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THE GRAND CHOP - result

Blog diggidy blog blog :) Hello my lovely blog readers!! *waves*  Thank you for sticking around and continuing to support me even though of late I have been super busy running awareness campaigns, fundraising and trying to change/takeover the world. It's no secret that I have been really busy, I've also really enjoyed talking with many of you and having the opportunity to engage with a small handful of my blog readers. I've seen a lot of issues raised which for me mean there are plenty of topics I would like to blog about but it's just a matter of finding the time to put my thoughts down on paper. Where does the time go? Like seriously? It's been over a week since my last post boooo! Anyhow...

A few weeks ago I told you all about

I explained that in celebration of World IBD Day (19th of May) I would be raising both funds and awareness for Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis by chopping 8 inches of hair off!! If you missed that blog post then simply CLICK HERE to read up on what my challenge was. To recap I was asking for donations which would go to 'Crohn's and Colitis UK' which is the national charity here in the UK for those tackling Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In addition I would be helping out a second charity called the 'Little Princess Trust' who make wigs out of human hair for those who have lost their own hair due to Cancer treatments.

So how did I get on? I hear you all ask.

Considering I had not had my hair cut for the last 15 months or so I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I was excited and nervous...excited/nervous/excited/nervous which in the end drove me a little mad haha I was hopping between both emotions. Excited that I was letting the whole world in on my illness and raising awareness for the 5 million tackling IBD but extremely nervous that I would end up with an awful hair cut! I'll be honest, I have lucked out on the last 26 years and ended up with an awful hair do every time I get my hair cut so I wasn't holding out much hope this time around.

The evening before the big day I was glad to be having a 'trim' as my hair was becoming way too long to manage but I was also in a bit of a sulk as I knew what a big change was ahead of me. I pulled my socks up and settled my nerves with a nice cup of decaff tea mm mm!

So THE BIG DAY waaaaaaa!!

I'm not going to lie the hairdresser was a little in shock when I greeted her at the door with my tape-measure in hand haha It was a great feeling to know that I had a little control over this haircut at least. I wanted 8 inches cutting off or it simply wouldn't count - my donators were all counting on me! As I rambled through the rules of the hair chop the whole time waving the tape-measure around, the lovely Amy (the hairdresser) began to get a sense of how important this cut was going to be. We have all been there - we walk into the hairdressers and ask for 'a trim' and they chop way more off than we want right?! So I felt empowered to say 'LOOK WOMAN THIS IS 8 INCHES - no more' (pah, keep this in mind)

We sat down - in the comfort of my own home (housebound thanks to my Anxiety cause by my IBD - great) and she plated my hair with a bobble at each end. By this point I had waved the tape-measure around so much that Amy was almost a quivering wreck herself. We measured, checked and double checked that we had the right length. Okay so we also checked once more :D

The big moment had arrived at last, there was no going back now!!! With my mother on camera duty to capture all of the action, the chop got underway. Believe me I had already considered changing my mind but with a little encouragement I managed to stay seated and not run for the door. Waaaa! (yes I did actually let out a real squeal) The chop itself felt like it took forever, chop, chop, chop, chop and eventually it was handed to me. Yep - there is was...the most important and expensive haircut of my existence!!

For the next 5 - 10 minutes I sat there very quiet in bewilderment while Amy finished cutting and styling my hair. What had I just done?! "Well you can't stick it back on now!" Jeez thanks mam, really supportive! Haha. Amy was wonderful she kept reassuring me that I was doing something great for others who were not as fortunate as myself. We measured the hair to ensure we had cut the right amount...turns out instead of chopping 8 inches we chopped 9.5 (see what I mean about hairdressers always chopping more? even with me wafting the tape-measure around, her hairdressers instincts took over) but I guess that means more hair for those who need it more than I do.

