Did you know that there are many famous and successful people who suffer from a form of inflammatory bowel disease? Jacksonville Jaguar Quarterback David Garrard first experienced symptoms of Crohn's disease in January 2003. By June 2004, he'd lost 35 pounds and was facing surgery. Learn more about Garrard and other famous people with IBD.

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and the Starlight Children's Foundation are running a video contest for teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 20. You can submit a video showing that your IBD does not keep you from living your life. It could be sports, volunteering in your community, working, playing an instrument -- anything that's important to you. The grand prize is a 16GB iPod nano and three runners-up will each receive a 4GB iPod shuffle.

There are a few rules, such as the videos should be under 3 minutes and less than 5GB, and of course the content must not contain anything objectionable. But other than that, the content is wide open and entirely up to you!

Get cracking because you must send in your video by Sunday, January 31, 2010. Read the rules and get started on your video today!

As many of us make our travels plans for the holiday season, a big question is whether or not to buy travel insurance. Travel insurance may help you get your money back if something unusual happens that prevents you from traveling or forces you to change your plans. However, it might not help you at all if your IBD flares up and keeps you from traveling. Case in point, Bill Walker and Iris Lustig of Toronto, who were denied a refund by Mondial Assistance after Lustig's doctor recommended against a planned trip to London. The Toronto Star reports that Lustig's Crohn's disease has flared up. Apparently Lustig has recently changed medications (not an uncommon occurrence with any chronic condition) and the travel insurer used that as evidence that her condition was "unstable," and therefore they didn't need to reimburse Walker and Lustig. The Star went to bat, and did finally get a refund for the couple, using the pressure of a column in the paper exposing the situation as ammunition.

I myself have never bought travel insurance, but I wondered if it would be a good idea. What, exactly does it cover? Is it worth the added expense, at a time when all of us are pinching pennies? The answer depends on a host of factors, including your health, your families' health, the political climate of the country you're traveling to, and other factors. Budget Travel Guide Mark Kahler provides a good overview of travel insurance and what it may cover.

More about traveling with IBD:

• IBD and Travel Insurance
• Travelers' Diarrhea
• Your IBD Emergency Kit

A job interview is an extremely stressful event in anyone's life. If you're dealing with IBD, it can really be traumatic. You may be worried that a flare-up will happen in the interview, that your health status may come up inadvertently, or even that if you do get the job, you may be dismissed over your health. Oh, and then there's the little aspect of being qualified for the position. If you're going on an interview, you probably need the job and want the job, so it's critical that you find a way to manage your anxiety around the job interview. It's OK to be nervous, even to show that you're a little nervous, but you do want to be able to present yourself as a qualified candidate. Arlin Cuncic, Guide to Social Anxiety Disorder, has 10 excellent tips on how to deal with anxiety about a job interview.

More about being employed with IBD:

• IBD and Job Interviews
• Is IBD Covered Under the ADA?
• Talking About IBD at Work