Stacy's Story

Stacey doesn't remember a time before IBD. 

She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was 18 months old and still struggles with IBD today, at age 43. 

People like Stacey are the reason that Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is working nonstop to find better treatments and cures for these dreadful diseases.I'm so grateful for everything you're doing to help us get there. 

As a child, Stacey spent a lot of her childhood in the hospital – missing school, birthday parties, and summer days at the beach. 

Her symptoms eased up during her teenage years, but things got much worse in her 20s. First, she was diagnosed with colon cancer, which she successfully treated... but soon after, she developed Crohn's disease. 

By the time she was 35, she'd undergone 14 surgeries. 

"I didn't think I'd live to see my son graduate from high school," she says. "The pain and the anguish I've gone through with this disease are more than most people can imagine." 

Health Benefits of Basil

What comes in green, purple, dark opal, boxwood, lemon, cinnamon, cardinal, spicy globe, Holy, Thai, Greek, and Genovese? The answer is - basil! Each has a unique appearance, aroma, flavor, and best use.

The basil's name may describe the flavor, as with lemon, cinnamon, and spicy basil. Or it might point you to its best regional recipe use, as with Greek or Thai. Boxwood simply indicates plant shape. With a basil such as Cardinal, the name pays homage to the gorgeous flowers. The accompanying picture is purple basil.

Fresh or dried, basil adds flavor and great nutrition to any meal. Fresh basil also offers some rather surprising health benefits. 

Health Benefits of Basil: 

Basil is high in calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium. The pretty plant holds an amazing range of vitamins from A to Zinc, including a good dose of vitamin K - one of the go-to nutrients for bone health. Holy basil’s water soluble flavonoids help support white blood cells boosting your body’s ability to resist radiation induced chromosome damage.

Fresh basil helps to keep you from getting sick in the first place. The Journal of Microbiological Methods explains how basil’s volatile oils (essential oils) increase your body's resistance to three widespread and resistant food borne bacteria - Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas. Protect your family and make basil a part of your healthy life. It’s deliciously easy. 

Basil is Easy to Grow: 

Basil is happy either in a pot on the window sill or planted directly in a garden. Sow a row of seeds or purchase a few varieties in small nursery pots. Pinch back the flowers to encourage more leaves. Harvest, dry, and crumble leaves for storage in clean, labeled dried herb bottles. Do let a few flower stems go to seed. Snip the stem and place, seed pods down, inside a clean paper bag. After the surrounding pods dry, remove the seeds, and store in an envelope for next year’s garden! New to herb gardening? Organic Gardening’sbasil growing tips are superb.

 

Cooking with Basil: 

Use dried basil in measured teaspoons. Or rinse and pat dry handfuls of fresh basil and toss them into sauces, soups, and stews. Add basil to egg scrambles at breakfast and sprinkle the leaves on your lunchtime salads. Basil’s flavors, either fresh or dry, work especially well with tomatoes. My favorite way to use fresh basil is to tear it in half and stir into pasta sauce. 

CCFA Irritable Bowel Disease Seminar

Don’t forget to register for the

2013 ORLANDO EDUCATION IBD SEMINAR

 hosted at the Orlando Science Centeron Saturday, October 19^th.

 

FREE EVENT

SEATS LIMITED – register today athttp://online.ccfa.org/2013orlandoeducationseminar

Protection from Heart Disease

Protect yourself from heart disease

Lycopene: Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that has been reported to decrease the risk of heart attacks as well as inhibit cancer cell growth. This phytochemical is one of beta-carotene’s carotenoid relatives.

Top foods: Tomatoes, guava, apricots, papaya, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

Resveratrol: Resveratrol is a phytochemical protecting against heart disease by limiting clot formation and inflammation that can damage artery walls.

Top foods: Red wine, grape skins and peanuts.

Quercetin: The phytochemical quercetin has natural anti-inflammatory ability that helps protect against blood clots.

Top foods: Apples, onions, green tea, cranberries, buckwheat 
and beans.

Beta glucan: Is a soluble fibre that helps reduce cholesterol levels.

Top foods: Oats, barley, rye, wheat and mushrooms

Omega 3: The essential fatty acid omega 3 can help reduce inflammation and
risk of clots.

Top foods: Flaxseeds, walnuts and oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies).

Folate: Folate can also protect against heart disease. Without folate, homocysteine (by-product of metabolism) accumulates and can enhance blood clot formation and arterial wall damage increasing the risk of heart disease.

