Living with Invisible Illness: Finding Life Beyond Crohn's & UC with Simone Leo | Ep. 94

When a sudden diagnosis of ulcerative colitis at 19 disrupted her life, Simone Leo found herself facing years of debilitating pain, severe weight loss, and the isolating anxiety of managing an invisible chronic illness. In this raw and deeply vulnerable conversation, Simone reveals how a misdiagnosis led to emergency surgery, the complex emotional reality of navigating a temporary ostomy bag as a newlywed, and how she ultimately reclaimed her life to complete half-marathons and build a family through surrogacy. Her story offers a powerful look at the courage it takes to advocate for your health when your body feels like a warzone.  The Journey to Diagnosis: Simone details her early 20s onset of severe digestive symptoms, navigating the emotional toll of a sudden ulcerative colitis diagnosis, and the crucial step of seeking specialized GI medical care. Navigating Misdiagnosis & Surgical Realities: Discovering during surgery that her condition was actually Crohn’s disease rather than ulcerative colitis, leading to an emergency pivot in her treatment plan and surgical outcomes. Overcoming the Stigma of Ostomy Bags: A candid, refreshing conversation on living with a temporary ileostomy/colostomy bag, tackling intimacy as a newlywed, and breaking the social taboo surrounding chronic gut health issues. The Gut-Brain Connection & Stress Management: Exploring how stress and emotional burnout directly trigger inflammatory bowel disease flares, and the daily morning rituals—from closet meditation to breathwork—used to maintain physical equilibrium. Family Planning & Alternative Paths to Parenthood: Navigating high-risk pregnancies with autoimmune diseases, recognizing physical limits, and choosing surrogacy to safely welcome a child. Reclaiming Life Through Community Advocacy: How participating in half-marathon endurance walks through the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation turned years of physical isolation into empowerment and community connection. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-your-story/id1768048076 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aFWnedfyylxVs5vJrD8tY Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c4c493e-e2f2-4b4b-bfd3-52174caeaf7c/whats-your-story-with-jaime-stan   CONNECT WITH SIMONE LEO FB messenger: Simone Leo Instagram: simone.solzleo LinkedIn: Simone Solz Leo Others: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.orghttps://www.livingwithibd.com/https://teamchallenge.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/home Book: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/795220.Chronic_Illness_and_the_Twelve_Steps   CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JaimeSpeaks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaimeMarcoSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeamarco Website: https://www.jaimemarco.com Feedback/Guests: [email protected]