so, alicia cornwell is a 20 year old woman living with crohn's disease. when she first began her diagnostic journey, she was a middle school student with stomach pains. she underwent a variety of tests, from and ask these two barium swallow x-rays, hopeful that each step would bring her closer to an answer. when the tests and consultations initiated her, while the test and consultation initiated her into the world of nationhood, they also signal the start of an unfortunate but all too common cycle. in dealing with the dismissal of her persistent symptoms. she was told she had reflux disease, but when her problems continued, so did the attention. as the years went on, dismissal took on a more problematic event, as her physical symptoms were attributed to her emotional problems. at the time, my parents and i were told that my symptoms were caused by stress but i heard this for years, right up until i was diagnosed with crohn's as an adult t but, in fact, i have hed it so often that until last year i was convinced i was making myself sick. or even worse, tha