Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
A great universal resource. Here you'll find lots of information about IBD (general information, history, treatments, and the latest research), information on support groups, an interactive patient forum, details on educational events, ways to participate in fundraising for IBD research, opportunities to lobby for IBD issues, and everything you need to join as a member. Sign up and get your free bathroom pass!
www.ccfa.org
Mayo Clinic
As one of the world's foremost medical facilities, the Mayo Clinic has a host of good information on their web site (and is a great place to go for treatment too). I often send links to Mayo's IBD page to friends and family who are interested in learning more about it. They use progressive layers of information starting with simple explanations for the total beginner, leading to more detailed data for the seasoned IBD veteran.
www.mayoclinic.org www.mayoclinic.com
Organizations & Fundraisers
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
CCFA: The American headquarters for IBD
www.ccfa.org
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada
The Canadian version of the CCFA
www.ccfc.ca
Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society (IDEAS)
Resources and adventures related to IBD, awareness, and fundraising.
www.WeNeedIdeas.com
Get Your Guts In Gear
Cycle events that raise money for IBD.
www.ibdride.org
Bad Tummy Foundation
Raising money for IBD. Bad Tummy has a great facebook resource for patients.
www.BadTummy.org
American Restroom Association
"America's advocate for the availability of clean, safe, well designed public restrooms"
www.AmericanRestroom.org
Rubber Side Down
A Canadian cross-country bike trip to raise funds & awareness for IBD
Rubber Side Down
Products
Biffy Bag
The Biffy Bag is disposable emergency restroom in a bag. Plainly put, it's portable peace of mind. "No bucket. No odor. No mess. A Biffy in a Jiffy." This is a no-brainer for every IBD patient's emergency kit! www.BiffyBag.com
Instant Washcloths
A super clever tool for your emergency kit and many other uses. It's a small towel compressed into a little pill which pops to life with a few drops of water.
www.ultralighttowels.com This Lightload Towel brand is different from the others. Their compressed towel is fully biodegradable and comes individually plastic-wrapped for easy carrying of single units. Their compressed size is larger than the others (about the size of three stacked poker chips). They call it "The Worlds Only Towel That Is A Survival Tool."
www.eztowel.com EZTowel's unique approach is that they come in a plastic tube about the size of a roll of Life Savers, ten per roll. They are not individually wrapped inside, so if you carry them individually and it accidentally gets wet, it will expand prematurely. Compressed size is about the size of two stacked Life Savers.
Shop for EZ Towel at Amazon www.instacloth.com Instacloth's towel is nearly identical to the EZTowel both compressed and expanded, however they are packaged differently. These come on a blister pack of 8 towels, similar to some medicine and chewing gum, you push on the bubble and force the compressed towel out through the foil backing. These can be cut apart with scissors for easy individual portability. Shop for Instacloth on Amazon
Neil-Med Sinus Rinse System
A great tool to combat chronic sinus congestion, allergies, and to keep viral infections at bay—it's a saline sinus irrigation system. The best one to start with is the Sinus Rinse Kit (it works much better than the netti pot). They also make a smaller pediatric version, an extra-large size, saline packet refills, and other sinus health items. Available over the counter at many pharmacies.
www.neilmed.com Shop for Neilmed on Amazon
Luggable Loo
The Luggable Loo is a toilet seat/cover unit that snaps on top of a standard 5-gallon pail (included) to make a poor-man's porta-potty. They also sell it without the bucket if you have your own already. I think I'd recommend their ziplock liner, which they call the Double Doodie Bag, available with or without odor-control waste-solidifying Bio Gel. The manufacturer also offers a number of other handy-looking products for the toilet-intensive traveler. Check it out for yourself: Reliance Products
Bumper Dumper
An intriguing solution to the commode dilemma for campers and travelers.
www.bumperdumper.com
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Miscellany (just for fun)
All about public toilets
There are several web sites that catalog and review public toilets. If you are about to travel to a new place, want to see reviews and share your thoughts, or are just curious to explore the world of public restrooms, there's a surprising amount of energy dedicated to this topic. Here are a few places to get started (and a fun surprise):
www.AmericanRestroom.org www.publictoilets.org www.restroomratings.com www.thebathroomdiaries.com www.workpoop.com
The Scarce Man A detective/crime thriller written by former police officer, James Frie, an IBD patient and friend of Colitiscope.
www.slinglings.com Baby slings are a great way to carry your baby!
www.attachedtobaby.com More slings for baby wearing.
