As you would imagine, I have given this a bit of thought and if I were only to give one tip/piece of advice, it would be:

“Keep an IBD journal/diary.”

Granted I am a bit of a compulsive note taker, but keeping an IBD journal allows me to track a lot of information about various things that directly impact my Crohn’s Disease.  The things I write about in my IBD journal include (but are not limited to) the following:

• What foods I have tried post-operative.
• Which foods affect my system or trigger a flare-up.
• Medications and their benefits or side-effects.
• Outcomes of appointments with medical people.
• My emotional and psychological state.
• Things I have tried that benefit my condition.
• Useful websites/online resources.

The list goes on and on.  Aside from gathering a lot of useful data that can help with the management of my Crohn’s Disease, I often find it very therapeutic to just have a rant and get things down on paper.  Possibly the biggest benefit for me personally, is that I can use this information (where appropriate) to help others.