Hello SweetSmarties! I'm thrilled to present my conversation with Skyler to you! I was so looking forward to speaking with her, because we were both diagnosed with a similar chronic illness in childhood, and I knew I would love bonding over it! 

We have inflammatory bowel disease, she Ulcerative Colitis and I Crohn's; her symptoms began at 16 years old and mine at only 8! We talked about our health journeys and so many more fascinating, touching topics, connecting beautifully and entertainingly throughout our wonderful interaction. 

She's delightful, bright, helpful, and super inspiring! I can't even fully tell you how much I enjoyed our discussion, and I really hope you'll get tons out of it too! :D 

She has an ileostomy bag she affectionately calls "Ostie," which we get to learn about in this episode, and it was so remarkable to receive a glimpse into her life. I was very curious how it affects her, and about other aspects of her experience navigating these challenges, and just being the phenom that she is. :)

We’re both honestly grateful for how all of this has shaped us into the marvelous people we are, and we’re happy to share our positive perspective to help others as well as we can. 💗

I hope you enjoy learning and growing with us as always! ✨

If you'd like to explore any further information or IBD resources, you can visit the organization she currently works for and I've volunteered with: the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. (Our chapter is Los Angeles and Orange County, so feel free to find your own local community!)

https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/