For many in the United States, November marks the start of the holiday season—a perfect time of year to reflect on what we are thankful for. As IBD patients and caregivers, it can often seem like the odds are stacked against us. So, what do we do to keep pushing through hard times? How ...

Nothing steals the show quite like a giant, blue, poop emoji-shaped tent. That’s why the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation created the PoopUp, a mobile museum-like experience to help educate and spread awareness about Crohn’s disease and ulcera...

If you asked me when I was a 20-year-old college student where I’d see myself years down the road, I never would have thought I’d be a caregiver for someone with a chronic disease. When I was a junior in college, I met a guy. He knocked on the door to my apartment on move in day and ask...

I was 15 years old, just wrapping up gymnastics season and my freshman year of high school, when I got news that flooded my future with uncertainty—after years of battling health issues, I would now need an ostomy bag. I felt scared, sad, and alone.  I remember going into the operating...

In the Falkenstein family, no one struggles alone. In fact, their support for one another led to the writing and recording of an anthem for self-love, “I Found Myself.” This song of perseverance, self-confidence, and hope is written by David Falkenstein, an ulcerative colitis patient an...

When you were diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you probably went on the internet to research your disease. Within seconds, you had a vast web of information about symptoms, treatments, and other resources at your fingertips.  According to the Pew Internet Project, over ...

Approximately 1 in 500 Americans live with an ostomy, and many of those are patients who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an ostomy may be needed temporarily or permanently for a variety of reasons, including sudden, severe u...

If you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, then you know how hard it can be to pay for your medication. A Foundation study found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn’s, pay three times the total health care costs and double the out-of-pocket expens...

Have you received a notification from your insurance carrier that coverage of your specialty medication is changing? If so, you aren’t the only one. Many of my patients who are on biologics have been informed by their insurer that they are now required to switch to a biosimilar. I know ...

When looking at options after my senior year of high school, my guidance counselor never suggested taking a gap year. Coming from a rigorous high school, I felt pressure to attend college right away. Unfortunately, the decision to take a gap year was not in my control.  In March of my ...