When I was a kid, I saw a Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. I was much more of a Star Wars kid, so I don’t remember much of the film, but one scene has always stuck in my head. There’s a part where the doctor, who is from the future, visits a hospital in the past (1980’s I assume). He scoffs at doctors and calls them barbarians when he overhears them talking about chemotherapy. He then sees an elderly patient in the hallway who appears to be dying of kidney failure. He reiterates that 1980’s medicine is barbaric, then gives her a pill that heals her in moments.
I think about that scene every time I go to the doctor or have a test in the hospital. I wish Star Trek medicine were a thing. Modern medicine is capable of a ton. It’s amazing how far we’ve advanced when you think about it. However, some parts still feel pretty medieval. Unfortunately, most tests and treatments for Crohn’s fall into the latter category. I hope someday Crohn’s can magically be cured with a pill. Until then, I endure my tests and treatments with the hope that at least someone is learning something that will get us closer to a cure.