Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • photo of vaccine Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • COVID-19 Symptoms
    • Coronavirus Variants
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Get Our Newsletters Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    PERSPECTIVES

    A Closer Look at Crohn's Disease

    My Life With Crohn’s Disease

    Video Transcript

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    JOE COBUCCI: Through my journey, it's been an ebb and flow. There's been sniffing about a time where I have been really healthy and my disease has been in check, but then there's been times where it has come back. I was in my early teens and was having a lot of bathroom issues, urgency issues out of nowhere, and it was very frightening, because I wasn't telling my parents, because it was very embarrassing. Especially hanging around with your friends, and all of a sudden, you just go to the bathroom for no reason.

    [MUSIC PLAYING] Having those additional challenges were really isolating for me. I limited myself from many things. When asked to do certain things, I was very conscious of choosing what I was going to do, because I wanted to make sure that I knew I could get to the bathroom if I needed to.

    [BIRDS CHIRPING]

    Going to the doctor really opened up my eyes to that someone's going to listen to me. So when I was first diagnosed, they called it ileitis, but during that time frame, things got better. I was feeling good, and it wasn't much of an issue. And then later teens is when it really came back at me and really flared up, and at point is when we got the full diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

    I started off with a variety of medications that were available at the time, and honestly, they had seemed to work, and it changed my attitude. I felt uplifted. I felt like there was now something I could take, a diagnosis. I could feel normal, and it was kind of allowing me to be open to doing things.

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    At one point in my younger life, I thought, you know, it wasn't possible to have a full-time job. It wasn't possible to travel to Europe. It wasn't possible to have a family. All of those things are possible. I don't want Crohn's disease to limit myself, and I don't want to limit all the patients. You can have a vibrant life.

    One of the things that I've learned is the medication is a important part of my disease journey, but also trying to alleviate stress, adding exercise, having the right amount of sleep. At this current stage, I'm taking an injectable medication that is really helping me to flourish. So along with my physician and dietitian, we've found a pathway that's best for me. So I try to eat lean meats. I try to eat vegetables. Sometimes it's just having rice, just kind of bland foods. The main thing that I've done over the years have tried to avoid are really raw foods. They really are not my friend.

    This is a lifelong journey. Sometimes it is challenging, and I try to be a positive and resilient person. It's OK having Crohn's disease and feeling isolated and having fear and worry. But taking control of your disease, find the right physician, and finding a community is helpful to be able to say, you know, I want to do that. I'm going to do that.

    I've been fortunate over the many years to have run over 60-plus half marathons and seven marathons. So I will say for all the patients that are out there that suffer with Crohn's disease, you know, it's like one foot in front of the other, and before you know it, you're out there, and you're doing something you may never have done. Whatever makes you happy, but I found a lot of strength in running. I'd have not let things slow me down.

    LEARN MORE

    Innovations

    How Close Is a Cure for Crohn's?

    A Crohn’s disease researcher talks about the quest for a cure and better treatments.

    Advocacy

    Advocating for Yourself and Others

    My Experience

    A Day in the Life With Crohn's

    Expert View

    Crohn's: A Full-Body Disease

    Share Your Perspective

    SUBMIT YOUR EMAIL AND YOU’LL RECEIVE FUTURE CONTENT UPDATES, AS WELL AS AN INVITATION TO OUR EXCLUSIVE VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE EVENT AROUND CROHN'S DISEASE, FEATURING EXPERTS, ADVOCATES, AND PATIENTS.

    Submit and Share

    By clicking "Submit," I agree to the WebMD Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. I also agree to receive emails from WebMD and I understand that I may opt out of WebMD subscriptions at any time.

    EXPLORE MORE

    My Experience

    Living With Crohn's

    Joe Cobucci has been living with Crohn's for years. Learn more about what he has to say about his day-to-day life with the condition.

    Advocacy

    Learn to Thrive With Crohn's

    Expert View

    Inside the Visit

    Advocacy

    Crohn’s: Managing Daily Challenges

    My Experience

    Plan Your Meals to Help Your Body

    Learn More

    Living With Crohn's Disease

    Find WebMD on:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pintrest
    AdChoices AdChoices
    • About WebMD
    • Advertise With Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Editorial Policy
    • Contact Us
    • TRUSTe Privacy Certification
    • TAG Registered Seal
    • HONcode Seal

    ©2005-2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
    See additional information.