So You've Just Been Diagnosed With Crohn's or UC. Now What?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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Complex PTSD and Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseI 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...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
When Your Doctor Says the S-Word: My J-Pouch Story (Part Three)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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
31 Days of Awareness - 31 Things About MarisaFor 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Beyond the Bathroom: Lesser Known IBD SymptomsWe 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...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
Words of Wisdom From The Women in My LifeI 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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Understanding A Social Security Disability DenialAfter 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Crohn's and the FODMAP Elimination DietAs far as we know, diet neither causes nor cures Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. However, certain diets have been shown to be helpful. It is important to differentiate between someone...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Basketball and Crohn’sI 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Listeria: Part 2As 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...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
The Frustration of Needing Answers as a UC PatientI 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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Bowel ObstructionsBetween 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...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Take the Health Information Experience SurveyStaying informed is crucial when managing a chronic condition such as Crohn's disease, and the internet has made it significantly easier to learn right at home. But online resources are...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
15 Questions Every Patient With IBD Should Ask Their GIOne 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...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
ListeriaBy 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Ulcerative Colitis In America 2016The Ulcerative Colitis In America 2016 online survey was conducted to gather insights from over 1,100 individuals currently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). The primary goal of this research was...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Out-of-Body Patient ExperienceThere 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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Too Much...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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Disordered Eating and Body Issues with IBDFor an outsider who doesn't really know that much about Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, they might not understand how IBD impacts almost every facet of a person's life. Eating...Reactions0reactionsComments24 comments
A Doctor's Big HeartIn February 2009, I decided to fly to the Cleveland Clinic. Why you ask? I wanted to see doctors that were the best in the world. I had read and...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments