A personal story of navigating Crohn's Disease that includes insights from experts, demystifying Inflammatory Bowel Disease and offering readers a relatable, honest resource.

Heather Fegan was fifteen years old when she was tentatively diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. It started with a pain in her side. The dull ache turned into sharp, stabbing pains and wrenching cramps that clenched and tightened every time she ate. The diagnosis would change her life, but by the time she was nineteen she learned that she actually had another serious form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Crohn's.

There is no cure, no known cause, and little public understanding of the pain, chronic suffering, and isolation IBD patients cope with every day of their lives. Canada has among the world's highest IBD incidence rates – and Nova Scotia's rate is the highest in the world.

In Gutsy: Living My Best Life with Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis, journalist, freelance writer, blogger — and past president of the Halifax chapter of Crohn's and Colitis Canada — Heather Fegan weaves her personal experience of living with Crohn's with expert insights from doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, and researchers. Honest and optimistic, with a dozen photos from her personal journey, Gutsy brings a fresh new perspective to demystifying Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Heather Fegan is a freelance journalist and writer. She is a graduate of the University of King's College School of Journalism.
Heather has been a storyteller since age five, regaling her family with "updates" in her own "Heather Chronicles." Gutsy, which explores her personal experience of navigating Crohn's Disease over twenty-five years, is her debut book.
She lives in Halifax, NS, with her husband and two daughters. Follow her chronicles at heatherfegan.ca and @theheatherchronicles.

Heather Fegan's profile page

Heather Fegans Gutsy: Living My Best Life with Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis is an engrossing autobiography that offers an unabashed account of navigating life with an invisible chronic disease. She vividly portrays the relentless challenges posed by her disease, yet her uncrushable resilience pushes her to live to the fullest.
This book is for everyone. For those unfamiliar with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, this book will serve as a window into the hidden struggles of this condition. For healthcare practitioners, Heather's story lends humanity to the disease. With journalistic honesty, Heather invites readers to step into the world of Crohn's and colitis without sensationalism, instead offering a genuine portrayal. Her journey inspires and offers hope.
— Kate Lee, PhD, MBA, Vice President, Research and Patient Programs, Crohn's and Colitis Canada