The "Normal" Years
Here's the thing about chronic illnesses: when they're active, they're all-consuming. When they're dormant, it's easy to forget one is sick at all. In the spring of 2006 my Crohn's was completely in remission for the first time in eight years. I had a new boyfriend, a new job in a new state, and a new life. Things were absolutely wonderful. I was still getting Remicade infusions, and they were working. It was easy to pretend like I didn't even have Crohn's much of the time, save the few hours I spent with an IV every six weeks. I felt, for lack of a better word, normal. In April of 2006 a friend asked if I'd join her at a Team in Training presentation. She was a runner considering her first marathon, and I told her I'd join for moral support. I left the presentation having signed up for the team, poised to run the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco that fall. I had never run more than a few miles, but somehow I felt comfortable signing u