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...Reactions0reactionsComments4 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Treating Crohn’s and Colitis Is Not An Exact ScienceThere is no magic pill to treat IBD. There is no 1-size-fits-all diet or cure-all method. Despite developing research and treatments, many living with Crohn's and ulcerative colitis (UC) are...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Chicken Ropa ViejaIf you're like me, you probably love Latin-inspired cuisine and flavors – but your stomach may be in disagreement. I wish I could sample all of the bold flavors of spicy...Reactions0reactionsComments3 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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"...Reactions0reactionsComments10 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments4 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 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?"...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Acid Reflux and Crohn's DiseaseIf having Crohn's disease isn't bad enough, lots of us struggle with other digestive symptoms alongside it. For me, one of these is acid reflux: categorised by burping and a...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
IBD: Not To Be Confused With IBS!“My friend had that. She takes Buscopan and she’s fine now.” Let’s look at this statement for a moment. If someone had it, it’s not inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). If...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
5 Tips to Make Your Infusion Day More EnjoyableGoing for your infusion every 4-8 weeks can be difficult to fit into your busy schedule. And, let's be honest, it is not always the most comfortable situation – the...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Staying Organized With an IBD NotebookWhen I started experiencing daily symptoms of Crohn’s disease in 2009, I had no idea they would become part of my forever. I was naive and unorganized, and I had...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
My Crohn’s VowsI attended a wedding in Connecticut recently. It was a very nice affair on a pastoral farm in an area that felt more like Iowa. It was nice to gather...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments