Hope For The Future by Sarah Brocker

The below post is written by Sarah Brocker, the IIF’s second Intense Intestines Scholarship winner. I was diagnosed when I was 12 years old and missed 58 days of school that year. At that time, I did not understand the meaning of forever, but I did know that my symptoms were embarrassing and I did […]

What Helped Me During My Dark Days with Crohn’s Disease

My last post was about how everyone in the IBD community, as well as their IBD, is different–and thereby how different methods of awareness and remediation are needed. I’ve continued to think about this topic more and more since the end of IBD Awareness Week. While looking back on my journey with IBD, I began […]

My Dark Days With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Many times I get asked if I’ve actually had it bad with Crohn’s disease. The main reason why I believe I’m asked that is because I like to keep a positive attitude and not dwell on a lot the negatives that I’ve been put through during my journey with IBD. The reality is that even […]

Opening Up About My Crohn’s Disease by Lauren Beach (IIF Scholarship Winner)

If I was asked to write a piece like this two years ago, I think my response to it would have been completely different, in fact, I am not sure I would have even been able to answer the question at all. “How do I decide to tell people I have Crohn’s Disease?” It has […]

Intense Intestines Events: Magic and Mischief featuring Vinny DePonto

Join the Intestine Intestines Foundation for a night of magic, mischief and fundraising! Magician Vinny DePonto will wow you with his mind reading, tricks and illusions while you help raise critical funds for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and ostomy awareness. I promise you that you’ll leave saying “How did he do that?”. Vinny DePonto has […]

What the Word Ostomy Means to Me

Posted by Brian Greenberg. As today is World Ostomy Day I’m reflecting back on not just the almost 3 years that I’ve lived with an ostomy now, but the years leading up to my ostomy as well. The word “ostomy” is one that many in different chronic illness communities fear. For some people and I […]

IBD Is Different For Everyone, Even In The Same Family.

As an IBD advocate I find myself talking about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis all the time. Over the past few years I’ve been amazed at how many families have multiple members with an IBD. My family has two members who are affected by Crohn’s disease. Not only do I have Crohn’s, but my older […]

Jennifer Aniston Makes A Comment About Ostomies

A few weeks ago I was told about something that shocked me. Apparently while being interviewed by Extra, Jennifer Aniston made a comment about a possible friends reunion, saying: “I think we’re getting to the point where we’re going to be friends with wheelchairs and colostomy bags.” While this comment isn’t nearly as bad as […]

Independence With IBD

We all know living with an IBD isn’t easy. When a flare hits and symptoms are not a secondary thought and life is anything but normal. Many times we have to curl up with a heating pad for pain or pick a room to relax in closest to the bathroom. During these times life is […]

Three Powerful Words: Never Stay Quiet

To say I was going through a lot in the beginning of last year would be a ridiculous understatement. I was just figuring out life with an ileostomy after battling 12 years of ulcerative colitis and undergoing 14 major operations when out of nowhere I was diagnosed with another auto immune disease that greatly impacted […]

Awarding the First Intense Intestines Scholarship

The Intense Intestines Foundation would like to thank all of the applicants who applied for the first IIF scholarship. Our mission is to help those young adults who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease reach their higher education goals and that wouldn’t have been possible without all of your continuous, and much appreciated support. Living with […]

Response From The Cincinnati Police Department About Using Ostomies As A Scare Tactic

As many of you know there has been a lot going on in the ostomy and IBD communities after the Cincinnati police department was using ostomies as a scare tactic to sway inner city youth from violent acts. Below is the response from the Interm Police Chief. ~Brian Email from Lt. Col. Humphries – 8/2/13 […]

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Confusion ~ Does Anyone Really Know What’s Going On?

If you’re reading this blog then I’m guessing that you know what it’s like to live with a chronic disease or at the very least you know someone who lives with a disease. Going about your day-to-day life with a condition like Inflammatory bowel disease can be daunting. Everyday starts with a question mark, everyday […]

2nd Hospital Visit of the Year ~ Partial Blockage/Precautionary Action

Many times we can see when our Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis is going to flare. We can feel something slowly changing and know that something is brewing in our body. Sometimes though that isn’t the case and our IBD can cause us problems before we have a chance to blink. This is what happened […]

Relationships and Dating with an IBD or Ostomy ~ The Talk

When dating with an IBD or ostomy a question always comes up which you ask yourself. It’s something that is thought about even when you aren’t dating and it’s something that’s thought about the minute you meet someone. That question is, how do I tell them about my IBD or ostomy? And then once you […]