Columns

April 9, 2020April 7, 2020

My Superheroes: The Doctors Behind the Masks

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

Last week, the health community celebrated National Doctors’ Day and the beginning of National Donate Life Month. In celebration, I am spotlighting the two doctors who have helped me ... Read more

March 26, 2020March 24, 2020

My Monthly Trigger: PMS and Crohn’s Disease

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

This week, I’ve felt like I’m in my personal version of the 2002 movie “28 Days Later,” an apocalyptic zombie thriller centered around an incurable, rage-inducing virus that spreads across ... Read more

March 19, 2020March 18, 2020

Pounds Off the Scale Lift a Weight Off My Shoulders

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

Last week, I had my semiannual appointment with my transplant hepatologist. The nurse had just finished recording my weight when my doctor walked by after finishing up with another ... Read more

March 13, 2020March 11, 2020

A Capsule Endoscopy Helps to Manage My Small Bowel Crohn’s Disease

Columns, It Could Be Worse - a column by Mary Horsley

A few weeks ago, I mentioned having a magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in preparation for a capsule endoscopy. This was my third capsule endoscopy and I wanted to share my ... Read more

March 12, 2020March 10, 2020

Keep Calm and Carry on Away from Me

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

With the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreading to the United States, and as someone living with chronic disease, I’m beginning to feel helpless. At first, I wasn’t too ... Read more

March 5, 2020March 3, 2020

Raising Awareness About Colon Cancer One Step at a Time

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

I’m not a runner. In high school, I couldn’t even run a seven-minute mile. When I took up jogging in college, I was relieved when I caught bronchial pneumonia ... Read more

February 27, 2020February 24, 2020

Birds of a Feather: Being Rare Means Never Being Alone

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

A couple of years ago, Charlie Stephenson discovered a bright yellow Northern Cardinal in her backyard in Alabaster, Alabama. Stephenson contacted Geoffrey Hill, an ornithologist and coloration expert at ... Read more

February 21, 2020February 19, 2020

Battling Influenza A with Crohn’s Disease

Columns, It Could Be Worse - a column by Mary Horsley

I thought I had suffered from the flu at some point in my life. I’ve been sick, I’ve felt miserable, and I’ve had flu-like symptoms. I’ve even discussed this ... Read more

February 20, 2020February 18, 2020

Got Milk? No, Thank You!

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

February is Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month. I discovered I had lactose sensitivity when I started keeping a food journal shortly after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. I’m not alone. ... Read more

February 13, 2020February 11, 2020

Stones in a Bucket: Adapting to Life with Crohn’s

Columns, Intestinal Fortitude - a Column by Emmeline Olson

For the past month or so, I’ve seen memes referencing being a spoonie. I’m either old or just out of touch with what’s trending on social media because I ... Read more