Once Amy had chopped and changed my hairstyle forever it was time for the grand reveal. Would I like it? Would I hate it? Would I live in a cave for the rest of the year until it grows back?! Hmm well I can't say I LOVE it but I can most definitely live with it. I can't express to you how much of a HUGE change it has been for me. Never ever have I had my hair this short. All my friends have ever known is me with super long hair. So we are most definitely tackling new grounds here. What got me through was the renewed self-worth/self-loving that I have come to find from the whole Get Your Belly Out awareness campaign. What I love most about this awareness campaign for IBD is how everyone inspires each other, to simply deal with what you've got and own it - make it your own. So that is precisely what I am going to do, I shall 'work it' and I am going to own this new haircut!!

I would like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE

if you were one of the marvelous people who donated towards my fundraiser. I can't begin to tell you how much your support means to me! Hopefully every penny we have raised will help in the daily fight which comes hand in hand with having Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. I know times are tough and many are in financial hardship due to medication costs/ limitations of holding down a full time job. Therefore every penny that got donated means more to me than you will ever know!! THE GRAND CHOP raised just short of £400 which is wonderful - THANK YOU!!

The hair has already been packaged and sent on its way to change the life of a young person living with the devastating effects Cancer treatment has on the body. Hopefully my hair donation will help to raise a smile once more. The Little Princess Trust seem like such a wonderful organisation who really help those who need a special boost so I take my hat off to them!! If I have inspired you to support this charity then CLICK HERE to find out more about the Little Princess Trust... DON'T CLICK THE LINK YET - I have my haircut video to show you :P

What have I learnt from my first ever BIG fundraiser?! Errrmmm ... I have learnt that people who I considered 'friends' don't care for me as much as I would have hoped they did (so a huge cull of fake friends was made) Which turned out to be enlightening and put a smile on my face "take the trash out honey". I learnt that telling the whole world not only super close friends about having IBD is a freeing experience, I no longer have this 'secret' and I no longer have to hide or make stupid excuses as to why I can't attend events/parties/outings etc - I can finally be honest with people and say 'I simply feel crappy today so I'm going to have to miss this one' Instead of making up stupid excuses like 'I can't come because my goldfish died' (Okay so in reality I've never actually used that excuse but I have had to rely on some pretty stupid ones). I have also learnt that strangers are wonderfully kind and supportive! I learnt that fundraising is FUN (yes despite it all I did manage to enjoy myself) but also HARD work. I have not stopped! Which has been a lovely distraction from my Ulcerative Colitis but I am now well and truly warn out!!

If you think I did a good job and have not yet donated - you still have time to do so!! If in the UK you can donate by texting IBDH99 £3 (or another amount) to 70070 Your donation amount will be added to your mobile phone bill. Alternatively you can visit my donation page to donate from anywhere in the world, which will remain open for I think 3 months and I would LOVE to raise a little more in that time.

I shall now leave you with a look at THE GRAND CHOP video of my haircut adventure. Right then...time for the grand reveal!! *drum roll please*
Be sure to let me know what you think of my new locks?! Enjoy Xx

That AWKWARD silence...

*Note to self* 'Must make more time for blogging! Tut tut to me for I have neglected my poor 'Colitis and ME' blog these past few weeks. Truth be told I usually enjoy blogging most when it is late at night, when most other distractions have gone to bed (you know who you are!) and I am free to unwind and put my thoughts of the day/week down on a piece of paper. Trouble being is that this month I have so much going on at once that I have many blog posts all half written as my mind keeps wandering from one topic to the next. I'm finding it tricky to clear my mind and just put my thoughts down in a clear cut way which usually comes so easily to me. *Another note to self* Chill tha feck out! HA! My apologies not my normal tone. Some bloggers have some sort of schedule while others like to plan their blog articles - me? I just write whatever is on my mind...which is rather a lot and its all one big mountain of confusion hence why I am struggling to blog. So...what is on my mind?

What's on my mind is a blog post that I have been wanting to write for a long while - trouble being I've simply not had a free minute to myself to actually get it all down on paper. So here goes.

A topic I stumble across time and time again is 'what/how do you explain to someone what Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis is, how much do you tell them and how on earth do you own up to having it yourself'. I know you are hoping that I have the magical answer but truth be told ...there is no one single correct answer. The truth is that IBD is a complex illness which makes explaining it to others rather tricky. So let's give it a little go. 

