In 2010, while in her 20s and finishing graduate school, Jamie Harris began having digestive problems after a trip to London. She noticed blood in her stool and returned home with persistent stomach pain. Her general practitioner suggested more fiber and psyllium husk, but the pain continued for a year and she began losing weight.
As a student teacher, Harris confided in one of her instructors, who urged her to go to the emergency room. Blood tests there showed a markedly elevated white blood cell count, and further testing led to a referral to a gastroenterologist. The specialist diagnosed her with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract.
Emanuelle Bellaguarda, MD, a gastroenterologist, explains that Crohn’s can cause superficial or deep ulcers and, if untreated, can lead to bowel damage such as scar tissue (strictures) or fistulas—abnormal connections between loops of bowel or from bowel to skin.
The diagnosis hit Harris hard emotionally. “It was like I kind of went into a little depression. I’m supposed to be at the peak of my life, and it wasn’t that anymore,” she said.
Before the diagnosis, Harris’s mother, a longtime registered dietitian, suspected a gluten intolerance. Harris kept a food journal, tried restrictive eating and the BRAT diet, and eventually ate very little because almost everything caused pain. She lost about 20 pounds. Bellaguarda notes that while diet can help manage symptoms such as diarrhea and bloating, there’s no evidence diet alone heals the inflammation or prevents Crohn’s progression.
Treatment depends on disease presentation, other health conditions, and prior medications. Though there’s no cure, care follows a two-step approach: induction to control symptoms and heal the bowel, then maintenance with medications that have proven effective. Options include biologic agents and small-molecule drugs like JAK inhibitors.
Harris first tried various oral medications, which reduced some symptoms but never fully restored her health. After about two years, she began infusion therapy and now receives infusions every six weeks. Infusions that once took four to six hours are faster with newer options, letting her carry on with daily life. She also exercises regularly and follows a Mediterranean-style, very plain diet tailored to avoid her trigger foods.
Initially isolated—she didn’t know anyone else with the disease—Harris found community through the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and now serves on its Board of Directors. She raises awareness and funds, hoping others won’t feel alone. She teamed up with a medicine company, Lilly, to help spread the message.
Harris urges self-advocacy: it took her two years to get diagnosed, and she sometimes questioned whether her symptoms were real. Yet she emphasizes that people with Crohn’s can lead full lives. “It’s not the end of your life. You will move on. I’ve always been a positive person, but there’s hope,” she said. Bellaguarda agrees, saying patients can have healthy, normal, and fulfilling lives.
Worries about relationships and future abilities marked her early experience. Now, as a mother, Harris talks openly with her daughter about having IBD, modeling healthy eating and normalizing the condition. She remains hopeful for a cure and focuses on living each day positively.
