Beating the Odds with IBD: Terri's Story

Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President Rick Geswell, CCFA President This spring we celebrate CCFA's 10th annual IBD Day on the Hill! On May 31st, our dedicated patient advocates will meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill to express the need for continued research funding and to ask them to support our Crohn's and Colitis Caucus. I hope you will join in by encouraging your Congress members to promote IBD awareness. Looking for another way to support people living with IBD? There's still time to join CCFA's Take Steps Be Heard! This weekend, supporters will be walking at 18 sites around the country. Join us and make your voice heard! And one more exciting update: please keep an eye out for our brand new website this summer – we're planning to launch new web features to give you easy access to IBD resources and support. Beating the Odds with IBD: Terri's Story Terri Weidner Terri Weidner's symptoms began in 1971, when she was just 18. Fresh out of high school, her adult life barely begun, she spent the next 10 years "doctor-hopping" while suffering the debilitating effects of her disease. An exploratory surgery finally revealed that Terri had Crohn's disease. Forty years and one extensive intestinal surgery later, Terri has raised three children and works as a full-time registered nurse. "My life is full and satisfying," says Terri. "I don't dwell on what is wrong with me; I look at what is right with me." Read Terri's story in her own words. Read More Travel Tips for Summer Vacations Any successful vacation requires a lot of planning, especially when you're facing health concerns. However, travel is well within the reach of any patient who is already managing Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Whether you're traveling to the beach or abroad, planning ahead will help ensure smoother summer travel. CCFA has compiled helpful information for patients traveling with IBD, including lists of international names for commonly prescribed IBD medications, ideas for meal planning, and tips on finding restrooms on the road. Run with Team Challenge in Nashville! Team Challenge We are very excited to announce that CCFA has added Nashville as a destination for Team Challenge in September! With our first venture into Tennessee, you can now sign up for our endurance training and fundraising program in 26 states! When you run with Team Challenge at The Lady Speed Stick Women's Half Marathon in Nashville, you'll experience Music City at its finest: Country Music Hall of Fame, Music Row, Centennial Park, great Nashville neighborhoods and a street party in Downtown Nashville. The custom finisher's medal, designer goodie bag, cookie cafe and much, much more make this half marathon and 5k a spectacular event! Find a team today! MAY 2012 ISSUE Support Research for Happier Lives We have made astonishing advances in understanding IBD – but there is still work to be done. Your tax-deductible donation helps CCFA fund crucial research to treat and cure IBD. Donate Now Healthy Living Tip doctors HEALTHY LIVING TIP In our Expert Q&A Library you'll find IBD questions submitted by people like you, and answers provided by our panel of IBD experts. Healthy starts here! Read More Inspirato NEW PARTNERSHIP CCFA is excited to announce a partnership with Inspired Giving by Inspirato, a members-only luxury destination club. Find out how you can gain members-only access to Inspirato, while donating to CCFA. Browse Inspired Giving Vacations. Read More Donate Now YouTube Facebook Twitter Forward to a friend Need Help? | Team Challenge | Take Steps | Chapter Events Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America | www.ccfa.org 888.MY.GUT.PAIN (888.694.8872)

April Issue of CCFA

This is from the April Issue of CCFA

Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President Rick Geswell, CCFA President Spring has finally arrived! We have many exciting activities and programs taking place that we hope you will participate in. There is still time to sign up for a Take Steps Be Heard walk near you. This program is the lifeblood of CCFA and we hope to get as many feet walking as possible! See below for details on a great Take Steps contest with a chance to meet Nolan Ryan! Register today for a walk in your community. If you prefer running, it's not too late to join our half marathon events in scenic Virginia, California Wine Country, and Hawaii. And what would summer be without Camp Oasis? Both campers and volunteers are invited to sign up for 2012 camps, and have adventures they never imagined. Join us! From patient to doctor: David's story David Griffin Diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was eight-years-old, David Griffin was in and out of remission growing up. Adolescent years are difficult for any teen – but they were especially trying for David. "The side effects of the treatments can be more psychologically devastating than the illness itself," he recalls. Sometimes, David wouldn't take his medicine for fear of those side effects, putting himself at risk for Crohn's-related complications. Today, David is in medical school. Learning about the human body will prepare him to be a doctor and also help him to be a better patient. Read David's story. Read More CCFA Partners: Building a Platform for Success Our CCFA Partners program is building a legacy of knowledge for a better future! CCFA Partners is an Internet-based cohort study in which we are partnering with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients in an online community. Through the web, we are using the program to collect information from IBD patients across the country to learn about the impact of IBD on their health. This opportunity for patients to contribute to advances in their own care has an unprecedented potential to improve the quality of life for patients everywhere. If you haven't done so already, please take the time to participate in this important study. It's an easy way for you to take part in helping us find cures. Learn more about CCFA Partners and help us make a difference. Vote for your favorite! CCFA is launching a monthly giving program for special donors who want to increase their commitment to CCFA's mission, but we still need a name for the program! We've narrowed it down to our top choices: click on your favorite to help us decide! No matter which name is chosen, the support that CCFA receives through monthly giving is truly important. Committed monthly donors ensure that we have a steady stream of income to expand our programs, and fund cutting-edge research that may one day lead to cures for IBD. We look forward to sharing the winner with you soon. Thanks for voting! Giving Circle Research Champions Friends with GUTS CCFA Sustainers APRIL 2012 ISSUE Support Research for Happier Lives As the leader in IBD research, CCFA needs your support to fund cutting-edge research to treat and cure IBD. Your gift can help improve the quality of life of many patients. Donate Now Healthy Living Tip doctors HEALTHY LIVING TIP Talking to your doctor about the possible side effects of any treatment you consider goes a long way towards healthier living – starting here! Read More WALK TO WIN Meet Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and win a trip to the North Texas Gala! Take Steps is running a nationwide fundraising incentive from April 16th - May 1st for two tickets to the gala, two airline tickets, and a two-night hotel stay. For every $100 raised between April 16th - May 1st, you will be entered into a drawing for one chance to win. The more money you raise, the more chances to win! The Gala is Thursday, May 24th at 6:30 pm. Read More Donate Now YouTube Facebook Twitter Forward to a friend Need Help? | Team Challenge | Take Steps | Chapter Events Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America | www.ccfa.org 888.MY.GUT.PAIN (888.694.8872)