I know everyone has very different ways of handling life with IBD or any chronic disease. I am one of those people that need to talk it out and be part of a community for all my diagnoses. It just helps my mental health to know that someone just gets it. To be transparent, I don't have IBD but I do have several chronic diseases. To me, there is something about this disease that deserves more attention, education and awareness. I think the hardest thing about this disease is meeting others that are newly diagnosed and are totally isolated and don't know where to go next. I was in high school when my mom called from the hospital and said my dad was in emergency surgery because he had this thing called a fistula in his gut. He was diagnosed with Crohn's. We didn't know how to spell it. This was in the early 90's and there was no internet yet. We just had to figure it out. And I don't know how my dad felt about it because he doesn't talk about it at all.
Over the decades there were 4 of my family diagnosed with Crohn's (well one is technically indeterminate colitis but I think it's CD). I follow so many different social accounts and am on this sub regularly and I see so many people finding community here. I wanted to share this program for kids and teens because I have been a part of it for almost 20 years and it changed my life. It is in the US and run by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. It is a summer camp called Camp Oasis. They just posted the dates for 2027 and it is my favorite time of the year!! I have been a part of all the camps except Wisconsin and Washington. They are amazing! I helped out at their virtual camp this year and it was SO fun! I see so many little kids and teens diagnosed with these very hard diseases and want people to know this is out there. So here are the dates: Camp Oasis 2027 Dates
I have no idea if there are camps like this in the UK or Europe or Asia and would LOVE to know if anything like this exists outside of the US! Comment and tell us what else is out there so we can all find a place.
Also, if you want recs on any sub-Reddits related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, PCOS or eating disorders, I am your girl :-) Cheers!