Van life and Crohn’s disease – two things that you may or may not have heard of before, but most likely not in the same sentence. But for me, just these two things summarize a huge part of my life.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the beginning of 2020, right before the COVID pandemic began. For years before that, I had mentioned to friends and family that I wanted to buy a van and convert it into a tiny home to live out of and travel the country with. The main response was that I was crazy. But my Crohn’s diagnosis was the biggest incentive for me to essentially say, "Screw what everyone says, I want to do this and I’m going to make it happen!"
Fast-forward to today. I have been traveling and living out of my van for almost 3 years full time, and my Crohn’s symptoms have never been better. Before I moved into my camper van, I was extremely worried about managing flares without a proper bathroom setup. But over the years, I’ve figured out everything you need to both live comfortably in an 80 square-foot van and manage all Crohn’s symptoms and other related aspects. Here’s some recommendations for anyone with Crohn’s disease who’s considering van life or tiny living:
1. Always have a consistent stock of medications. I always make sure to keep enough prescription and over-the-counter medications stocked in my van (just like you would at home), in case of anything coming up. I also have an injectable immunosuppressant medication that I take once a week. Since it has to be refrigerated, I always keep an extra week or two stocked in my fridge in case I’m planning on leaving town, or in case of any delays in refills. (This is always a good idea for important prescription medications!)
2. Have a plan for emergencies. There are a lot of different bathroom “options” to choose from with RVs and camper vans (particularly with DIY vans like my own). You can have a black tank like an RV, a compostable toilet, or even incinerating toilets in some fancy RVs. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on just a toilet, so that eliminated most of my options. I ended up going with what I believe is the No. 1 best option not only to stick to a small budget, but for space saving, ease of use, and minimal cleanup as well!
I have a small portable camping toilet that can be lined with compostable trash bags in case of emergencies. Sure, it’s not very glamorous, but it’s always there whenever I need it so I never have to worry about having to find a bathroom at a crucial moment. You also never have to worry about emptying a black tank or dealing with any cleanup whatsoever!
3. Make a private bathroom if there’s two of you. I’ve lived in my van both alone and with a significant other, and there is zero privacy. So it was important for me to have a somewhat private bathroom area in my van, especially when dealing with Crohn’s symptoms. This might seem like a given, but I’ve met a lot of other people who live in their van or RV and have NO private bathroom at all! But they also don’t have Crohn’s – obviously!
4. Make sure your kitchen is suited for your dietary needs. One of the best parts about living in a van is the fact that you have a full kitchen with you everywhere you go! Even on long roadtrips, it makes a massive difference being able to pull over and cook something for lunch rather than having to buy fast food. This has helped my Crohn’s symptoms dramatically, as I’m able to have all the foods with me that I know aren’t triggering.
One thing that I’ve definitely learned over the years is that there's nothing that Crohn’s will limit you to do, even if it seems unrealistic. There’s always a way to figure it out and make it work, if it’s something you want to do badly enough. You might have to get a bit creative, but remember: Just because you’ve never seen someone else do it, doesn’t make it impossible.
Photo Credit: E+/Getty Images
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