Not knowing anything about autoimmune diseases, Melodie soon discovered having one is when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissue and organs. Autoimmune diseases can attack almost any part of your body and some may affect more than one part of the body. The cause of autoimmune diseases is not known and there are no cures, but some are treated with immunosuppressive medication and corticosteroids which helps to reduce the immune system’s hyperactivity.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which affects the lining of the intestine, is one of the more than 80 chronic illnesses that fall under autoimmune diseases. The two main forms of IBD are Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
Crohn’s Disease
This inflammatory bowel disease causes inflammation and ulcers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It can cause bloody diarrhea, anemia, weight loss, abdominal pain and fatigue. Some people may live symptom-free while others, like Melodie, have severe chronic symptoms.
Melodie is such a fierce advocate for people with Crohn’s and IBD, especially people of color, that she created a nonprofit called Color of Crohn’s and Chronic Illinois (COCCI). She educates minority communities about this often-misdiagnosed illness, especially with women of color. She petitions to have African Americans included in large clinical trials for the disease because of low representation.