I became chronically ill with a condition called Barrett’s esophagus a little more than a year ago. As a young person, the diagnosis and subsequent lifestyle changes can be daunting, which is why I want to share what I’ve learned so far.

First, it’s ok to be upset at first. Hearing the words “pre-cancerous” in a doctor’s office at 25 years old can feel like your world is crashing down. I’m going to hold your hand when I say this: do not immediately go online and read everything about it. This will convince you that you’re going to die tomorrow. You aren’t.

One place I did find some solace, though: Reddit. There are plenty of young people there talking about having the illness, and even better, there are folks who have had it for years reporting from the field that they are doing just fine.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing at the start, I would say there will be a learning curve, but once you hit your stride, it’s truly not the end of the world. Th e first trip to the grocery store after my diagnosis was a feeling of hopelessness and fear I hadn’t experienced since the onset of the pandemic. But there are so many resources out there to help you (which I’m now trying to be!), including websites with low FODmap recipes and guides on what foods to avoid.

The most important thing to do is try to stay on the diet as best as possible (perfection here, I’ve found, is unattainable), take prescribed medications and work on maintaining your gut health with things like kefir and other fermented foods

There are certain foods I haven’t had in more than a year that I miss, particularly tomatoes and chocolate. But I’m not trying to go insane either, so yes, I’ll get myself a chai latte if I’m really craving it, or I won’t pass up a night at my friend’s house just because they’re serving a pasta dish with a little garlic in it. You have to live, too. Before I realized that, immediately after my diagnosis I was very scared to eat, which then inched into disordered territory.

If you have Barrett’s or another chronic GI illness, people are here for you, and it will be ok.