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"May 19th is World IBD Day.
IBD stands for inflammatory bowel disease, and is about as fun as it sounds. Specifically, it includes the Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Two - permanent - conditions for which there is no known medical cure that works for certain, no proper known cause, and very little support for the people suffering from it, as it's "rude" or even "taboo" to suffer from something, that means you might have to spend a lot of time on (or near) a toilet. Imagine having to explain to your class mates, that you have no energy, because you're loosing both blood and pretty much everything you eat every day, with no time to really get that energy back. Oh, and you need to stay within one minutes walk of an unoccupied toilet to feel comfortable. That's what it's like to have an IBD when the disease is bad. And for those that are really unlucky, this is every day, every week and every month of the year.
IBD usually hits young people between age 15 and 35, but can also hit children or older people. 1 in 200 people in the US are estimated to suffer from it. If you all do the math, it means that there statistically are Aywas users suffering from this as well. So wear the little hair clip for support the people that might be too shy - or even embarrassed - to explain about their unique daily challenges."
This item will stock in Trash for Treasure until 11:59pm May 26th.
Posted by Eve
(#2775) on Mon May 18, 2015 11:52pm
- DancingInTheMoons
(#67610)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 11:37am
I know a friend who has this, and my dad has it very bad as well, medication sadly doesn't work well for him. I'm glad to see this disease getting some attention on Aywas!
- Lyra
(#37548)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 12:31pm
Thank you for this! My best friend has IBS and various other bowel problems and another friend is celiac. My best friend had had to have a section of his intestine removed due to the disease so it's a serious thing to have. I'll be showing him this when I see him next, he'll be happy that someone cares. A lot of someones it seems. - L
- Hikari Elric
(#51009)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 12:54pm
(sorry for how long this is)
I don't have IBD, I do however have IBS, SMA (Superior mesenteric artery syndrome), and Acid Reflux (or so far that's the 3 that I've been diagnosed with, the first 2 here in the past few years, acid reflux I've known since I was quite a bit younger 'cause it runs in the family). I can't even begin to imagine how badly IBD would suck to have to live with. Everybody seems to think as it is that the 3 I've got are a joke, let alone how bad people can be about other issues. Everybody always tells me "Oh I wish I could do that" when they find out I can eat basically all day and still not gain any weight hardly, but then quickly realize it's not as fun as it sounds when I explain that I have to pretty much constantly try to eat just so I can keep my energy levels up and so I don't loose more weight (I went from around 160 at my heaviest to finally getting back up to 110ish last time I got weighed and that's with clothes on so more like 105ish) and that I can only do this because I have all these issues and my body processes the food so quickly and because I also have low blood pressure and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which means IF i don't keep those up there's a very real possibility that I could pass out and that the SMA sucks as it is because when I eat, I get nausea, sometimes vomiting, and a pain in the left side of my stomach, and I have to make sure I try to eat all the time because my body doesn't properly absorb the nutrients from the food I eat because it processes everything so quickly because of the IBS and SMA and I have to watch what I eat because of the issues associated with both that I can loose weight very quickly if I don't eat enough (and that my metabolism seems to have sped up now that I'm not on all the steroid based meds for my asthma and allergies). Having these conditions also means that I'm supposed to take medication every day for the acid reflux, and it's supposed to help my other stomach issues too. I'm also supposed to avoid spicy, acidic, meat, fried and fatty food, chocolate, potato chips, tomatos, french fries, coffee, tea, dairy, grain, pop, and quite a few other things all of which I love, either because they can aggravate the IBS or the Acid Reflux, I'm basically in the boat of because of one health issue or another that if I followed every diet restriction I'd only ever drink water and wouldn't be able to eat really anything... but at the end of the day, I know that (other than the acid reflux) none of my stomach issues will really cause any lasting damage unlike IBD.
- Dramione4Ever
(#66497)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 1:20pm
I found out recently my old HS History teacher has Chron's. I adored him, so when I found out, I started sobbing. I personally don't have it, but knowing someone who loved to Skateboard now does hurts. I can't imagine what he says to his classes. Thank you, Aywas, for posting this. Mr. Z would love you for it. I know I do.
- Dramione4Ever
(#66497)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 1:21pm
I found out recently my old HS History teacher has Chron's. I adored him, so when I found out, I started sobbing. I personally don't have it, but knowing someone who loved to Skateboard now does hurts. I can't imagine what he says to his classes. Thank you, Aywas, for posting this. Mr. Z would love you for it. I know I do.
- Amethyst💜Unicorn
(#43010)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 3:37pm
Thank you so much for adding this - I suffer from IBD, and currently dealing with a severe c. diff infection. It means a lot to have the support of my favorite site! <3
- exo
(#39262)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 5:28pm
My mom has Ulcerative Colitis and my niece has Crohn's Disease. Thank you for bringing awareness to this! Not only is the disease humiliating for them, but it makes long car trips impossible, so it damages both their self esteem and their mobility. ):
- Ash
(#90)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 9:21pm
It's great to see representation for this for sure! My girlfriend suffers from Crohn's and some days it just knocks her out completely, or she can't eat at all because of her symptoms. It's 'in remission' for the most part right now, but there's always the worry of it returning full-force and hospitalizing her again.
- Satin & Chenille
(#10)
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Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 10:00pm
its cool to see a news post about this actually bringing awareness about it. i was aware this existed and also that there would probably be stigma around it bc its not easy to talk about having bowel problems in "polite company" or however it is. but its good to have it talked about. i know aywas is a petsite and not a hub for medical condition knowledge but i would like to see something like this more often. its very thoughtful. doesnt have to be an item with it of course but obviously this got a conversation going so it was a good thing to put in a news post.
not entirely related but: i noticed the ehlers-danlos ribbon on the sidebar and found the website linked was a good start for researching the condition. i am actually planning on seeing a doctor to understand where my joint pain is coming from and i have begun to suspect eds due to the fact that i am very hypermobile in most of my joints(and other reasons, but mainly that)- something i never noticed as out of the ordinary until recently. it didnt occur to me to research that specific condition until i saw the ribbon though. whether or not i have it, it is certainly good to have the awareness...i did not know anything about finger splints for example, and id like to get a few of these to keep my fingers from bending backwards when i type.
it would be awesome if there were discussion threads about these conditions here :o perhaps users should start them. maybe i will start one.
anyway sorry for derailing when the topic is ibd. much support for those who have it. it sounds like one of those "invisible" illnesses, something other people can't see so they dismiss how it affects a person.
Posted on: Tue May 19, 2015 11:07am
My son (almost 2) was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. So while we have gotten the much lighter life sentence, as it's easily manageable with the right diet, we still know what it's like to watch someone suffer from a bowel condition. :(
Wishing the best for everyone here that suffers from IBD and related disorders, and that you will learn how to best manage your condition and live life again! <3