My Crohnstipated Life

I walk into the kitchen, stop, and stare.
What did I come in here for?
I stand there for a moment, hoping the answer will come to me. It doesn’t.

So, I walk back to where I started, sit down, and—boom—I needed to get the chicken out of the freezer.

Crohn’s has stolen a lot from me over the years, but one of the most frustrating things? My memory.

I wish I could blame it all on being over 50. I wish I could chalk it up to “mom brain” from raising three little ones under eight. But the truth is, Crohn’s disease and its medications have made my memory unreliable.

Brain fog, forgetfulness, losing words mid-sentence—it’s like my thoughts are there, but just slightly out of reach. And when you’re trying to keep up with energetic little kids, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing.

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Why Does Crohn’s Affect Memory?

I used to wonder why my brain felt like a scrambled mess some days. Then I started digging into the science behind Crohn’s and memory loss.

💜 Inflammation affects the brain – Crohn’s isn’t just a gut disease. It causes systemic inflammation, which means it can mess with our cognitive function, too.

💜 Chronic fatigue = brain fog – When your body is exhausted, your mind is too. Raising kids on top of a chronic illness means my energy is drained before the day even starts.

💜 Medications play a role – Steroids, biologics, pain meds—many of the treatments that help my gut have side effects that hurt my memory.

💜 Stress makes it worse – And let me tell you, parenting young kids while dealing with a chronic illness is stressful. Between school drop-offs, tantrums, meal prep, doctor’s appointments (mine and theirs), and bedtime battles, my brain feels like it’s running on fumes.

So, if you’re struggling with memory loss from Crohn’s, you’re not crazy. You’re not lazy. Your brain is fighting just as hard as your body.

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How I Cope (Without Losing My Mind—Completely)

I won’t lie—there are days when I feel completely overwhelmed. When I forget things I should remember. When I lose track of time, or worse, lose track of a conversation with my kids.

But I’ve found ways to make it work. Ways to survive the chaos, even when my brain feels like a sieve.

✔ I write everything down – Grocery lists, appointments, random thoughts—I have notes everywhere. My phone, sticky notes, whiteboards. If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.

✔ I use alarms and reminders – Medicine? Set an alarm. School events? Set a reminder. I even have a notification that pops up to remind me when it’s time to start dinner because otherwise, I get distracted and suddenly it’s 7 PM and I have three starving kids giving me the look.

✔ I ask my kids for help – My oldest is surprisingly great at reminding me of things. “Mom, remember, we have to bring snacks for school tomorrow.” Oh, right. Kids have incredible memories—use them to your advantage!

✔ I simplify everything – If a system requires too much thinking, I won’t remember it. Meal planning? I rotate the same easy meals. Keeping the house clean? I focus on one area a day instead of trying to do it all at once.

✔ I give myself grace – This one is hard. I used to beat myself up for forgetting things. Now, I remind myself: I am doing the best I can with what I have. If I forget something, I fix it. If I mess up, I laugh. If I need help, I ask.

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The Guilt of Forgetting

The hardest part isn’t forgetting where I put my keys. It’s when I forget something important for my kids.

Like the time I forgot it was Pajama Day at school, and my daughter showed up in regular clothes while everyone else was in fluffy PJs. (Cue the guilt spiral.)

Or when I promised I’d read a bedtime story but got so exhausted I fell asleep before them.

Or when they excitedly tell me about something, and I swear I’m listening, but a minute later, the details are gone.

It’s in those moments that the guilt creeps in—the feeling that I’m not doing enough, that I’m not present enough.

But then I remember something important: My kids don’t need perfect. They need love.

They don’t care if I forget little things. They care that I try. They care that I laugh when I mess up. They care that I hug them, listen to them (even if I have to ask them to repeat themselves), and show up every single day—even on the hard ones.

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Finding Joy in the Chaos

Crohn’s has taken a lot from me, but it hasn’t taken my love for my kids. It hasn’t taken my ability to be a good mom.

Yes, I forget things. Yes, my brain is foggy. Yes, I sometimes feel like I’m losing my mind.

But my kids don’t see the memory loss. They see the mom who loves them. The mom who fights through exhaustion to make them dinner. The mom who, even on her worst days, still manages to tuck them in with a kiss.

So, to any other parents out there dealing with memory loss while raising young kids—you are not alone.

We might forget where we put our coffee.
We might lose track of what day it is.
We might mix up names (guilty).

But we never forget how much we love our children.

And in the end? That’s all that really matters. 💜

Stay Strong!