I Became A Model After Having My Colon Removed
“Seeing my photo as an example of beauty changed how I saw myself.”
By Gaylyn Henderson, as told to Sarah Z. Wexler May 3, 2021 Gaylyn Henderson
My road to a Crohn’s diagnosis started when I was 13. I had always wanted to model, but I was sick so often experiencing chronic loose stool and using the bathroom often that I didn’t think it was a possibility for me. My pediatrician immediately referred me to a gastroenterologist, and because my symptoms were so severe, I was diagnosed quickly with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease and causes symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps. The body’s immune system also goes into overdrive and attacks healthy bacteria in the GI tract, which causes long-term damage that affects your overall health and quality of life. I was just 14. While I didn’t realize it at first, any hope of a normal high school experience quickly went down the