My Top Tips for Dealing With the Unpredictability of Living with Crohn’sI've been traveling a lot lately and to be honest, it never gets any easier. Living with Crohn’s disease makes everything I do that much harder. I could have a...reactions10comments
Extra-Intestinal Manifestations of Ulcerative ColitisDiarrhea and stomach pain are the 2 symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) that get the most "air time," but are they actually the most debilitating for the patient themselves? And...reactions16comments
Blood Work PreferencesA diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis usually comes with a lot of doctors appointments, medical tests, blood work, medication trial and error, among other things. I know so...reactions3comments
Why My Specialist Changed My Crohn’s Biologic Dosing and FrequencyOver the past few weeks, I’ve seen a lot of chatter across social media about Crohn’s medication hopping. If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, it’s where someone with Crohn’s disease...reactionscomments
Priorities, Planning, and Chronic IllnessEvery day we all have decisions and choices to make. Part of life is planning, and while living with a disease like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can make it...reactions6comments
My New Crohn’s Colonoscopy Prep TipsFor the record, I am not a fan of colonoscopies. Show me someone who says they love them and I will show you a liar! Now that we’ve gotten that...reactions6comments
You Can Have Crohn’s and Still Be “Healthy”After going through my list of medications, medical history, and past procedures regarding my Crohn’s disease, the nurse or doctor whom I was seeing would say, "Otherwise you are healthy."...reactionscomments
Low NumbersWhen you spend over a year in the hospital, you start to get used to the routines. I always knew when there was a shift change. I always knew when...reactions1comment
Crohn's Disease & Motherhood: Breastfeeding (Nursing or Pumping) and MedicationIf you’ve followed along for a little while, I recently became a new mom. After years of struggling to conceive, undergoing fertility treatments and finally having success with IVF, I...reactionscomments
Why Language MattersWhen a celebrity is on the news for being diagnosed with something serious or they are speaking about it, there is often a sort of “backlash” that several of us...reactions3comments
My First Concert with Crohn'sSince I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, back in 2009, I never had the urge to go to a concert. Honestly, it just never sounded appealing to me. Being around...reactionscomments
Will I Ever Be the Old Me?This is always, in my opinion, one of the hardest things to deal with when being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Grieving the old you. Will I ever be the old...reactions9comments
IBD & Serious Multitasking on Good DaysAs someone who has had symptoms of Crohn’s disease for over 10 years now, I often think about my life in seasons or in chapters based on my health. When...reactions4comments
How To Decide When The Hospital is Needed For UCWhen you live with a chronic illness like ulcerative colitis, it can be difficult to know what exactly warrants a trip to the emergency room or hospital. I know going...reactionscomments
Why I Share My Life With IBD OnlineI’ve posted a ton on this site over the past few years. Although I’ve shared a great variety of things, I think a lot of it seems to come off...reactions3comments
Breastfeeding and IBD: A good combination?I've been writing about my experiences of IBD, pregnancy and beyond so today I thought I'd broach the topic of breastfeeding. Like most aspects of IBD, this seems to be...reactions1comment
Be Your Own AdvocateI’ve known my body for 33 years. I know how it feels when I eat something I shouldn’t. I know how I feel when I am starving, and I know...reactions2comments
What to Expect During a Fecal Microbial Transplant (FMT)Bacteriotherapy - what is it? Antibiotics usually take out ALL the bacteria, including the good bacteria in addition to the bad bacteria (C. Diff) that we are targeting. Because of...reactions2comments
Responding to negativity in the IBD communityI became an active member of the online Inflammatory Bowel Disease community back in 2014, and I now run a Facebook group, #IBDSuperHeroes. I feel very fortunate because it’s generally...reactions3comments
Ideas on How to Get Moving With Crohn's DiseaseWhen my health began to tank several years ago, I was spinning out in a severe flare-up. I have Crohn’s, Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Quite a mix...reactions1comment