Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida is one of those places that you have to put on your bucket list. If you have an ostomy and/or IBD there may be a few things you should know ahead of time.
Read moreUniversal Studios with an Ostomy or IBD: TIPS (w/ video)
You made it! Now that you’ve landed and have an awesome time ahead, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
In this article, I’ll be going over some tips to enjoying your trip when you are at your destination.
Read moreTraveling with an Ostomy | PART 3 | Enjoying Your Trip
Now that you’ve planned and packed up for your trip, you’re all ready to get to your destination. First, you’ll have to get through the airport and onto a plane.
In this article, I’ll be covering tips on how to make this stage in your travel plans go by smoothly.
Read moreTraveling with an Ostomy | PART 2 | At the Airport & on a Plane (w/video)
The cold and flu are part of life, and everyone will get one or the other at some point in the year. While there are ways of helping to prevent these, once you’ve got them, you’re fighting for the next week.
My daughter invited me (read: begged me) to go to Canada’s Wonderland with her because a friend wasn’t able to go. Let me say that I haven’t been to Wonderland in maybe…. 20 years, which means that I’ve never been on any of the large rides that she loves to go on.
Read moreHave Fun at an Amusement Park With an Ostomy (w/ Video)
If you live in a country that has long, cold winters, warmer weather is probably something you look forward to experiencing for at least a few months during the summer. While many of us may enjoy some fun in the sun, it brings along a few extra challenges that I’d like to cover in this article.
Dehydration sucks, and anyone without a colon has likely been told by their nurse or doctor that maintaining adequate hydration is crucial. While it can be a challenge to keep up with fluid intake, there are many ways to do it. In this article, I’d like to share some practical tips that I’ve used myself, along with tips that have worked for others.
This information is focused on ileostomates, but many of these strategies can be used to help prevent dehydration in other circumstances, including diarrhea caused by IBD or for other types of ostomies.
On July 9th, I’ll be getting scoped as a follow up to my ostomy surgery and to also make sure that my Crohn’s hasn’t spread to my small intestine. When we lose our colon, we don’t expect that we’ll ever need to be scoped again, but the reality is that those of us with IBD (especially Crohn’s) need to get monitored to make sure that our illness is kept in check. Before getting my stoma, I was told that my chances of Crohn’s spreading to other parts of my bowel were very low – still, it’s always a possibility. While researching for my post on the Environmental Risk Factors for IBD, I came to realize that even though I can make lifestyle decisions which can reduce my chance of flaring or a reoccurrence, nothing is guaranteed. I was feeling pretty great after my last two surgeries, but after receiving a tetanus booster in February, my joints started hurting and haven’t felt right ever since. This reminded me that my body is still primed for IBD, losing a colon didn’t cure it and there will always be a chance that Crohn’s will one day rear its ugly head again.
Boy what a day! Sunday June 8, 2014 marked the 19th annual Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. It was the first year I’ve been able to attend since my diagnosis in 2008 and the excitement really did make up for the lost time. We surpassed our local goal of $70,000 this year, and team VeganOstomy made up over $1500 of that.