Living

David and I had been dating for about a year and a half. Though we hadn’t really been dating for very long, we’d already been through some pretty major crises...

Remember, I went into surgery to have my whole entire colon removed on December 17 2007? As I stated before I was suppose to be out five days after surgery...

I can’t tell you exactly when I came to the realization, but eventually, I realized that I couldn’t do this disease thing on my own. It was probably more of...

Though the statistics vary somewhat from state to state, nationwide about 65% of all disability claims are denied on the first application. Luckily, receiving a denial does not mean that...

"There are many illnesses and negative things that have happened to people that have gotten them to greatness. Without the obstacles, these people may have never become great." –Prince Ea...

Being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis is a life-changing event. There are likely so many things going through your head that you’re not sure where to start. Here...

I know this topic isn’t commonly talked about or even researched very much as far as I can tell but I want to write about it. I am not a...

The day of my sister’s wedding had finally arrived. Everyone was happy and excited. I was, too. but I also had more pressing issues on my mind. Surgery was in...

For the final day of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness month, we asked Marisa - our phenomenal contributor and IBD advocate - 31 things about herself. We hope her candid responses help...

We know that inflammatory bowel disease is so much more than just urgency and diarrhea. Many of the most impactful symptoms happen far outside the bathroom walls. And while some...

I wanted to share some of words of wisdom and advice that I have heard from some of the important women in my life. All of this has helped me...

After the long, confusing process of applying for Social Security disability benefits, it is understandably very frustrating to receive a denial. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) has no official...

I started to get into basketball when I was thirteen years old. My parents had season tickets to the Philadelphia 76’ers , and I was able to go the ever...

As stated in my last blog, by July 4th 2007, doctors thought I had Listeria, a bacterial infection that had manifested in my blood stream for eight weeks. The infectious...

I have been having more GI symptoms than normal over the past year and a half. They have definitely gotten worse over time but I am still at the point...

Between the Summer of 2008 and June of 2009, I was doing pretty well. I had not been in the hospital and things were looking on the upward swing. One...

One of the best things a patient can be armed with is knowledge. In my experience, the more that I understand about my illness the better I am able to live...

By May 2007, I had come across another flare up. I didn’t think much of it. It started off slow, but I noticed that my bowel frequency had increased. I...

There is something that happens to me often when I am hospitalized for a long time, I have a major surgery, or even if I have to go through a procedure...

After Christmas Day 2007, I found myself still in Temple Hospital. The surgeons came into my room to remove the staples from my chest. Can you imagine getting 83 staples...