I am sure we have all been there, the dreaded moment when someone asks 'whats that?' which prompts you to launch straight into a bit of a flap, panic or a pickle and makes you think 'oh crikey how do I explain this one'. Then comes the explanation which you send thinking 'jee whiz I sure hope they take this well' and what you get back is....

*To benefit those who don't understand the significance of the above photo or simply are lacking a sense of humour - the above image is of 'tumbleweed' which is used in Wild West movies to show that nothing is going on but a looooong silence.*

NOTHING!! You get back NOTHING but a really awkward silence.

Which is followed by a 'please say something...anything'.
To which point you are thinking 'oh crap why did I say that' 'time to look for new friends' or 'maybe they are confused'.
When the reality is that 4 hours later the person will reply with a 'oh sorry forgot to text back' 'my phone went flat' or 'sorry I've been hiding under a rock all day with no phone reception' huh likely story! I know what you are all up to - you are all 'Googling' the symptoms HA! Do so at your own peril.

Anyhow - from my point of view you first need to decide who it is you are trying to tell as to determain how much detail you go into. Let's face it - the in-depth chat you have with your best mate is not going to be the same one you have with the traffic warden. So on and so forth, which makes having one set answer impossible.

Let's look at it as a colour coded system which may make it easier for you to determain who falls into which and what it is we should say. (the following is simply a guide and in no way the set rule)

THE RED PEOPLE!!

Okay so who would I say fall into 'the red people' category hmm lets see. Let's keep the RED people for curious passing strangers who happen to bring up your illness in conversation. Someone who overhears you talking and has a question or maybe someone who is talking nonsense and you wish to strangle them (HA again - I am totally kidding no violence please) the people you wish to politely correct. Jeez I even ended up talking to the bloke at the other end of a customer services phone-line the other day so trust me when I say you should have your set answer for THE RED PEOPLE to hand.
Hmm what would I say to the red people??

'I have Ulcerative Colitis which is similar in some ways to Crohn's Disease, both of which are forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This is thought to be due to an imbalance of bacteria in my gut which results in the good bacteria working overtime, attacking the intestines which causes it to become inflamed and ulcerated.'
(Clearly if you have Crohn's Disease you swap the Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis words around - so that it becomes 'I have Crohn's Disease which is similar in some ways to Ulcerative Colitis')  

I would probably just leave it at that - I mean there is no point reeling off the tons of symptoms to the guy you just met in the street. Chances are he will be perplexed (confused) by the above amount of information alone.

THE ORANGE PEOPLE!!

The type of people who would fall into this category would be workmates/ colleges, curious class mates, good friends, people you have things in common with or have spoken to at least once before and so have some kind of rapore with. Chances are you will stumble across one or two nosey people or people who will prompt the 'what does that mean' question. To which you need to come up with a bit more of an answer/explanation.

Again the above answer that you gave the red people still applys but you would then add on to it. So you would say something along the lines of:

'I have Ulcerative Colitis which is similar in some ways to Crohn's Disease, both of which are types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In the average person there is 'good bacteria' fighting off the 'bad bacteria'. When it comes to those with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis it is thought that the 'good bacteria' is working overtime and trying to fight off an infection (the bad bacteria) which does not even exist. So instead of attacking the 'bad bacteria' it attacks the lining/wall of the intestines instead. This leads to inflammation, ulcers, cramps, fatigue and pain. As of yet there is no cure for this lifelong illness'

Again those who are simply being polite in wanting to know what the illness is probably are not prepared to hear the full run-down or checklist of symptoms. So I would leave it at that.

THE GREEN PEOPLE!!

Crikey - if you are lucky enough to fall into the green people category you are either a best mate, a close family member, a doctor or someone who has asked too many questions so I feel you are somewhat interested in my illness and therefore I am going to roll out my red carpet speech to you so that you may get a true understanding of my daily battle. Be warned - you use this shpeel at your own risk! There are those who like to know more but when told 'more' then decide they are better off knowing only what they knew before. Well tough luck - if you have prompted an in-depth rant about my daily whooo's and haaa's then you are going to have to listen to the whole blooming lot!

My red carpet speech for those who ask too many questions:

Both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) which cause inflammation and ulcers along the digestive track. 

