‘Family Karma’: Vishal Parvani Opens up About Having Crohn’s Disease
Vishal Parvani from Family Karma discussed being diagnosed and living with Crohn’s disease as a teen.
He reveals that certain triggers make living with Crohn’s considerably worse, which includes stress. That may be why Parvani would prefer to “sweep problems under the rug” and try to let things roll off his back. During a recent episode, he had a frank conversation about his diagnosis with close friend Amrit Kapai while they worked out at the gym.
Parvani later took to Instagram to dive further into his journey with the autoimmune disease. He describes the toll it took on his body. Plus Parvani admits he didn’t want to tell others he had the disease. He also credits fiancee Richa Sadana for getting him healthy and he wants to help others.
Parvani wanted to be ‘normal’ like other kids
Parvani shared on Instagram that he wanted to be like other kids. “Opening up has always been tough for me,” he began his Instagram post along with a photo from childhood and today.
“I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was a teenager,” he continued. “I was 84lbs and almost the same height as I am now – just bones. When I was first diagnosed, I was admitted to the hospital for over a month. All I wanted was to be ‘normal’ like the other kids. So I made it a point to never disclose to anyone that I was struggling with this autoimmune disease.”
Like most kids, he wanted to party and eat like a college kid. “I would eat like they ate, and in college I partied like everyone else did. I was almost always in a constant perpetual flare. My body was under a lot of stress, and hiding my condition to others (and essentially denying it myself) made it worse.”
He turned a corner thanks to Richa
Meeting Sadana seems to have been a turning point for Parvani. “When I met [Richa Sadana] she honestly whipped me into shape,” he shares. “After sharing with her that I had Crohn’s, she made both of us fix our diets.”
Sadana also followed Parvani’s plan so he didn’t feel alone. “She made it a point for me not to go through it alone,” he added. “We followed the Paleo Diet strictly for a few months, and we joined a local gym @crossfitmia. My lifestyle changes, along with my medications, have significantly reduced my flares. Opening up about Crohn’s has been the best thing for me. Opening up has made me in control of this disease, and not the other way around.”
Stress is problematic for someone with Crohn’s
Having stress can make his Crohn’s worse, which may be one reason why Parvani seems to want to dodge confrontation.
“Stress plays a big part in my flares, emotionally and physically, which is why I joke around a lot and may come off as goofy,” he explains. “Ultimately, the only thing that matters is I’ve been handed a new lease on life and I’m not willing to jeopardize it.”
Parvani wants to help anyone who is struggling with Crohn’s too. “I wish I had someone I could speak to growing up who was going through or had been through the same situation. I will continue to share things that have worked for me. And if anyone would ever like to talk, please message me. You’re not alone.”
