Living

“There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves.” - Frank Herbert Every single person has their happy place. Sitting in the sand, next to a body...

It wasn't even 8 am when my eyes fluttered open. I reached for my phone with one hand, as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the other. Then...

After my first J-pouch surgery, life was pretty complicated. It took time to adjust. Life with an ostomy was a big adjustment. I felt a lot of relief really soon...

One of the most popular articles I've written for inflammatoryboweldisease.net is '5 Ways My Dogs Help Me Through an IBD Flare.' It got such a fantastic response from everybody that...

Oh Listeria, the thought of having it still haunts me today. Listeria, as I wrote in a previous article, is a food born bacteria infection due to bad lunch meat...

During the first several years I was sick, I spent a considerable amount of time alone in the hospital. My first real admission was almost 3 weeks long, and while...

Usually, my posts on here are brimming with positivity-but today as I type, I can't help feeling despondent (indulge me please; I promise the next post will be more uplifting!)...

I never really thought much about food. I liked the food. Cooking was and still is enjoyable. But it wasn't something I had to worry about. I didn't think twice...

I participated in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA) Take Steps walk in Philadelphia for the 12th year. I do every year, and I look forward to doing it every year. Why...

I rave a lot about my husband. I talk about him everywhere, and I praise him and his ability to just be his hairy adorable self! But its not always...

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I was born to be a mother. I started babysitting at age 11, and immediately was drawn to the art...

A while ago I was sitting at a table at a conference with a bunch of my friends. The speaker mentioned a quote along the lines of "pain is inevitable...

I'm surrounded by 4 walls. I've never been to jail. But I can imagine this feeling is the closest I could come to know one. These walls have heard the...

Helpful Hints for the Newly Diagnosed – Part 1Helpful Hints for the Newly Diagnosed – Part 2 Organize with your HR department tentative time off. Be prepared and know your...

Living with any chronic condition can be lonely. Many of us have friends and family, but how many of us have people who really understand what we are going through?...

Trigger WarningThe content includes information related to mental and emotional distress and it might be upsetting to some people. If you or someone you know have thoughts of suicide, have...

It's 3 p.m. on a Thursday and you’re on your 4th doctor's appointment of the week. Glancing down at your bandaged arm you count the bruises and scabs from a...

Trigger WarningThe content includes information related to mental and emotional distress and it might be upsetting to some people. If you or someone you know have thoughts of suicide, have...

The majority of people who suffer from a chronic illness like Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis (IBD) have to see their share of doctors. Aside from a gastroenterologist and primary...

For those who don't know, I started teaching at a new school in my district this week. I was at a new school with new people and new schedules. I was...