Top foods: Soybeans, leafy greens such as spinach and silverbeet, broccoli, peas, asparagus, avocados, chickpeas, lentils, and fortified breads and breakfast. 

Patient Question: If you are in remission, will there still be signs of disease seen during colonoscopy?

A. Patients with Crohn’s disease may feel completely well but have quite active disease at the time of colonoscopy. For this reason, your medical provider may recommend that you undergo periodic blood work, stool studies or even a follow up colonoscopy to make sure that the inflammation is under control. In patients with ulcerative colitis, there is usually a much stronger correlation between how patients feel and the findings on colonoscopy. Despite that, I estimate that up to 15% of patients with ulcerative colitis will have significant inflammation in the colon even when they feel well.

eam Challenge Takes You to Las Vegas!

Race like a rock star with Team Challenge, CCFA's half marathon training and fundraising program. Participate in a professional training program designed to meet your unique "walk or run" fitness needs.

When you join Team Challenge, you'll also help raise critical dollars for research, education, and support programs to help the 1.4 million people suffering from Crohn's and colitis. Our next stop: The Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half Marathon on November 17, 2013. Join the Team on the Vegas Strip in an incredible night race! 

Get Started Now at An Online Info Meeting

You can learn more about Team Challenge and how to join your local team at one of our online info meetings:

Date:	Time:	Login info:
August 13	8:30p EST/ 5:30p PST	https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/644102070 Call in: 1-877-309-2071, Access Code: 279-306-854
August 19	8:00p EST/ 5:00p PST	https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/546015750  Call in: 1-877-309-2071, Access Code: 583-039-155

All attendees will receive a special regisration discount to join Team Challenge. Can't make the webinars but want to learn more? Let us knowand a Team Challenge manager will contact you directly!

Auto Immune Disease Causes

Shocking information about the EPA and other environmental government agencies hiding toxic evidence.

Crohn's and Colitis Picture Project

Take a moment to stop by www.cdpictureproject.com
But first below........
This is a must read and I guarantee you will be glad you took the time to do so.

 

How many people ( including family and friends) that you know have no idea what you "really" deal with on a daily basis? I bet you look great most times on the outside and put on a happy face.  Because of this, no one, except other Crohn's and Colitis patients understand.

 

Did you have a surgery (surgeries) that is not visible?  Answer probably YES
Do you hide your scars? Probably YES
Do you sometimes wish you could just show people your surgical victory scars?
Are you embarrassed to show people?

 

When in the hospital have you had to measure your bodily functions every time you go to the bathroom? Often times I wanted to take a picture so even my immediate family understood how inconvenienced I am.

 

How about the NG tube, IV's, machines, oxygen, picc lines; etc? 

 

It's time to put a face and a body to this horrible life long illness.

 

I thought about breast cancer survivors, heart patients, kidney dialysis patients, 
diabetics and other illnesses and how they potentially can carry on with their lives after a surgery.  They can participate in Relay for Life and other related type walks and fundraisers.  There are several such walks and fundraisers for Crohn's and Colitis but how many of us can really participate?  If we are in remission we sometimes don't want to even think about CD or Colitis for as long as we can until the next flare!  No wonder our funding isn't what it should be.

 

The TV commercials show people looking for restrooms, drugs such as Humira and Remicade.  I believe anyone not familiar with the disease thinks we just need to go to the bathroom a lot.  Whoopie, what's so bad about that?
Do you think a commercial is not enough?  I certainly do.

 

My mission is to document stories and pictures of our scars, medications, TPN, infusions, and what people "don't see".  The impact will turn heads.
I know I'm on the right track.  So many people have submitted head shots and body shots.  I have a hard time looking at them and get upset at the enormous amount of people dealing with the impact of CD/ IBD.

 

I for one do not what anyone to see my body deformations.  I bet you feel the same way.  I have an ostomy and it can be quite disturbing to those not familiar with one.

 

So, I have found a way to anonymously compile many pictures.   I don't care who they belong to, only that I receive them.  Many people want to allow their names to be displayed so I created a "Featured Story Page".  That's fine but definitely not 
necessary.

 

What will I do with all these pictures and documentations?  Glad you asked.

 

I will spend the next year or two, organizing and collecting all I can of our behind the scenes lives.  Next I will put it into manuscript form or book to present to legislative branches of health for each state. This manuscript (book) will be useful for doctors, GI students and advocates.   It will be a big project but I figure, I can't work and why not spend my time helping myself and others find a cure.  The first step is to show the need.  Talking and reading about it just isn't going to cut it.  I think we need IMPACT.  Raise eyebrows, hear a few, wows, I didn't know it was that bad!  I am a web designer so I can easily keep the project visible.

 

I went through the trouble of providing a picture uploader on the site.  I even have a sample of what comes through to cdpictureproject@gmail.com.  It show only a file number, no names (unless you want to share), just pictures and documents.
If you take a picture of your entire self, I will crop only the mid section of your body image so there's no need to go through much trouble on your end.

 

Like I said, there a many who wish to reveal their identities because they are advocates for the disease.  They feel as I do.  Not enough is being done.

 

Please help us help you and contribute in any way you can.  I am seeking out professionals with the illness such as lawyers, doctors and others.  We know this illness does not discriminate.  We've seen celebrities come forward.  They can only do so much and they certainly don't want to tarnish their image by really "putting it out there".  Another reason we need pictures.

 

Remember, everything is 100% anonymous, private and will not be shared publicly or without your written permission. The website is in its infancy so please excuse the simplicity at this time.  It will evolve into something amazing.

 

If you have a google email, please add me to your circle or request I add you.  I will keep you informed as we progress. I can also share from google drive what you might need to help assist.

 

I of course would love any help or input.  I know you are out there with talents I could absolutely utilize.  I am looking for CD Picture Project representatives in each state.  I am in Florida to get the ball rolling.  I do not think I can afford to represent to each state physically at Board of Health meetings at this time.  In the future I will travel but am relying on participation from anyone who can give a few hours a month.

 

Finally, the website address iswww.CDPictureProject.com

 

Go there asap, tell your Facebook Support Pages to participate.  Get the word out.
I am also working on a page right now to list every support page I can find.  If you have a url address please forward to me.  If you need my direct phone number, please email me.  I do respond much quicker by email however.

 

Thank you in advance, we are gonna make this happen!
Have a fabulous day, keep the faith and keep smiling.
Anna Marie

 

Team Challenge Florida Kickoff

I wanted to personally invite you to our Team Challenge Vegas/Miami Information Meeting/Kick-off this SATURDAY, August 3^rd, 9:00 am. (Info Meeting)10:00 a.m. (Kick-off) at Mimi’s Café in Altamonte Springs.  This is a great way to meet other Team Challenge participants, learn more about Team Challenge and celebrate the beginning to our Winter Season with a delicious brunch from Mimi’s! : )

 

If you attend, you will be entered into a raffle for the change to win a cool prize! 

 

Please R.S.V.P. by emailing me back.  Please feel free to bring someone as well. We need your help to make this our BIGGEST SEASON YET!! Thank you so much and we hope to see you there! : )

 

Saturday, August 3, 9:00 a.m. (Info Meeting) 10:00 a.m. (Kick-off)

Mimi's Café

525 E Altamonte Dr

Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

 

Take care and have a great day!  GO TEAM CHALLENGE!

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Layne

lkauffman@ccfa.org

 

	Join Our Group at Crohns Disease News and Views - Faceboo

What's your PH?

Most Crohns, IBS, Colitis patients have a hard time digesting greens of any kind. When I was first diagnosed, I was told to avoid ruffage. The cramping wasn't worth eating a salad or vegetables. Bloating and gas is another unpleasant side effect.

It doesn't take much to realize we actually need these nutrient rich antioxidants. The very thing we really need for healing, we can't eat!

I've been doing research on PH balance. Seems confusing but makes so much sense.

Are you alkaline or acidic? There are strips you can buy to check those levels. Inexpensive at Greens Plus.

Take a moment, click on the picture and read about the superfoods that we need. Personally I'd rather eat a nice delicious salad but if I have to, I'll supplement. Can't hurt.

CCFA A Great Legacy

CCFA co-founder Suzanne Rosenthal
and husband Irwin

It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news of our co-founder Suzanne Rosenthal's passing. Suzanne was a fearless, determined and courageous woman who turned her diagnosis of Crohn's disease in 1955 into a legacy that has gone on to benefit hundreds of thousands of people over the years. As a patient, volunteer, and activist, Suzanne was a tireless pioneer for patients living with IBD and other digestive diseases. She dedicated her life to helping other patients, and she is personally responsible for the creation of the various CCFA chapters nationwide.

No words can truly express our gratitude to Suzanne. We will proudly carry on her vision of raising awareness and finding cures. I invite you to read more about Suzanne's legacy here.

Thank you,

Richard J. Geswell
President