Additional Sources Of Information

Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on ulcerative colitis.

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
Phone: (212) 685-3440 or
Phone: (800) 932-2423
http://www.ccfa.org

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is the preeminent organization involved in patient education, advocacy, and research into inflammatory bowel disease. CCFA has chapters in most states, and more than one chapter in many states. The national headquarters can provide contact names and phone numbers for local chapters. Chapters hold information and education meetings, and facilitate support groups for people who live with inflammatory bowel disease, as well as their spouses, parents of children, and other caregivers.

CCFA's Web page is perhaps the best reference for information about inflammatory bowel disease. It has won design awards since 1997, and is easy to navigate. Membership registration is available via the Web. There is general educational material for patients and caregivers, as well as highly technical information for health-care providers and readers looking for more depth in their research. The organization's Web-linked e-mail system allows individuals to query noted experts in the field who are affiliated with CCFA.

United Ostomy Association
Phone: 1-800-826-0826
http://www.uoa.org

For those who have had surgery that included an ostomy.

Books

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Guide for Patients and Their Families, edited by Stanley H. Stein, M.D. and Richard P. Rood, M.D., Lippincott-Raven, 1999. A comprehensive guide to the issues of inflammatory bowel disease, with chapters written by experts in their fields.

Understanding Crohn Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, by Jon Zonderman and Ronald Vender, M.D., University Press of Mississippi, 2000. Written by an individual who lives with Crohn's disease and the gastroenterologist who has been treating him for 12 years.