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease are thought to be due to an imbalance of bacteria in the gut/colon. In the average person there is ‘good bacteria’ fighting off the ‘bad bacteria’. When it comes to those with the illness it means the good bacteria is working over time and trying to fight off an infection (the bad bacteria) which does not even exist. So instead of attacking the bad bacteria, it attacks the lining/wall of the intestines instead. This leads to inflammation and ulcers, cramps, fatigue and pain.

Main symptoms just to get you up to speed are vomiting, Anemia, loss of appetite, weight-loss, more trips to the loo, swollen joints and many more. Not to mention all of the secondary symptoms from medications and problems caused by taking these long term. Alongside these there are things like anxiety, hair loss, depression etc, the list is endless! This results in extensive trial and error to find a medication to soothe the symptoms. Some unfortunate souls end up having to have serious invasive surgery to avoid blockages, ruptures and all sorts of complications.

The reality of these illnesses not having a cure mean that 75% of those diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and 25% of those diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis will end up having major invasive surgery (sometimes life saving surgery) to have parts of their intestines removed or their whole colon in a bid to ease the inescapable torturous symptoms. There are far too many now living without parts of their intestines or whole colons. People can and already have died from these cruel diseases.

I completely sympathies that telling people about your illness is tricky and at times AWKWARD!! I too have been through the stage of telling my nearest and dearest. I began by letting them in on the general idea of IBD then felt the longer I was diagnosed the more of an explanation they deserved from me as to my now peculiar behaviour. In fact I documented it as one of my first blog posts back in 2013. I was super nervous about telling them all but was rather surprised by their response. If you feel you would benefit from seeing my experience then CLICK HERE to read how things went when I told my friends.

As I said, my friends all took the news really well. I think that is partly down to understanding who can handle what amount of information and who will be mature enough to hear the different aspect of a chronic illness, one as catastrophic/detrimental to a persons life as Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

I am wishing you all super good luck with your discussions, remember that on occasions some may make the odd rude or unkind remark. Chances are these will be due to lack of them understanding your illness not because they wish to outright insult you. Therefore you should be ready to hear 'have you tried this diet' or 'you don't look sick' these are just set responses that you will hear as people don't really know how they are meant to react to such news. Try not to lunge for the persons throat ha ha however tempting that may be! For each person you educate you will spare another IBD'er going through the same thing. Together we will make the world a better place and easier for the next generation to not feel they need to keep IBD to themselves. You have noting to be embarrassed or feel ashamed about. If anyone does give you a hard time - send them to me :P I will take care of them mwahahaha!

Be sure to come back and let me know how it all works out for you! Xx

WORLD IBD DAY - 19th MAY 2014

What on earth is 'World IBD Day' and why are people celebrating it?!

World IBD Day stands for 'World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day' and it is a chance for over 5 million people worldwide who are diagnosed with either Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis to stand united and share awareness with the world about these life long, life altering illnesses.

Yaaaay!! I'm really excited and looking forward to it, which is not really something I ever would have imagined myself saying but I guess seen as there is not much else going on in my personal life at the minute then any reason to don a cone party hat is a good enough reason to party for me!!

Which brings me onto why I'm celebrating etc.

This will be the 5th year since I began getting sick with what turned out to be Ulcerative Colitis, so I am partly going to use World IBD Day as a bit of a 5 year anniversary mark and have a bit of a knees up! (except for no alcohol as that makes us poorly - ok well maybe I'll have a REALLY small tipple) It is a celebration after all right?!

Why is this my first time celebrating it?

This will be the first year I am celebrating World IBD Day as simply - I had never even heard about it before!! I began blogging less than 6 months prior to writing this post and before then I had no access or intentions of learning anything more about Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis than what the doctors told me. How my thinking has changed on THAT!! I have realized the importance that doctors don't always know the best options and have learnt how important it is to arm yourself with knowledge to steer the treatment in a direction which you think will work best for you (but that's a story for another time).

So - Should we 'celebrate' an illness that has changed our lives, tried to kill us, taken away so much and carved out a new path for us all?

