Hiking For Crohn's One-Mans-Cross-Country

Check this story OUT! About a Hiker by the name Peter who is Hiking for Crohn's. Here is HIS STORY My name is Peter and everyday I live with Crohn’s disease. Since the age of 8, I’ve lived with intense stomach pain. It all started at a young age when I was still in elementary school, and it has continued into adulthood. Throughout my life I have been diagnosed with stomach ailments such as GIRD, IBD and now Crohn’s. Pain is a constant companion in my life, which makes you live it differently than everyone else. It makes me feel like a strange superhero that can spot a bathroom from a mile away. Just over a year ago I decided to take control of my life and I started a new diet and exercise program, which has transformed me. I am not, by any means, symptom-free, but the pain has subsided, the medication is gone and I am finally able to live my life. That’s why I’m hiking the 3,000 mile, 5-month long Continental Divide Trail (CDT) starting on April 20th. It starts on the Mexican border and finishes on the Canadian border. I am hiking the trail to live out a dream but also to show that for those of us that suffer from diseases such as Crohn’s and colitis, we can still live a normal, active life. Nature will be my cure and therapy and I look forward to sharing it all with you, while raising awareness. Follow me as I hike along the ‘Backbone of America’ on the CDT through my Facebook page: Couch2CDT, Twitter: @Couch2CDT, and my blog at: CouchtoCDT.wordpress.com. You can support Peter and the nearly 1 in 200 Americans with IBD at: http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=241603.

Spring Nutrition Tips

Here is Our May Issue of CCFA Newsletter. Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President Rick Geswell The end of this month marks CCFA's 11th annual IBD Day on the Hill. For those of you not joining us in Washington, DC on May 22 and 23, we encourage you to join us remotely by following us on Twitter @CCFA, using #CCFAHILLDAY for play-by-play updates. You can also make your voice heard by reaching out to your legislators. Spring Nutrition spring bbq With warm weather right around the corner, spring is the perfect time to re-energize your eating habits and focus on your health and fitness. How do you eat well this spring? Start by making sure to stay hydrated. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, if you can tolerate them. Don’t try any new foods right before an event; instead, give your body time to get used to new foods or beverages. Get more nutrition tips and tasty recipes that help manage your IBD here! read more Manage your IBD with GI Buddy and Win an iPod Touch! GI Buddy If you haven't tried GI Buddy yet, you're missing out. Register now and you'll be entered to win an iPod touch® from now until we reach our goal of 6,000 new GI Buddy registrants!* With GI Buddy, you can easily record important aspects of your disease in real-time – including symptoms, treatment, diet, and lifestyle. GI Buddy can generate comprehensive reports to help you understand the full picture of your overall health to share with your healthcare team. * Rules: You must become a GI Buddy registrant through CCFA's GI Buddy online portal or iPhone® application to be eligible. Current GI Buddy, Community or I'll Be Determined registrants are not eligible. Winners will be notified via email and have 90 days to claim their gift. read more Clinical Trials & Other Studies CCFA provides a comprehensive database of studies and other research on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the studies recently added to our list include: Health-Related Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: an online study conducted by the University of Memphis, Dept. of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research. Pediatric Parenting Stress among Parents of Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: an online survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Stout. By participating in a medical study or clinical trial, you can have a more active role in your own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they become widely available, and help others by contributing to medical research. Deciding whether you should participate in a study or clinical trial is an important personal decision, best made with a full understanding of the process of drug development and your specific role.

One Teen's Snowboarding Dreams Almost Derailed

Here is a story about an Olympic hopeful his name is Jacob and here is HIS Story. At only 11 years old, Jacob was a nationally ranked snowboarder and an Olympic hopeful. But the night before a championship, his right tibia and fibula shattered. He was told he would never snowboard again. It felt like the end of the world – but it wasn’t. It was Crohn’s disease. Many people are familiar with the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with Crohn’s – but it affects children’s bodies in other ways too. IBD can actually prevent growing bones from absorbing all the nutrients they need, resulting in weak and brittle bones that break easily. This is what happened to Jacob. Jacob and his family never suspected he had Crohn’s disease – he wasn’t diagnosed until after his leg had healed. Then, at 14, more obvious symptoms appeared and he was plagued with chronic diarrhea and severe weight loss. For the moment, Jacob is in remission and doing great. But he knows there’s a good chance it won’t last. “This medicine isn’t going to work forever… ," he said. Research shows that it’s not uncommon for kids with Crohn’s disease to have weaker muscles and bones. In fact, as many as 40 percent of kids with Crohn’s disease have some growth impairment. This is just one more burden for kids with IBD. But with the support of generous friends like you, CCFA is helping researchers look for solutions. You can support CCFA and keep our vital research going – so kids like Jacob can have better therapies and eventually, cures. The only thing extraordinary about Jacob’s life should be his incredible snowboarding skills – not his Crohn’s disease. PLEASE Visit Our website www.ccfa.org