The former TOWIE star, 23, also thanked the disease for calming her down and making her realise what’s really important in life.
She told a UK magazine: “It sounds crazy to hear myself say this, but I absolutely embrace my Crohn’s disease. It has caused me agonising pain, made me cry, stopped me from eating, drinking and clubbing, and has slimmed down my once curvy body.
“But it has also changed my life and it’s changed me. It’s been a rough journey and it’s most definitely not over, but I can see now that a lot of changes are good.”
Despite everything, Sam thanks the disease for showing her that her health is what really matters.
She said: “I’ve learnt a lot about myself and my body, and the best thing of all is that I’m sharing what I’ve learnt about health – and people are listening to me.
“A great body isn’t perfect 10 in a bikini. It’s a healthy, functioning and pain-free body. That’s the only body I want.”
Sam, who recently got back together with boyfriend Joey Essex, also 23, revealed that she ignored all the symptoms of Crohn’s for a year, making her body ‘give up.’
“I’d had it for a year but I’d ignored all the symptoms. I’d have bouts of sickness and diarrhoea but I’d put it down to too much partying and a bit too much junk food.
“Because I’d ignored the symptoms for so long, the disease had got to a critical stage and my body just gave up on me.”