Q Accidents – I am terrified to go anywhere in case I have an accident due to my colitis. I keep turning down friends that invite me to various events, and my poor kids are convinced that I have no interest in their extracurricular activities. I get so nervous when I have to go somewhere…
Q My manager has a strict policy against working from home. We also have one restroom on our floor with only three stalls that about 15 women have to share. This makes for some embarrassing situations. When my colitis is active, I cannot help it, though. I’ve read blogs and heard the advice, “Just be…
Q True story. I was out with a guy I met at work, he’s 23 and I’m 21. We ate at PF Chang’s, had some ice cream at Baskin Robbins and went to a movie. Later we went back to his apartment. He has a roommate so we went to my date’s bedroom to watch…
Q I was just diagnosed with Celiac’s. I’m trying not to make a big deal of it even though I know it really is. (I’m malnourished and anemic so not eating gluten is a must, plus I have to make sure I’m not messing up my system so that I can absorb iron.) The restaurants…
Q Should I share the fact that I have Crohn’s with my employer? Frequent bathroom breaks and several missed days of work have got the gossip pool talking that I may have a drug problem. I certainly don’t want to lose my job, and I hate that people wonder what I’m up to, but it’s…
Q OMG! I’ve started feeling confident enough to date again. It was going pretty well and I was actually having fun…but a few weekends ago the fellow I went out with took the liberty of ordering for the both of us. (It was a first date and he was trying to be impressive. I’ll admit…
By: Bryee Shephard, MS, RD It’s always fun to test our food fact and gut health knowledge. Our focus today is on digestive health and the foods that may affect it. First, take this short quiz. Then, scroll down to see how well you fared and learn more. Food Trivia Quiz 1. When on a…
By: Susan Fenderson, LCSW, Vivante Health Sherpa. Susan is a licensed clinical social worker and Health Sherpa with Vivante, the digestive health experts. Along with her 25+ years of experience in counseling and healthcare, Susan brings a level of compassion, empathy and resolve to her work that comes from surviving her own digestive health nightmare.…
“All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates If you’re an employer who’s concerned about the rising costs of healthcare and prescription drugs among your covered population, you want to read this. Employees with digestive disease often suffer in silence because of the stigma associated with digestive symptoms. Many won’t even discuss gut trouble with…
By: Kelli Pitrone, Registered Dietitian & Vivante Health Nutrition Team Manager The holidays are an exciting time, but if you’re traveling to see loved ones, it could leave you wondering, How on earth am I going to stick to my gluten-free diet? No sweat. With just a little bit of planning ahead, you can be…