Have a hand in your own treatment. I have nothing but praise for our doctors, but I think they could help us better, and we can help them if we work together.

I grew up in the church, and I feel very strongly about it.

Only a portion of my intestinal tract was working.

In 1962 I was diagnosed with this incurable disease.

My daughter is one of the associate producers on two shows for Disney. I am really proud of her.

Ulcerative colitis can be cured by the operation, but you cannot cure Crohn’s disease.

Antioxidants have a good effect on certain forms of Crohn’s disease.

I have seen doctors, in good faith, leave patients on steroids for years, thinking they are doing right. A friend of mine was on steroids for so long, she has severe osteoporosis.

I do a lot of races for the cure for breast cancer.

The one thing I have wanted to stay away from is the steroids. When I had an attack two years ago in my home state of Mississippi, they put me on steroids, thinking they were doing the right thing, and I had a violent reaction.

Stress exacerbates any problem, whether it’s diabetes, heart trouble, MS, or whatever.

I get about 25 letters a month, and I answer every one of them.

We are going to find, I think, several different kinds of Crohn’s disease.

I’m home about two days a month, and on those I have to pack.

I got cocky and I stopped taking my vitamins. It was an inconvenience to have a suitcase full of vitamins with me on the road. About two years ago, it caught up with me.

Have a hand in your own treatment. I have nothing but praise for our doctors, but I think they could help us better, and we can help them if we work together.