Favorite Orgs for Essential UC Info
Each year, Everyday Health editors attend DDW, the world’s largest gathering of physicians, researchers, and industry in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery.
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF)
CCF is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding the cure for UC and Crohn’s. The organization is at the forefront of IBD research and works to educate, empower, and support individuals afflicted with these diseases. Find your local chapter by visiting the CCF website.
American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
This society, made up of more than 3,000 colon and rectal surgeons, is dedicated to advancing and promoting the science and practice of treating patients with diseases and disorders affecting the colon, rectum, and anus. Although it is geared toward professionals in the field, the website has an educational library with videos and resources for finding a surgeon.
Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason
This research institute at Virginia Mason in Seattle is one of the few establishments devoted to finding the causes of autoimmune diseases like UC and their cures. Benaroya has already helped advance research in more than 80 diseases of the immune system. The autoimmune life blog provides information on community events and personal stories from patients living with an autoimmune disease.
Favorite Ulcerative Colitis Blogger
Sam Cleasby created her blog in 2013 to raise awareness of IBD and her struggles with self-esteem. Cleasby also has a radio show on BBC Radio Sheffield in which she shares about modern family life, including relationships, disability, nutrition, and kids. You can subscribe to her blog via email or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
Favorite Resource for Diet Advice
Crohn’s and Colitis Diet Guide
This book by A. Hillary Steinhart, MD, provides dietary strategies and recipes to help manage inflammatory bowel disease. The head of the combined division of gastroenterology for Mount Sinai Hospital and the University Health Network in Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Steinhart worked with the clinical dietitian Julie Cepo to offer well-researched dietary advice for people to maintain health during flare-ups as well as periods of remission. The book is packed with 150 recipes, from risotto to stew, to help anyone with IBD eat well and prevent malnutrition.
Doctors assured Danielle Walker that her diet was not a factor in her ulcerative colitis flares. But after years of suffering and multiple hospitalizations, Walker realized that she needed to make dietary changes. At the two-year remission mark, the mom, wife, and self-trained chef began blogging about her experience and sharing recipes to help others struggling with IBD. You can buy Walker’s cookbooks on her website, which is loaded with nutritional resources including a blog and videos.
Favorite Apps
This all-in-one app helps you track symptoms and general information about sleep, stress, diet, and fitness, which you can share with your doctor. You can also read doctor-approved articles or ask questions directly to medical experts.
For more of our favorite ulcerative colitis apps, check out 5 Phone Apps for People with UC.
Favorite Retreats
Over a decade ago, the CCF established a residential summer camp to enrich the lives of children living with IBD. The camp is offered in most major regions nationwide as a way for adolescents living with IBD to see that they are not alone, try their hand at new sports and activities, and create friendships with people who truly understand them.
Ages vary by camp location. To find a camp near you, please visit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation website.
What started as a weekend get-together among five IBD bloggers has grown into a worldwide support network of women living with inflammatory bowel disease. Group members share stories and experiences to help one another gain confidence despite IBD or an ostomy. The organization provides supplies for those in need of help from ostomy surgery, as well as a pen pal program to help women connect, and an annual retreat. Sign up for their newsletter to receive news and updates quarterly.
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