Vulnerability & Home Health CareIf you happened to miss Part 1 of this series, please read that first and it will lead you back to how I came to be involved in Home Health...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Honoring Myself in My Ulcerative Colitis JourneyWhen I first noticed the bleeding, I was 20 years old and convinced everything would work itself out. At that age, it felt more “normal” to pay attention to my...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Packing Must-Haves for TravelI love to travel. I have never shied away from seeing new countries, experiencing memorable vacations, or booking a flight on a whim to visit friends across the country. Traveling...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Crohn's Flare on Your VulvaI am 31 years old, and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s when I was 25. I was recently put on an extensive round of antibiotics to treat an infection. As...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Does Surgery For Crohn’s Or Ulcerative Colitis Improve Quality of Life?It is not a surprise for anyone with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC) to read that the conditions can impact a person’s quality of life. For some, IBD may...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
The Battle of LettuceBefore I got diagnosed with Crohn's, I loved all food. Even those green vegetables that most young children can not stand. Of course, and as you may all well know, my...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
What Chronic Diarrhea Means To MeI’d like to start by saying I don’t make it a huge habit of talking about my bowels... although, as an IBD patient advocate, I guess that’s only partially true...Reactions0reactionsComments18 comments
Living with the Unknown as a TeenagerFirst, as a new contributor, I want to THANK the community advocates team at inflammatoryboweldisease.net for the invitation to offer support and share my experiences dealing with ulcerative colitis. THANK...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Home Health Care and Health CrisesIn Part 1 of 3 in this series, I'll talk about how the after-effects of a health scare became long-term new health issues. I talked about dealing with the physical...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
We All Deserve To Feel Seen & HeardTo the anxiety-ridden patient, I see you. I understand your fears although there are times you may feel they are invalid. I understand you worry over “small things” that don’t...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
My must-have kitchen gadgets for cooking with Crohn's diseaseWith a new year now here, lots of people set a resolution to be more creative in the kitchen. Cooking with Crohn's disease can be tricky. Not only does it...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
30 Years of Living with IBD & Still Goin'I’m new to this site and this is my first intro to sharing my life of IBD with strangers. My 1st issue was in 1990 when I was 6 months...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
The Risks And Rewards Of Intestinal ResectionsDid you know most sufferers of Crohn's disease have at least one surgery at some point? One reason for this is the small intestine is a relatively narrow passageway (at...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
Is There Such a Thing as Talking Too Much About Your Disease?I remember when I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2009. It was just shy of my 24th birthday and I was terribly embarrassed to share my new diagnosis...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
My Decision to Get the COVID-19 VaccineAs an IBD patient on a biologic, I have been immuno-compromised for years. I have made the choice to get the flu shot each year, to wear a mask when...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Series | How my Ulcerative Colitis impacted my Mental HealthThis is part of a series about how my ulcerative colitis impacted different parts of my life. This is not my usual type of post. There are no tips, learnings...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Power of Patient Advocacy: A Behind-The-Scenes LookPatient advocacy has a way of pulling at your heartstrings. There are moments that stand out and make you pause to recognize that the work you are doing is changing...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Foods That Help With Iron Deficiency AnemiaSince I was a child, I've always struggled with slight anemia. I remember going in for my annual check-up before school would start, and across the board, all my blood...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Three Things I Wish I Did Sooner as a PatientI remember feeling overwhelmed 5 years ago after my initial diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. It was an illness that I knew little about and felt ill-prepared to fight. I still...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
The Flu-2021I really strive for myself to be at work every day. I teach 182 days a year, and up to last week, I had perfect attendance. Of course, it is...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments