Disease Management Tips from a Crohn's Patient's Perspective

Disease management for a Crohn's patient involves a lot more than keeping the level of symptoms down to a dull roar.

In 25 years of volunteering to assist my fellow patients, I've discovered all of them have concerns about several areas of life. These include:

Medical management: It's pretty simple. You hurt, and you want it to stop. The individuals who appear to be the most satisfied with the medical aspects of this unpredictable condition are those who have found effective doctors who communicate well. How did they find them? Mostly by asking other patients. How do you find other patients? If you're anywhere near a metropolitan area, the quickest way is to contact the Crohn's Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) and contact the chapter nearest you. You can also enter the name of the disease into your browser's search field and locate a number of other Crohn's sites and blogs.

The second half of medical management is to become an educated patient who takes responsibility for his or her treatment and takes steps to stay in the best condition overall. You can easily do this by getting information from CCFA. When your physician asks whether you want to try medication X versus Y, you need to be aware of what these drugs are and do and willing to commit to a specific answer. It's important not to become so focused on one illness that the patient neglects healthy living habits in general.