TedxGeorgetown

This week I had the exciting opportunity to give a talk at TEDxGeorgetown. The theme was the internet, so I spoke about how the Internet helped me through last semester. I thought I would put up the general text of what I said.

I have had quite a personal experience with the Internet. Two years ago I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an autoimmune disease that is not fatal but that can have drastic consequences for a sufferer’s quality of life. Symptoms include internal bleeding, extreme fatigue, cramping, weight loss, anemia, and most importantly, going to the bathroom many many times a day. This can be an embarrassing subject to talk about, which is why the Internet has been so important for my personal journey. It can be difficult to explain my experience in detail to people whose lives are very different from mine, especially those my age, how hard it is for me to get through a day. I don’t exactly run around broadcasting the results of my latest colonoscopy because people would probably run away from me. 

Last summer I fell dramatically more ill and by August it was clear that I couldn’t go back to Georgetown. Essentially, I was stuck in my house for three months. Like most people of my generation, I used the Internet to help fill my days. I spent time on websites that are usually considered procrastination tools, but for me, were of course substantial activities. These included the usual suspects: Facebook, newspaper websites, youtube and gmail. However, the Internet soon began to serve more than an entertainment purpose.

One of the challenges I faced during my semester off was feeling incredibly alone. There was no one immediate who I could turn to who was sharing the same experience. I had no idea what was going to happen to me: if I would ever get better, how I would get better, and what the future held in store for me. I was looking for answers, and thankfully, the Internet had some for me.

I quickly found blogs, message boards and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, all of which teemed with people just like me. They shared which mediations they were on, how long they had been on them, the last time they had been to the hospital, all about their colonoscopies, just because they can…you get the idea.  I found inspiration in stories of people who have gone on to lead healthy lives and successful careers. Of course, their stories were not all encouraging, just like anything in life. There were people who had been extremely sick for years. A vital safe space was created by the sheer knowledge that no one would look on Ulcerative Colitis message boards for fun. More importantly, like me, there were people looking for human connection with people who shared their experience.

The Internet helped me feel less alone and convinced me of our basic need for human connection, in one way or another. When a topic can be difficult to breach, the Internet can be the perfect remedy. We are all looking for answers to the uncertainty of what lies ahead. That is what makes the human experience universal. Even though I am back at Georgetown, I am still sick. I have started my own blog, and hopefully I can help others realize that we don’t have to feel alone. 

Here is the link to the event website:

http://www.tedxgeorgetown.com/speakers.html


Here are links to two articles from Georgetown newspapers:
http://www.thehoya.com/guide/tedxgeorgetown-conference-1.2111231
http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2011/03/24/tedxgeorgetown-recap-why-we-need-moar-internets/#more-26743

I will post the video as soon as it becomes available.