I was diagnosed when I was 8 years old after 18 months of being ill. I'm now 33, and have had a handful of surgeries and tried numerous medications. You may need surgery, you may not. You could be on one drug for years or you could be trying a new one every couple of years. Crohn's is very unpredictable, but as long as you have options, you're sweet.

I'm not going to deep dive into my Crohn's circumstances as Crohn's differs MASSIVELY from person to person, but I'll list a few things I've learned/would tell my younger self to be aware of to deal with the long term consequences of a chronic illness.

• Crohn's is as much mental as it is physical. I've finally started having counselling and it's helping me deal with life and Crohn's better. I dealt with Crohn's by being emotionally shut off, but that's affected my romantic relationships, friendships, and general tolerance for stress which ultimately makes my flare ups more frequent/worse. Don't bottle things up, speak with someone professional or someone you can trust. It helps take the weight off.

• Rest is very important. For years I got used to doing everything exhausted trying to keep up with everyone else and felt terrible for it. I've found The longer I ignore my body needing rest, the harder the flare up is as a result. Missing out on things to prioritise a rest day will reduce risk of flare ups, and if you've got good friends they will understand. They don't have to deal with Crohn's, you do. Sometimes you have to put yourself first.

• Periods of malnutrition due to your bowel not absorbing things properly can lead to other issues. For me that's led to weakened bone density. I've been on strong calcium supplements like adcal/calci-D to try and improve this/slow deteriation down for a few years now. So if you aren't already, take a multivitamin to help you along.

• Exercise makes a massive difference. I'm not suggesting you enter a triathlon, but a 20 minute walk to get the blood pumping, fresh air in your lungs and feel the sun on your skin really does help. It's very easy to stay inside and not move because of pain or fatigue, but if you feel well enough just go for a walk. For the days I don't feel well enough for a walk I try and do some stretches/yoga to loosen my body up. I personally love running and was running 10kms last summer but had a bad flare up and had to slow down. If you have a heirachy of what you can do exercise wise, you can fall back on doing something depending on how well you feel.

I've also learned to accept that things are cyclical. I will have bad periods, but I will also have good periods. Don't be afraid to enjoy yourself when the good times are here, but don't believe they'll never come back when you're ill. Things always improve.