I blog because…

If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing about Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis (together known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD), and celiac disease, I would have been surprised; I am a homemaker, a planner, a maker of t0-do lists. Last year, I started freelancing for the Gastroenterology division at Mayo Clinic where I managed the IBD/Celiac blogs. The knowledge and dedication of the physicians, researchers, and nutritionists I worked with made a considerable impact on my world. My father has ulcerative colitis, and I learned so much through managing this blog that it inspired me to want to work more with others coping with Crohn’s, colitis and celiac disease.

I was fortunate enough to find Stacy Dylan, whose story and struggles moved me. One of her children, aged 16 has Crohn’s disease, and her 18-year old son has celiac disease. She writes in her blog about her son’s severe Crohn’s disease and all the traumas he has endured, about how chronic illness affects every member of the family as well as the caregivers, and about how to prepare meals for all their dietary issues. My interest was sparked even more…reading her blog showed me her strength and determination and inspired me, an ordinary Indian housewife/freelancer from Rochester, Minnesota to expand the work I was already doing, by writing for our collaborative publication .

Here you will learn more about people like Stacy, about the 1.6 million Americans currently living with IBD, the 1% of individuals suffering from celiac disease in the United States, and about the pioneering research being undertaken to find new treatments and cures for these conditions. I will post current news, research and stories, and along with Stacy’s personal posts, we will further highlight all the issues surrounding IBD and celiac disease, in the hope of defining these patients more than just their disease.