HECK YES!!
Of late I have found it really hard to find/look for the positives to a chronic illness. Those who simply just get on with it seem so far out of reach to me at this moment in time. Though I am too quick to forget that in the last 5 years since becoming unwell I too have gained things I never would have imagined I would have were it not for my diagnosis.
It is no secret that IBD makes you a stronger person for you have not much of an alternative - to crumble is simply not an option (although wallowing is highly allowed as long as its not for too long) but aside from gaining strength I never imagined I would have gained, what else have I learnt?. I have learnt the value of real friendships, I learnt the importance of 'life', I learnt to take time out and 'enjoy' the simple pleasures in life - all of those things I simply never had time for in my prior busy, overworked, overrun, overstretched hectic life. I never got to enjoy the small things in life.

I returned to education which is something I always wanted to do but again was too busy to find the time. Since I became unwell I MADE the time to go back and study. I did extremely well, whether it was because I was older, wiser, more focused or was able to do it at my own pace - I managed to achieve the highest grade/marks I have ever had. It was such a magical day when I opened my results paper. I think I may have even let out a small squeal of delight!! Well done me!! You see, with all the bombardment of the negatives thanks to IBD it's far too easy to forget the 'not so bad's'.

I have made AMAZING online friends!! I have become a BLOGGER!! Never had I ever invisioned myself blogging, to be honest I had nothing worthwhile to talk about. Now look at me :) Spreading a bit of comfort, education, support and hopefully the odd bit of laughter here and there. I mean to be able to communicate, laugh, cry, support one another who are going through the exact same trials and tribulations as you is a feeling like no other! Even though these last few months have been the toughest (emotionally) since my Ulcerative Colitis journey started I too have never laughed so much in all of my days!! :)

I'm sure there are more 'not so bad's' about having IBD but let's move on with the blog post...

Therefore needless to say that come this World IBD Day (May 19th) I will be holding up a glass of my favourite alcoholic beverage and I will be saying 'well done you - you survived 5 years of this life changing illness. You didn't give up hope, you overcame SO much and you have your whole future ahead of you....even if it wont be how you originally imagined it would go.'

I too have a BIG event planned, I shall be cutting 8 inches of my hair off whilst raising funds for Crohn's and Colitis UK then later donating the hair to the Little Princess Trust. To read all about my fundraising challenge simply CLICK HERE to see how I shall be raising awareness on my side of the pond.

How you can get involved?!

Whether you plan a hike, marathon, bake-shale, lemonade stand, tea party or charity event. Whether you are wearing odd socks, wearing purple or painting social media purple (the colour associated with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) make sure you do it with a huge smile on your face!! I have no doubt there will be lots going on in the IBD online and offline communities, so be sure to show your support to them and GET INVOLVED or simply hold your own little tea party from the comfort of your own home. The main reasons for World IBD Day is to RAISE AWARENESS, create/spark CONVERSATION and EDUCATE the public on what Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are and what life is like with these life changing illnesses.

Let us continue the trend of making 2014 the best year yet for IBD awareness. Let's keep the momentum going and throw ourselves a delightful celebration!!

Whichever way you decide to spend this World IBD Day - make sure it's one that makes you shout 'I HAVE IBD AND I AM LOUD, I AM UNASHAMED AND I AM KICKING ASS!!' Wooohoooo!!

What's it all about??

I've been thinking ... maybe life has our journeys already mapped out for us. I'm sure there will be a split of opinion, some who will agree with my new philosophy and others who will think we are masters of our own destiny that choose which hand life plays us. Well...until 4 month ago I probably wouldn't be sure which side of the fence I sat on. However of late...I'm feeling like life has been falling into place or more to the point I feel as if *I* have been falling into place and beginning to find my new way in the world.

I often boggle my friends with the notion "What is the point of life? what's it all about??". I mean what do you REALLY get out of life? At times its super enjoyable and other times its super duper tough. A roller-coaster whichever way you look at it. Maybe some say it is to find a loved one, settle down and start a family. For me the answer to the "what is the point of life" is much bigger than 'a big family, sweet house and a white picket fence'.
I have always been of the mindset "leave your mark on the world" for if not, what is the point of you being on this planet? Again a big family, sweet house and a white picket fence is not enough for me!
I want MORE out of life!!

