(I just wrote an entire blog post and deleted it…) The blog post was about the mental/emotional aspects of living with a disease like ulcerative colitis. It was a deeply personal blog post. One that as I was writing it, caused my vision to get a bit blurry. I decided that really I didn’t want to open myself up so deeply. Sorry about this, it is not often that I do this. I suppose this is an indication that while I’m doing great physically, I’m still trying to come to terms with the mental and emotional components of having a disease that has no cure. Maybe, I’ll feel up to such an honest post on another day. Or maybe not. Regardless, please think of this the next time you’re talking to a friend/colleague/family member and you ask “how are you feeling?”. Be ready for an honest answer. Perhaps an answer that you really weren’t ready for. The thing is, if there is one thing I have learned over the last year it’s that we have to be honest when we’re asked this question. If we’re not honest and ready to accept this honesty, how can we ever expect to actually understand and help one another?
Ottawa Cross 
…and I find this colour scheme much easier to read!
I read a book a while ago that had what I though was a useful piece of advice for helping someone with a serious illness. It suggested that instead of mindless asking someone how they are feeling, it would be more sensitive to ask ‘Do you want to talk about how you are feeling today. I think the ideas is some days you do want to talk about it, and some days you would rather not, or can’t . But whatever you feel is still ok.