What to Expect: Iron InfusionsIron deficiency anemia is a symptom I've experienced with Crohn’s disease. Lack of iron is actually quite common in healthy people, so when you add a Crohn’s diagnosis it isn’t... By thedancingcrohnie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Making the Shift to BiologicsIn the early days of my diagnosis, I was devastated that I might be on medication for the rest of my life. I was in college and very few of... By Eshani Agrawal4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Finding Joy Despite IBD ChallengesIt's very difficult to process the life we lead as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Some days are good, some days are spent never leaving our bed, and other days... By Julie Marie Palumbo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
How To Support Someone With IBDSupportive family and friends are essential for those of us living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It’s not uncommon to feel isolated after diagnosis. You’re overwhelmed by all of the... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
My Surgical Journey With Crohn'sSurgery is hard. With my Crohn’s I have lost track with the number of times I have had to have some sort of surgery. Whether that be major, life-threatening or secondary... By Vern Laine4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Managing IBD When Other Health Conditions Take PrecedenceAs someone who’s lived with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for nearly 15 years now, I’m not stranger to the fact that Crohn’s disease is often on my mind. There have... By Amanda Osowski2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
When IBD Symptoms Don't Match Lab ResultsIsn’t it frustrating when you feel great but your lab results say otherwise? In fact, despite how great you feel, according to your labs you are doing poorly medically. It’s... By thedancingcrohnie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Do We Really Know the Root Cause of UC?As one who has suffered from ulcerative colitis (UC) for over thirty years, I’ve heard it all. People love to speculate about what caused my inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). But... By Traci Musick-Shaffer4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
When You Feel Like You Have No SupportThere are certain things in my life that I tend to take for granted--a roof over my head, clean water, and accessibility to healthy food. In addition to the basics... By Julie Marie Palumbo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Crohn's Disease is Not Your FaultDo you ever think to yourself, what did I do to bring this upon myself? Maybe if I would have eaten better I wouldn’t have been diagnosed? Maybe if I... By thedancingcrohnie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
My Top Flare-Friendly FoodsEven though we are labelled with Crohn’s or colitis, I have found that we all often seem to have different symptoms: from the foods we eat to the intensity of... By Vern Laine3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Medication Crossroads: Somewhere Between Comfort and ChangeSince being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) almost six years ago, I’ve taken mesalamine religiously. Whether it was two of the pills when things were good or four when things... By Christal Davis3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
What to Do When an Infection Increases IBD SymptomsA few months back, I started experiencing some new symptoms, along with an uptick in my inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms. In addition to more frequent and urgent diarrhea and... By Amanda Osowski3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Managing Nausea with Ulcerative ColitisThere it is again, that feeling. My stomach lurches. I run to the bathroom, ready to vomit, but it doesn’t happen. Still, I feel terrible, and I almost want to... By Eshani Agrawal4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Would You Switch Your Biologic If It Was Working?It is truly amazing how many new medications are hitting the market to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. Whether they are brand new, or medications that were once used... By Julie Marie Palumbo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
I Broke Up with My GI: The Dos and Don'ts of Switching DoctorsOver the years, I have visited numerous doctors seeking treatment for my ulcerative colitis. Through experience, I’ve learned that not all gastroenterologists (GI doctors) are created equally. If you are... By Traci Musick-Shaffer5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
What to Expect at Your First Gastroenterologist AppointmentI remember when my general practitioner (GP) told me that I had Crohn’s more than 3 decades ago. I will never forget it. After the initial shock of it all... By Vern Laine3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
A Better Colonoscopy PrepColonoscopies are a crucial procedure to have for anyone who has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In my case, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and yearly colonoscopies have become a... By thedancingcrohnie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
"What’s Crohn's?" How I Explain My Condition to OthersAfter being sick for a very long time, I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease back in 2009. By this point, I’d been in and out of doctors offices and... By Amanda Osowski3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
UC and Chronic PainAs I'm sure you all know by now, ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms can vary from person to person. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the disease – our symptoms differ, our... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments