What I Wish You Knew About IBD & Holidays

Invisible illnesses, like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, don't take time off for the holidays. Learning about what your friends and family members who live with IBD may be experiencing is a powerful way to demonstrate your caring and support, and to also include them in holiday plans in ways that work for them.

In our November 16 issue of CIRCLE eNewsletter, we asked our community respond to a What I Wish You Knew prompt about ways to support, care for, and include people living with IBD during the holiday season. We received some thought-provoking responses and are sharing seamlessly so we can all learn together.

"The strength of ImproveCareNow has always been that we learn from each other." - Chris

You can also find a gallery of these What I Wish You Knew quotes in our Instagram feed. 

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If you are reading this and you're someone who shared an insight with us, thank you! If you are someone who would like to add to the conversation, please feel free to drop a comment below the post or on Instagram. We are listening 💚💙

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When you put your time and energy in on behalf of someone else - no effort is too small - because everything we do in ImproveCareNow is magnified by the efforts of thousands of other improvers. And together we bring about a better quality of life for many. Here are some actions you can take, or invite others to take:

• Invite someone to stay #InTheLOOP with our stories on the blog - "Sharing stories and experiences is affirming and validating. Our stories reach others and they help, which is the most wonderful part of being involved with ImproveCareNow." - Quint (We will be posting 3 more #IgniteTalks - like John's - to the blog over the next couple weeks. By signing up, you'll be the first to know!)

• Invite a patient (14+) to join the Patient Advisory Council - "Being part of the PAC helps me remember that I'm not alone in this journey." - Rhea 

• Invite a parent or guardian of a child with IBD to join the Parent Working Group - "I believe I have helped other newly diagnosed families not feel as lost as I was. I believe I am making a difference in my community. And none of this would have happened if I hadn't joined the Parent Working Group." - Carrie

• Invite someone to download our free, co-produced IBD resources - "Physical resources provide patients with actions that we can take toward bettering our quality of life, as well as our current and future care." - Quint

• Invite someone to Join Our CIRCLE (connect with our welcoming & supportive community, and receive IBD resources, stories, and ICN updates & opportunities)