Year in Review of 2012

WOW! What a year 2012 has been we have seen alot of things that have transpired throughout this Year of Triumph, Tragedy, Olympic moments, Celebrities, Politics, Debates, Weather and Elections, Boy What a Year of ALL that. As we are gearing up and looking forward to a WHOLE NEW YEAR I am reflecting on how GOD is so GREAT and so GOOD for allowing us to Experience 2012 FEARLESSLY, 2012 Was an AMAZING time for me and it was also a very unique time as well this was going to be a 1 in a lifetime experience for me because of the significants of 12/12/12 MAN! It was the BEST time of my LIFE! YAY!! because I know I won't see that again so it was a 1 in a lifetime experience for me what a Wonderful Life I have. Now that it's 2013 My pray is for PEACE and JOY this New Year. Blessings Here is a video from GMA's Year of 2012.

Help Us Celebrate Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week

Here is our December 2012 Issue from www.ccfa.org.

Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President Rick Geswell We are thrilled to be celebrating the second annual Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week, which is an opportunity to rally all Americans to join in the effort to find cures for IBD. I'm confident that together we can accomplish a great deal and one day we'll find cures. In the meantime, we'll continue to help patients cope with resources like our first patient app, GI Buddy, and our upcoming teleconference, Decisions & IBD Management. Learn more about Awareness Week and how you can help by visiting www.ccfa.org/awareness, or following us on Facebook and Twitter. Let's make 2013 a year of even more progress. Give a tax-deductible gift by December 31st and your donation will be matched by our board of trustees. That's twice the funds for IBD research and support programs! I can't think of a better way to celebrate Awareness Week. Meet GI Buddy – Your Brand New IBD Support System GI Buddy tool available as iPhone app and on desktop computers Managing your IBD just got easier thanks to our new tool: GI Buddy. Developed by a team of technology and IBD experts, GI Buddy enables people with IBD to manage and track all aspects of their disease in real-time: symptoms, treatment, diet, and lifestyle. Using this information, the tool generates comprehensive reports to help patients understand certain features of their disease – and provides important topics for discussion with your doctor. The tool is available online on our I'll Be Determined website and as an iPhone app. Holiday Eating & IBD While the holiday season is more than gathering for meals and exchanging gifts, food plays a major role in many of our holiday traditions. With so many food options, it can be hard to navigate what you can and cannot eat while living with IBD. You might feel hesitant or uncomfortable about accepting party or dinner invitations. However, with a little bit of patience, common sense, and diligence you don’t have to let your IBD take the pleasure out of holiday eating. It is important to remember that while there is no particular diet plan recommendation for individuals with IBD, there are a few common sense tips that can help manage some common symptoms. These tips should be considered every day, but can be helpful in making your holiday eating more pleasurable. Teleconference Thursday: Decisions & IBD Management Register for Decisions and IBD Webcast There is no one way to manage IBD. Each treatment plan requires careful consideration of all options and good communication with your healthcare team. This teleconference/webcast will provide the latest information on IBD treatments, including complementary and alternative therapies, and the risks and benefits associated with each. We will also discuss questions to ask your doctor and the best places to find reliable information. Join us this Thursday, December 6th at 2:30pm ET for this free teleconference/webcast. Register today! DECEMBER 2012 ISSUE Support Research for Happier Lives The more research we do, the closer we get to cures. Help us fund breakthrough IBD research. Your generosity will be matched – dollar for dollar – up to $80,000 through December 31st. Talk with your doctor about flu prevention Get moving in 2013! Resolve to get moving in 2013! Take Steps walks are an excellent way to connect with other patients and community members while raising funds and awareness for CCFA. Register for your local walk today. Start a fundraising page with CCFA! Shopping for a Cause Before you start your holiday shopping, remember to quickly download Socialvest, and have your everyday online shopping benefit CCFA – forever! It's fast, free, and easy – get started right now! 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)

Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week December 1-7

As we are coming to a close of 2012 I am so EXCITED about this month, this month I celebrate with the Millions of those that are or have been diagnose with Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis. Here is a Press Release from ccfa.org. This is are 2nd annual Celebration and I am so honored to use my voice in raising awareness about Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Gears Up For Second Annual Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week On December 1-7

New York, NY-December 1, 2012- Due to the enactment of Senate Resolution 199 on November 14, 2011, The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) celebrates Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week from December 1-7, 2012. The week is reserved to encourage all Americans to join in the effort to find cures for inflammatory bowel diseases, help raise awareness and support research for the 1.4 million Americans battling Crohn’s and colitis. CCFA will also give a preview to its upcoming awareness campaign “Escape The Stalls” during this week. “This year’s awareness week gives us yet another opportunity to shed light on these debilitating diseases and highlight the efforts being made to find cures,” said Richard Geswell, President of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. “CCFA is increasing our outreach this year to reach a wider audience with a message that will bring attention to this very important cause affecting so many Americans.” Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affects 1 in 200 people in the United States. They are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive track, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require numerous hospitalizations and surgery. The Senate Resolution 199 on November 14, 2011 expresses appreciation to the family members and caregivers who support Americans living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It also commends health care professionals who care for these patients and biomedical researchers who work to advance research aimed at developing new treatments for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In support of Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America is asking people to: • Write to their House Representatives and encourage them to join the Crohn’s & Colitis Caucus: http://capwiz.com/ccfa/home/; • “Like” the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ccfafb) and follow the Foundation on Twitter (twitter.com/ccfa) and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/ccfa); • Update all social media channels with CCFA Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week social media updates; • Sign up for CCFA’s e-newsletter at: http://online.ccfa.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1781; • Start your very own fundraising page at: http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/team?ftid=7310 ; • Reach out to anyone you know with IBD and let them know you care. Visit www.ccfa.org to learn more about the diseases and get more patient resources, including CCFA’s Information Resource Center (http://www.ccfa.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/talk-to-a-specialist/) About CCFA The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CCFA’s mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872, like us on Facebook, find us on Pinterest, LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter.