In 2016, my daughter was six months old, and I was still working on recovering from a difficult pregnancy. I had gone back to work as a special education administrator and was juggling a lot of responsibilities. I started having stomach issues, but I assumed it was an ulcer based on my previous experiences. I was only 32 at the time and chalked it up to the stress of being a new mom.

My stomach issues started off as a dull ache...