![\"Paula](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8f32fc1d7828f8b4ac082ac12725274a.jpeg\"\/)
Paula Sojo <\/p>\nPaula Sojo <\/p>\n
paulasojoro\/TikTok (2)<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Paula Sojo\u2019s viral TikTok recounts how her escalating symptoms were repeatedly dismissed before emergency surgery revealed a severe complication tied to Crohn\u2019s disease<\/p>\n
Sojo says she experienced warning signs for years, and believes earlier awareness could have changed the course of her health<\/p>\n
Now stable and in remission, she uses her platform to share \u201cred flags\u201d and to empower others living with ostomies, including through her brand Osto\u2022me Fashion<\/p>\n
Paula Sojo was 18 when she looked down and saw a toilet bowl filled with blood. In that instant, she says, she knew something was terribly wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wish that they were better informed,\u201d Sojo tells PEOPLE now, reflecting on the doctors she says saw pieces of her symptoms for years but never connected them. \u201cEarly detection matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her story recently went viral on TikTok after she shared a \u201cPut a Finger Down\u201d video, walking viewers through the months before she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. According to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, Chrohns is “a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues… in the digestive tract.”<\/p>\n In the clip<\/a> that’s now amassed more than 32 million views, she recounts being told it was \u201cprobably just hemorrhoids\u201d even as her pain intensified and her body weakened.<\/p>\n But the red flags, she says, began long before that moment. \u201cMy symptoms didn’t just start when I was 18,\u201d she explains, adding that she had been \u201cin and out of doctor\u2019s appointments all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n She describes chronic canker sores that spread through her mouth and down her throat, sometimes making it too painful to swallow water. \u201cI\u2019d go to my dentist\u2026 asking, like, what could this be?\u201d she says, wishing someone had suggested seeing a gastrointestinal specialist.<\/p>\n When she turned 18, her health spiraled quickly. It was during COVID, and though college classes were online, she says she could barely get out of bed.<\/p>\n The fatigue was overwhelming, and joint pain in her hands became so severe that even texting hurt. Then her appetite disappeared, and the weight loss became drastic.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m almost six feet, and I went down to almost 90 pounds,\u201d she says. When she finally saw blood in the toilet bowl, she called her family doctor and asked to be seen immediately.<\/p>\n Instead, she recalls being prescribed hemorrhoid cream and told she was likely spending too much time on the toilet. \u201cHe\u2019s like, get off your phone. Stop scrolling,\u201d she says, remembering how dismissed she felt.<\/p>\n Paula Sojo<\/p>\n For weeks, she says, she used the cream while her symptoms worsened. She developed fevers and chills, and the pain became so severe she struggled to walk. \u201cI was the one that said, ‘I need to go to the hospital,’ \u201d she recalls. Because of COVID restrictions, she says she went alone.<\/p>\n At the emergency room, she describes undergoing an exam and hearing the same conclusion. \u201cYep, they\u2019re hemorrhoids,\u201d she remembers the doctor saying before discharging her.<\/p>\n She says that the diagnosis was wrong, but the ER physician scheduled a colonoscopy \u201cjust to rule out the possibility of anything else.\u201d Her mother persistently called for cancellations, and Sojo was eventually seen sooner.<\/p>\n By the time she arrived for the procedure, she says she was running a 41-degree Celsius fever and sobbing in pain. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what was wrong with me, but I knew that it was something bad,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n After the colonoscopy, she woke up to life-altering news. \u201cHe said, you\u2019re being admitted for surgery,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n Paula Sojo<\/p>\n That admission marked the beginning of what she describes as a six-month hospital stay filled with repeated surgeries. She developed abscesses and fistulas that allowed bacteria into her bloodstream, causing sepsis.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d go septic, literally almost killing me every single time,\u201d she says. Doctors eventually performed a temporary ileostomy to try to stop the cycle.<\/p>\n At 18, she says, the physical pain was immense, but the emotional toll was just as heavy. \u201cWhen you\u2019re 18, like self-confidence is everything,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She grieved the loss of her health, her independence and the college experience she had imagined. She says friendships shifted while she was hospitalized, and her boyfriend of three years broke up with her after her ileostomy surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cI was grieving everything,\u201d she says. She also struggled to recognize her body after significant weight loss and the addition of a medical device.<\/p>\n After trying multiple medications without success, Sojo ultimately underwent a proctocolectomy, removing her rectum, anus and colon and making her ostomy permanent. The healing process, she says, was long and painful.<\/p>\n Still, the surgery brought stability. Her Crohn\u2019s has since stabilized, and she says she has not had another flare.<\/p>\n Over time, her grief transformed into clarity. \u201cMy energy is precious,\u201d she says, explaining that chronic illness taught her that \u201cyour energy becomes currency and you have to treat it as such.\u201d<\/p>\n That shift in mindset eventually led to something she never expected. Years after her surgeries, Sojo began thinking about the way ostomy products looked and felt when she was first adjusting to life with one.<\/p>\n Paula Sojo<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Following her diagnosis, she and her family launched Osto\u2022me Fashion<\/a>, designing stylish ostomy covers to help others feel confident rather than clinical. She says the brand has made \u201can incredible impact worldwide\u201d since its launch.<\/p>\n Living with an ostomy, she emphasizes, is not the end of the story. Through social media and her business, she works to destigmatize ostomies and raise awareness about Crohn\u2019s disease. \u201cIf somebody had just caught it early on,\u201d she says, \u201cthings would have never gone that bad.\u201d Now, she hopes sharing her experience helps others recognize red flags and push for answers.<\/p>\n Resilience, she adds, is not about pretending everything is fine. \u201cResilience is just like getting up every single day and at least trying,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n On hard days, she explains, that might simply mean brushing your teeth or taking a shower. \u201cIf you have the ability\u2026 to just be like, no, I don\u2019t care if tomorrow\u2019s hard. I\u2019m just going to try,\u201d she says, \u201cthat\u2019s badass.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Paula](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/d27a66db05f48bcbb6553d1bf2de2f85.jpeg\"\/)
Paula Sojo in the hospital <\/p>\n![\"Paula](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7b9ffae5894faf09cb4fde4de2fcaf5d.jpeg\"\/)
Paula Sojo and her brother <\/p>\n![\"Paula](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1b1c2e34e1f618c8741a2e3c6de495b6.jpeg\"\/)
Paula Sojo in the hospital <\/p>\n