My UC Pain Is Real! Fighting To Be Heard by Our DoctorsI regularly find myself "nagging" at people because they're suffering, but not contacting their healthcare professionals (HCPs). Often using reasons such as work or other commitments. Lots of us don't... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How Video Games Help Me Through a FlareBetween my recent flare and the pandemic, my world has mostly become confined to my own apartment. While I’ve become more comfortable with the occasional eating outside at a restaurant... By Eshani Agrawal2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What is Crohn's and Colitis Advocacy?It's Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week! The perfect time to think about: What does it mean to be an IBD advocate? As an advocate, I share a lot about my... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week: Warriors StrongMy superpowers aren’t outwardly visible. And, my super-hero cape is not actually a cape. Instead, it’s a black t-shirt sporting a bold purple ribbon. On the back of this shirt... By Traci Musick-Shaffer3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Be Kind to The Behind Giveaway- CLOSEDThis giveaway is now closed. The frequent flare-ups of Crohn's and colitis can be a literal pain in the butt. From the irritation of constant bathroom trips to stomach and... By Editorial Team 1 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Watching Your Diet While On The RoadThe famous writer Gustave Flaubert once wrote: "Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." There are other ways to gain perspective of course: developing new... By Matt Nagin2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Lessons of Gratitude: A Letter of "Thanks" to UC"Experience is the best teacher." This mantra rules my life. As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought I would address how ulcerative colitis has taught me lessons of gratitude. So, here is... By Traci Musick-Shaffer3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
From the Community: Experiencing Ulcerative Colitis Flare-UpsLiving with ulcerative colitis (UC) eventually means you will have flares. These are times when inflammation and symptoms get worse. They are uncomfortable and exhausting. To better understand your experience... By Editorial Team 2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Navigating Drinking Culture If You Can't Drink the Way You Did BeforeOver the years I have gone back and forth with alcohol. There have been in times in my life when I drank heavily during remission and did okay with it... By Eshani Agrawal3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Improve IBD Care: Add a Dietitian and PsychologistInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be complicated and may require a team effort to help you achieve the best health. It is important to think about health from a holistic... By Dr. Megan Riehl3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Fall, Football, and Food (While Having UC)Last weekend, I got to enjoy one of my favorite fall activities. No, I didn’t visit a pumpkin festival with the hopes of gorging on every conceivable pumpkin food item... By Traci Musick-Shaffer2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
I Can’t Hold My Pee!!Lately, I find myself wanting to talk about the stuff we don’t ordinarily talk about. Things that might embarrass us. Things that other people might be experiencing, and feeling alone... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tips for Talking With Loved Ones About UCWhen I was first experienced ulcerative colitis symptoms, I hid them from my family. On a visit home my parents figured out that something was wrong because I kept running... By Eshani Agrawal3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tips for Recovering From IBD SurgeryIt's been more than 7 years since my partial colectomy surgery and I often reflect on how much it has changed my life for the better. However, upon hearing the news... By Julie Marie Palumbo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tips Before Giving Advice to a Crohn's PatientCrohn's patients are all too familiar with the unsolicited advice we receive from others about how to treat our disease. What causes a flare, what we can do to "cure"... By Julie Marie Palumbo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments10 comments
A False Sense of UrgencyLately, I’ve been experiencing a new phenomenon in my life with inflammatory bowel disease. Up until recently, I was a first-thing-in-the-morning pooper. I knew that in the hour between waking... By Amanda Osowski2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How My Crohn's Can Make Me Feel Like an OutsiderCrohn's disease can easily make you feel like an outsider. Why? It often exacerbates a sense that you are not like others. It also frequently alters your priorities away from... By Matt Nagin3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Life is Still Beautiful With Crohn’sI realize this can be a loaded phrase, and it’s okay to disagree with me, but I am just sharing my opinion: I think despite being diagnosed with the horrid... By thedancingcrohnie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
National Stress Awareness Day: Is There a Link to IBD?Emails. Phone calls. "Chat" messages. "Ms. Musick, can you help me?" Teach. Change Class. Change subject matter. Bell rings. Intercom interruptions. As a classroom teacher, I am inundated with daily... By Traci Musick-Shaffer3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Should We Be Talking Surgery Earlier?A question I'm often asked, and one that I’d like to pose to you is, "Do you think our healthcare team should be bringing up surgery sooner rather than later?"... By Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments2 comments