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)