Crohn's Disease Relief

10 iPhone Apps for Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis

It seems like there is an iPhone app for everything.  I have come across a few different iPhone applications that can be specifically useful for people with IBD: Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

1.  Close Call is an "emergency contact" screen for your locked iPhone.  It overlays your wallpaper with an ICE (In case of emergency) contact and has space to add medical information.  Close Call iTunes Store Link

2.  GI Monitor, from Wellaps is an iPone application designed specifically for people with IBD.  It tracks your CDAI index of symptoms as well as whatever medications you are taking.  $4.99 Apple App Store Link.

3.  The Crohn's Toolkit is a free iPhone app from WeAreCrohns. com.  It has features all the way frm  yoga and meditation tips, to inspirational quotes, and links to podcasts.

4.  The Whole Foods iPhone aplication looks interesting.  You can set it to filter for special dietary needs like  gluten free, etc. and it will suggest recipes from what you have on hand and well as listing some favorite recipes. Market Recipes iPhone app - Free

5. Sit or Squat is a free application for not only iPhone but also Blackberry, iPhone, Web or Text message.  This piece of geniousness allows you to find a well rated public bathroom based on your location. Free Click here to find Public Bathrooms with Sit or Squat.

6.  MyHealth Lite is a health and personal stat tracking program selling for $1.99. It allows you to track symptoms on a concise medical log.  App Store Link

7.  Make Steps turns your iPhone into a pedometer.  Walking is a great low impact excercise that is perfect for almost anyone, including those with IBD. Steps uses the device motion sensors to calculate your body movements.

8.  Pillboxer keeps track of all your medications, vitamins, supplements in one central location.  There is a lite version which is free and the full version is just .99. Full database of over 11,000 FDA-approved medications.

9. Designed for health and weight loss, MyNetDiary could be useful for a Crohn's patient as it will allow you to track diet, exercice, weight, and water consumption.  Free apps for iPhone and Blackberry, but the site also offers a paid membership. Download from the iPhone App Store.

10. aSleep is a White Noise generator designed to help you fall asleep.  Since my Crohn's pain is always worst at night and keeps me from sleeping, this seems like it could be useful.  Just 99 cents, the application has nature sounds such as beach, forest, wind, and rain.  Has an easily programmable timer so it will turn itself off.

Time Tackles Turmeric as a Pain Reliever

Here is an interesting article written by an MD who is trying Turmeric supplements to see if they really can help pain and inflammation.

I am on the fence with this one.  I take a lot of pills already so the thought of adding more pills to my daily routine is not really attractive to me.  On the other hand, I also have quite of a bit of pain and obviously inflammation in 2 spots in my colon, so perhaps it may be worth a try.  I have definitely not heard any risks or problems taking this spice or its effective ingredient Curcumin as a dietary supplement.

More TP Humor

Just in case you think I have become too serious in my campaign to raise awareness for Crohn's, and help Crohn's sufferers with tips and ideas....  I give you more toilet paper humor.  This one is courtesy of GraphJam.com which is a very funny website with all sorts of funny fake graphs.

see more Funny Graphs

Win Tickets to see NASCAR Driver Scott Speed and Help Raise Funds

NASCAR Drive Scott Speed is an Ulcerative Colitis sufferer, and is using his fame to help raise funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA.)

First of all, could this guy have a better name for his job?  I think not!  Second of all, this sounds like a really fun contest.  I would live to watch the race from the sidelines.  I wonder what effect Red Bull has on a UC digestive system?

The Take Steps Fast and Furious Fundraising Contest offers an automatic entry to win two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 8th for every $100 raised through the Foundation's national walk program, Take Steps through August 31.

 The winner will watch the race action from inside the Red Bull Energy Station, a VIP hospitality setup, and meet NASCAR driver of the number 82 Red Bull Toyota, and CCFA spokesperson, Scott Speed. You can read more about the contest here http://www.ccfa.org/about/press/pressreleases/NASCAR and those interested in the contest can visit www.cctakesteps.org.

History of Toilet Paper - From Mental Floss

The folks at CNN.com/Mental Floss have an interesting article up all about the history of toilet paper in America. 

Here's a quote:

Currently, the United States spends more than $6 billion a year on toilet tissue -- more than any other nation in the world. Americans, on average, use 57 squares a day and 50 pounds a year.

I think us "Crohnies" probably account for more than our fair share of TP sales.  Not to mention flushable wet wipes, that wonderful invention.  :-)

Thank god we live in modern times.  Can you imagine having to use a corn cob, moss, or pages ripped out of the Sears catalog?  Eek!

Funny For the Day

I stumbled across the funniest website called McSweeey's Internet Tendency.  It has some of the most obscurely funny lists I have ever seen. 

This one, however, had me break out laughing until my kids has to ask me what what so funny.

New Anxiety Medications for Coping With Economic Gloom

Funniest one: Nojoblin.  I  think I am on that.  I have now been laid off for more than 6 months.  My biggest fear was having to be out on disability and not be able to work.  Now I am perfectly capable of working, want to work, motivated to work, have fantastic job skills in Information Technology, over 12 years of experience as an email adminstrator, and...  unemployed due to recession.

Free Sample of Curcumin Dietary Supplement

I heard about a Freebie offer to try a Free Sample of Curamin Curcumin dietary supplement that I wanted to pass along.  Personally I'd just as soon make some Turmeric flavored rice.  I mean, I take so many pills I don't want to add one more.  However, I present the idea just in case you want to give it a try this is a perfect way to try it with a free sample.  I liked that this manufacturer did not have all kinds of crazy claims, and presented some good articles about the benefits of Curcumin.

According to the manufacturer:

Curamin is an all-natural dietary supplement. It is a powerful formulation of: Curcumin, curcuminoids, dl phenylananine, Boswellia and Nattokinase.

Video Spoof - Healthy Americans Against Reforming Medicine

This video spoofs the US Republican rhetoric against health care reform and the single payer plan. It's humor, but to me its a bit too realistic to actually be a laughing matter.

Who's behind the anti-health care reform rhetoric? Meet HAARM: Health Americans Against Reforming Medicine. Find out more: http://www.haarm.org

Folk Remedy for Crohn's - Coconut Macaroons

There are a lot of people who swear by this folk remedy: two coconut macaroons a day to keep Crohn's disease diarrhea at bay.  I have no idea if there is a scientific or even anecdotal evidence that two macaroons a day will help Crohn's, but I do know that they are tasty.  They don't seem to bother my Crohn's and they remind me of Passover holidays, which is nice.  Also, my kids and husband don't like them which means that they don't disappear like most of the rest of the food in my house.

Nutritionists do agree that the mono-unsaturated fats in coconut oil are very healthy fats.  In particular virgin coconut oil contains lauric acid, "a medium-chain fatty acid."  According to the folks that make all natural Jennies Macaroons:

This is the fatty acid that your digestive tract converts into the powerful anti-microbial monoglyceride called monolaurin.

Possible Future IBD Treatment Shows Promise

Biotech firm Compugen Ltd. announced today that their "novel peptide antagonist" called CGEN-25007 was shown to reduce IBD-type inflammation in mice. 

Apparently they induce colitis in the mice and then treat some of them with the peptide agent and some without.  The mice who were given the CGEN-25007 got better while the other mice suffered wasting disease.  (Poor mice!)

Here is a quote from the press release about   Compugen's new drug agent:

These results suggest that CGEN-25007 could have a potential therapeutic utility to treat IBD and other autoimmune diseases with a strong inflammatory component, such as rheumatoid arthritis.