ulcerative colitis - IBD Lean on Me

Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Part 1: When Medications and Diet Aren’t Enough

By cdfmacklin | June 21, 2023June 22, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Weighing the decision The dreaded “S-word”. The thought of surgery can bring up a ton of emotions for those living with IBD. Some are negative, like fear, panic, and uncertainty. Others are more positive – change, hope, and healing. This post is for anyone with IBD who may be considering surgery. Or has undergone surgery…or is supporting someone undergoing surgery. When I was first diagnosed with IBD in 2016, the prospect of surgery rarely crossed…

Self-Compassion

Talking About the Embarrassing Stuff

By cdfmacklin | May 17, 2023May 20, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Hi all. Apologies it’s been so long since I’ve posted. This week we are talking about embarrassment. IBD and embarrassment kind of go hand in hand… Adventures in IBD If you live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, chances are you have had a few embarrassing experiences. Or a lot of them. They can be hard to talk about…the humiliating medical procedures and interactions. The unpredictable bowels. The frequent sprints to the bathroom. Smells. Accidents.…

Diagnosing IBD – what to expect

By cdfmacklin | March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 by cdfmacklin

In the beginning The road to diagnosing IBD is often a frustrating process – overwhelming, scary, and embarrassing. Your whole world can feel like it’s being turned upside down. IBD can be a pain in the butt to diagnose (sorry, bad pun). Symptoms vary person-to-person. You may experience varying degrees of diarrhea, nausea, cramping, bloating, or fatigue. Initially, many chalk it up to nothing. IBD can be mistaken for a laundry list of different issues,…

Ostomy

Improving comfort and support with an Ostomy Belt

By cdfmacklin | March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Ostomy life After my ileostomy surgery, I don’t think anybody told me that I would need some sort of supportive belt or cover for my ostomy appliance. To be honest, I was so focused on healing at the time that the thought never really crossed my mind. But as I started to heal, and move around and go more places, I began to notice that my appliance would annoyingly flop around. It felt strange having…

IBD Tips & Tricks

Wellness and IBD – what has worked for me?

By cdfmacklin | March 13, 2023March 16, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Looking back… If only I had a time machine. If I could relay some wellness advice to the “me” of 4 or 5 years ago (the “me” that was sick and struggling and suffering), what would I say to that person? There are a few things I know today that I sure as heck wish I knew then. Things nobody told me. Things I learned the hard way. Some by trial and error. Some I…

IBD Info

The wonderful world of IBD medications

By cdfmacklin | February 7, 2023February 8, 2023 by cdfmacklin

From physician to remission Right now there is no cure for IBD. The main goal then is to find a medication that will put you into remission (heal the lining of your GI tract) and keep you in remission. For some, this will be a relatively straightforward process: you find a med that works and stay on it (“maintenance”). Likely forever. Or until they find a cure for IBD. Or until your body develops a…

Symptoms & Complications

Crohn’s and Colitis – the Struggle is Real

By cdfmacklin | January 31, 2023February 3, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Can I buy a bowel? Wheel of Fortune jokes aside, living with IBD can be painful. It can be frustrating. Scary. Embarrassing. Agonizing…Soul crushing. I can think of a lot of gloomy adjectives to describe it. And IBD often varies so much person-to-person – age of diagnosis, symptoms, response to medications, extent of disease. No two people’s experience is the same. I’ve had quite the…ahem…colorful experience with IBD. There was a period of a couple…

Self-Compassion

Self-compassion & Chronic Illness Part 2

By cdfmacklin | January 27, 2023January 26, 2024 by cdfmacklin

What could have been… As I said in my last post, one of the most important lessons that I am still learning in regard to living with IBD is self-compassion. By no means am I an expert. I have most likely just barely scratched the surface when it comes to the potential of self-compassion, but it has been immensely helpful. I often think how things might have turned out differently had I adopted a more…

Self-Compassion

Self-compassion & Chronic Illness Part 1

By cdfmacklin | January 24, 2023March 13, 2023 by cdfmacklin

Self-acceptance. Self-care. Self… Those words mean so many different things to different people. And in today’s fast-paced, individualistic and overly-critical society, self-compassion is often seen as indulgent. We are told to “suck it up” or “grin and bear it”. Some view self-compassion as a weakness. Or it is something we “treat ourselves with” when things are going bad. Self-compassion is none of those things. For individuals living with chronic illness (IBD or other), self-compassion is…

IBD Info

IBD 101: the Basics

By cdfmacklin | January 22, 2023January 13, 2024 by cdfmacklin

Inflammatory bowel what? So what the heck is IBD anyway? I’ve been talking about it a lot, but I have yet to actually define it. Whoops. Most of you reading are likely already well versed in IBD: you are living it, or you know someone who is living with it. But for those of you who are unfamiliar, new to IBD, or need a refresher…here are a few quick IBD facts. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)…

Tag: ulcerative colitis

Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Part 1: When Medications and Diet Aren’t Enough

Talking About the Embarrassing Stuff

Diagnosing IBD – what to expect

Improving comfort and support with an Ostomy Belt

Wellness and IBD – what has worked for me?

The wonderful world of IBD medications

Crohn’s and Colitis – the Struggle is Real

Self-compassion & Chronic Illness Part 2

Self-compassion & Chronic Illness Part 1

IBD 101: the Basics

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