The Life Changing Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The Life Changing Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH ​​ I've had UC for 4 years also. Diagnosed with a colonoscopy after 5 months of diarrhea, losing 1/3rd of my otherwise normal weight and enough blood to require a 2-pint transfusion. Pausing a conversation to use the restroom is biologically necessary, but can be socially awkward. People living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) find themselves saying “Excuse me” many more times a day than they would like and experience pain with symptoms nobody enjoys talking about. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases [...]

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Aug 2021By |0 Comments

Exploring Treatment Options with Others Online: Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Exploring Treatment Options with Others Online: Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH According to the CDC, in 2015, an estimated 1.3 percent of US adults (3 million) reported being diagnosed with irritable bowel diseases (IBD): either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.1 There are 70,000 new cases diagnosed every year.2 These immune-mediated diseases can cause destructive inflammation and can permanently harm the intestines. Symptoms can include diarrhea with fever, abdominal pain and cramping and fatigue among others.3 Every patient’s symptoms vary in type, severity, and frequency, so Inspire members go online to discuss their [...]

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May 2020By |0 Comments

Searching For Colorectal Cancer Treatment Answers

Searching For Colorectal Cancer Treatment Answers By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH Inspire members discuss their colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment options and choices in the Fight Colorectal Cancer Support Group on Inspire because there is a lot to discuss. While it’s the third most common cancer in the United States,1 determining a course of treatment for an individual’s CRC is a multi-step process.2 A positive test is followed by other tests: biopsies, scans, blood tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or others.3 Surgery is the most common treatment; but treatments can include chemotherapy, radiation, radiofrequency ablation, and cryosurgery; some are determined [...]

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Apr 2020By |0 Comments

Members Find Support on Available Treatments for Osteoporosis

Members Find Support on Available Treatments for Osteoporosis By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH While the CDC is urging the public and the medical community to delay “all elective and ambulatory provider visits,” Inspire’s partner, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), is stressing the need for osteoporosis patients to adhere to their medication schedule, including medications that require provider administration. “It is extremely important that patients taking… (anti-osteoporosis) medications administered by a healthcare provider stay on time for scheduled injections.”1 They then list several common medications that fall into this category. This complicates an already challenging condition for the [...]

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Apr 2020By |0 Comments

Transforming Fear into Hope: Prostate Cancer Treatment Discussions on Inspire

Transforming Fear into Hope: Prostate Cancer Treatment Discussions on Inspire By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH In October 2009, Us TOO Prostate Cancer partnered with Inspire to support men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Now, the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Support Community on Inspire has over 23,000 members. Last year, almost 500 new discussions started in the area of treatment options, prompting over 5500 new replies. When patients and caregivers started 148 discussions about being newly diagnosed, they received more than 2500 replies from fellow patients, who supported and educated them. Patient and caregiver members often introduce themselves [...]

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Feb 2020By |0 Comments