Crohn’s and Colitis
You don't go anywhere unless you know there is a bathroom nearby. Travelling long distances in cars, buses and subways could be a problem if you can't hold it. And you must sit on an aisle seat at theatres in order to make a quick escape.
Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that affect more than 200,000 Canadians. Canada has one of the highest numbers of people with IBD in the world.
Read more about The Burden of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Canada, a final report and recommendations from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
Symptoms of IBD include abdominal cramping and pain, fatigue, weight loss and diarrhea.
And there is currently no cure. However surgery may provide some relief in the case of Crohn's disease and could "cure" ulcerative colitis by removing the colon.
For those newly diagnosed with Crohn's or colitis, read the excellent brochure Surviving and Thriving with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, at the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada site. Also available are Food for Thought: Nutrition and IBD, Prescription for Health: Medication and IBD, and The Cutting Edge: Surgery and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Check out the Library's recent books about Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis for more information. To see which branch has a copy of the book and to place a hold, click on the cover or the title link;
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| Living with Crohn's & Colitis | 100 Questions & Answers about Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis |
Crohn's & Colitis Diet Guide |
2 thoughts on “Crohn’s and Colitis”
this condition is, literally, (if I am allowed to say it) “the shits”
because when it flares up, you lost sphincter control and can’t hold it until you make it to a toilet.
I have found working with a naturopath to be very helpful.
Also Mount Sinai has support groups once a month, one in the day and one at night.
Meeting other people with this condition helps a lot – you are not alone!
Let’s hope for a cure – please support the Foundation with a donation if you can!
Doctors always say it isn’t what you eat – but I think that once you have the condition a lot of it definitely IS what you eat.
Thanks so much for this updated information. It’s such a widespread condition, and yet remains “unmentionable.” But it shouldn’t be any different to discuss than any other disease.