but also people like me. Don't know what I did to have this package show up on my doorstep, but it was something much-needed and beyond appreciated. You can bet these will be coming to camp with me this summer. Wish I could've been at the Gala last month! 💜 Asking that you all take a minute to read about Alex's journey & BBTP, and consider joining me as I make a donation. http://www.beautifulbeyondthepain.org #beautifulbeyondthepain #bbtp #crohns #colitis #ibd #campoasis #💩

Five-month countdown to #campoasis today! Working on my new getup. (Borrowed this one from the lovely @sara_ringer & @dansharpibd via @ashidashisocks.) ✌🏼️💙💩 #crohns #colitis #ibd

This one's for you, Jessica Leva, Zack Seigel & Camp Oasis family. We would walk 500 miles, And we would walk 500 more. 💙☀️ #TCNOLA #teamchallenge #oasisstrong #campoasis (at Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon)

Literally the first person I met at Camp Oasis. He carried my bags that first day in 2011 as I joined one family, and he's ready to carry me across the finish line tomorrow, with another family he's now a part of. Thanks for looking out for MK & I. Love you, Eddie! ❤️💩 @crazyeddie416 #teamchallenge #TCNOLA #campoasis #oasisstrong