For years I bumbled through life not knowing which direction life would take me in. I have always envied those who just KNEW what they want to do - for example with regards to which career they would choose etc. I've never been one of these people who 'just knew'. I have always been of the mindset that I would one day simply fall into the roll that holds my interest, sparks my creativity and makes me happy. I hoped that one day I would JUST KNOW.

Quote by - I have no idea ;)

Who on this planet would have guessed out of all of the failed career paths, pointless qualifications and wrong turns in life that blogging for the IBD community would be the one thing I felt I was just meant to do. It's not a hassle, nor a chore it's simply something I enjoy doing. Okay I totally understand that I can not make a living off writing a blog but the happiness it brings to my soul is worth any paycheck in any dead end job.
"Find a job you love and you will never 'work' again" (meaning if you love something it will never seem like a job because it's more like fun) :D Oh someone just hand me a blank cheque so that I can continue blogging for an eternity!!

4 months prior to composing this blog post I was sat in front of my computer screen browsing an IBD forum on the Crohns and Colitis UK charity's website when I stumbled upon a blog by a lad called Michael. He was writing a blog about his journey with Ulcerative Colitis and for the next few days I followed his posts as he updated the world with how he was getting on. For the first few days all I did was read his posts, nod my head in agreement as I could relate to everything he said then without leaving any comment I would simply turn my computer off and think no more of it.

Then one day I thought "I can't sit back while people suffer and expect a change with the way people see IBD unless I do something about it. I can't let everyone else raise awareness, raise funds for research and for the IBD advocates to do all of the hard work to just reap the reward" (which will hopefully one day be a cure). That's simply not fair and wouldn't sit comfortably with my conscience. Which is where things got fun.....

I began my blog 'Colitis and ME' with no idea in the world what was ahead of me. Though the more I think about it maybe someone of a higher power DID know what would lay ahead of me. Maybe someone had already planned it out for me. (I am not religious so with the greatest of respects and for me to not upset anyone please refrain from any religious comments - just my view and I'm not getting into this discussion) Anyhow ... maybe my place in life is somewhat planned out for me, as yours could be too.

So, what would lay ahead of me? Well...rather more than I was expecting to be frank. When I started my blog my soul intention was just to document my journey with Ulcerative Colitis. Now it feels like my roll has somewhat evolved - into some kind of support system. My blog draws others in and is a form of reassurance to show people that they are not alone, that others too face the same struggles in life.

This past week I have been on my own mission, what started out as a crazy idea is now a passionate drive within me for change. If you follow my blog you will know I have been partly responsible for the #GetYourBellyOut awareness campaign for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. If you missed it then just CLICK HERE to be transported to the write up and all you need to know about the campaign.

The website which I once leaned upon, turned to for support and seeked reassurance from. The one where I discovered my inspiration to begin blogging. The one I drew strength from knowing that people were working hard to change lives for the IBD community. The one my campaign now feature on. YES, I know - MY CAMPAIGN NOW FEATURES ON!! Mind boggling aha.

Instead of reading about those who are out there in the world actively making a difference I have unknowingly/ unintentionally some how been catapulted into this crazy new world and ended up becoming one of these people. The more I do for the IBD community, the more I interact with those who are suffering every day at the hands of such a debilitating illness the more a desire for change deep within me burns (then again it could just be my Ulcerative Colitis playing up aha!).

A change is already happening. Through the above campaign and through all of the other brave, wonderful, inspirational  advocates for IBD - a change for the better is on the horizon. Gone, one day soon will be the secrecy and feelings of shame those with IBD once felt. In its place growing stronger every day is a brave, determined, united front.

We want change and we won't stop until we get it!! We won't stop until we make both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis household names. We will not stop until we find a cure!!!

Therefore I leave you with the happiness knowing that A CHANGE IS ON ITS WAY, no matter how big or small - a change and a glimmer of hope. I too leave you with my above thoughts, maybe life does have a plan of action all mapped out for us after all. Maybe leaving your mark on the world is what it's all about .....