IBD and the Weight Loss Struggle

IBD and the Weight Loss Struggle

Thanks and admiration to our friend Eliza for opening up about this sensitive topic, and reaching others who may need to hear her story. Weight, a topic most people care not to always talk about. Add in having IBD and that’s a whole new ballgame. I’ve struggled with my weight for more than half my life, I’ve only lived with IBD for 5 years. I’m not sure which I dislike more, dealing with Crohn’s or struggling with my weight. To be completely honest, one of the first things I knew about IBD was that it could cause weight loss, and the saddest part, I was excited about that fact. I didn’t understand the consequences that came along with weight loss from IBD. I was almost angry and bitter at first when my Crohn’s didn’t cause me to lose any weight at all. I saw people who struggled with keeping weight on as “lucky,” and now, looking back, I can’t believe I ever thought that...
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Cheering Despite Crohn’s

Cheering Despite Crohn’s

Cheering Despite Crohn’s This guest interview comes from a young girl who didn’t let a Crohn’s diagnosis take away her strength and spirit. Read about how Crohn’s has changed her life, why she’ll never give up on her dreams, and her advice for other kids going through the same thing. GBM:  Let’s start by having you introduce yourself. Shaye: My name is Shaye and I’m 11 years old. In September of 2012, I considered myself a very active girl – I was on an elite-level cheerleading team, playing rep soccer, on the diving team, and I had just landed a role in a Christmas pantomime (play). It seems like a lot for anyone, but this was a normal lifestyle for me. I love being active and being involved in things. GBM: What is your diagnosis? Shaye: I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease a few months after I started noticing symptoms. My diagnosis was in May 2013, but I first went to the doctor earlier in...
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Running to the Bathroom

Running to the Bathroom

It’s race day.  The air is cool, the sun is low, adrenaline is high.  The crowds are gathering near the start and off to the side, there is a very, very long line for the portapotty.  EVERYONE is obsessing over having to go.  Waiting in that line, a line that I hope is moving quickly, I wonder how many other people are having the same anxieties as me because I’m not just obsessing, I really need to go.  I’m not just hoping that I can empty my bladder and bowel before the race, but I can feel an urgency that very rapidly will become an immediate need. We all know what this is like.  The “oh no, I need a bathroom and I need it now!” revelation is never fun, particularly when it’s accompanied by a bout of abdominal pain.  So last May, as I congregated with 20,000 friends in Brooklyn, ready to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon, I found myself...
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Never Shrink Your Dreams to Fit Your Life

Never Shrink Your Dreams to Fit Your Life

In this guest post, Niki Sibley of Sole Powered discusses her secret to life, and what she’s doing to not only spread IBD awareness but to bring resources to others strugging. And she’s doing it by running across the state of Washington. Yes, running. Visit her on her Sole Powered Facebook Page. Norman Vincent Peale is credited with saying, “The secret of life isn’t what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.”  He’s right.  Life is notorious for throwing curveballs.  You know the best way to handle curveballs?  You swing for the fences…and you swing hard!  Because in life, you’re not out after 3 strikes, you’re out when you walk away from the plate.  Refuse to walk away.  Refuse to become a victim of circumstance. Since I shared Norman’s secret it’s only fair that I share one of my own.  It’s not really my secret, and technically it’s not really even a secret.  But, for simplicity let’s label it the ‘secret’ to success.  It’s comprised of three...
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From the Bathroom to Kona

From the Bathroom to Kona

From the Bathroom to Kona Grant Henry is Kona Inspired We recently caught up to Grant Henry, a colitis patient and Team Challenge alum who is fighting for awareness with his campaign for an entry into the Kona Ironman World Championships, through the Kona Inspired contest. If he wins, he plans to wear IBD apparel, discuss it in the media, and do everything he can to increase awareness of this and Crohn’s Disease. View his entry video and vote here. GBM: Tell us about your disease. What do you have, when were you diagnosed, any medication or surgical details you want to share, and how are you feeling now? Grant: I suffer from ulcerative colitis and was diagnosed in the summer of 2006 after completing my undergrad. I have actually been lucky from a surgical standpoint, but I have been on a variety of medications over the course of the past seven years. Through trial and error, the two medications that have helped me...
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