Simmer for about 7 minutes. Puree miso in a little soup stock and add to soup, simmer for a few minutes. Do NOT boil the miso as the live enzymes will get destroyed! Serve garnished with spring onions. Miso paste itself can be used blended with things like beans to make a paste, added to other vegetable soups as a stock or used as a dressing on vegetables or salad. Another food popular in The East is tempeh. This is again made from fermented soybeans but is much less processed than the commonly known tempeh. It is very meaty in texture but can be quite an acquired taste. TEMPEH block of tempeh 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (wheat-free version) 1 tsp brown rice vinegar 1 tsp honey/brown rice syrup/agave Cut tempeh into triangles or cubes. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Add tempeh and marinate for 10-20 minutes, turning pieces over to ensure they’re covered. Lightly steam tempeh for another 20 minutes. RECIPES STRAIGHT FROM READERS A few of our readers and followers share their favorite fare free recipes. Easy to make, delicious to eat, easy on the tummy. GUACAMOLE BY MOM WHAT’S FOR DINNER 1 cup diced sweet onion 4 garlic cloves minced 4 serrano chiles minced (with seeds for spicy) juice of 2 limes 5 ripe avocadoes coarse salt Put the onion, garlic, chiles, lime juice and avocadoes in a bowl. Use a large serving fork and mix up the ingredients, then press the fork around the sides of the bowl, mashing the avocado. This will make a chunky guacamole. 50
BAKED GARLIC BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN BY DAYDREAMKITCHEN 4 boneless & skinless chicken breasts 4 tbsp brown sugar 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 tsps olive oil Set the oven to 500 degrees. Grease pan. Fry garlic with oil until it becomes soft. Put the garlic in brown sugar. Put the chicken in a dish for baking. Put the garlic on the chicken. Combine salt and/or pepper as you like. Bake without cover for approximately 20 minutes. GLUTEN FREE BANANA CUPCAKES BY GLUTENFREEDESSERTSMADEDELICIOUS 1 1/2 sticks butter (slightly melted) 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed (light or dark) 3 large eggs 4 very ripe bananas (about 2 cups) 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 cups Pamela’s bread four (plus 6 tbsp corn starch, sift them all together; creates cake four) 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon First mix together the butter and the brown sugar until they are nice and creamed, about 2 minutes. Then add the bananas, the salt, the soda, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla, mix them all till they are combined and scrape the sides. Next, add the buttermilk and mix, then add 1 cup of four at a time, then 1 egg. Mix; repeat until all three are combined, make sure to scrape the sides down, MIX UNTIL ALL OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS ARE COMBINED. Bake at 350 degrees, for 22 minutes. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FLARE FREE RECIPE THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? EMAIL YOUR RECIPES & PICTURES TO [email protected] 51
IBD’ERS BEING INVOLVED How brave IBD’ers took their toughest times & turned them into helping others. FEATURING C.A.R.E FOR CROHN’S FOUNDATION My name is Sybille G., founder of the C.A.R.E for Crohn’s Foundation. I started this organization recently to bring awareness to the disease and to help those who have it break their silence. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s when I was 14 years old, a freshman in High School. I went from an overly active student who participated in many extracurricular activities, including dance, to “the girl who is always sick”, and everything just stopped. My only after school activity then became going to the doctor’s offce, or temporarily living in a hospital. I was diagnosed with a disease I had NEVER heard of and I had no idea of how much it would affect my life. “Wait, what do you mean I can’t eat that? What do you mean I can’t dance? I can’t believe I slept this long!” At 13 and 14 years old you are not trying to hear that you can no longer eat some of the foods you love. It was strange for me to experience joint pains so bad that even walking was a diffcult task, abdominal pains so harsh that the fetal position was the only position I knew. People on the outside looking in who had no idea of my illness may have thought that ‘lazy’ was my middle name, but it was just the extreme fatigue I experienced from the lack of nutrition I was getting from being unable to eat properly, and the anemia I developed from losing so much blood from the internal bleeding I had from my irritated intestine. I was sleeping for as long as 12-16 hours at a time, and waking up and still being unable to even move from my bed. That’s just a short version of the beginning of what was to come. All through high school it was always a battle for my health, for my weight, and for my social life. Although I was on tons of pills, none of them put me in a state of remission, so my health was always up and down. When it was at a somewhat calm, I was able to participate in school activities, hang out with friends, and just try to be as normal of 52
a teenager as possible. But the battle no one saw was the struggle for me to actually eat, and if I did, I needed to be close to a restroom. No one wants to do #2 in public, especially not around friends at that age. They never really saw how badly my stomach would hurt because I would hide it so well, they never knew how much my hair was always falling out, and they just thought I liked changing my hairstyle that’s why I always cut it. All they knew is that I was always sick…they couldn’t miss that part because I would always be missing from school. Some of my closest friends knew about my true illness but none really understood, and I defnitely didn’t want it spread around school that I had a pooping disease; I was fne with being “the sick girl”. My senior year was the worst for my Crohn’s, I was so ill I needed to be homeschooled for a few months, went back to school for two weeks looking like a chipmunk due to the effects of the prednisone. People were afraid to talk to me because they didn’t recognize me, I heard rumors, like I got a tooth pulled that’s why my face was swollen, I got into a fght, car accident, that’s my fat sister, I heard it all. But within those short two weeks I didn’t have too much time to let it hurt my feelings because I was back to home schooling due to poor health conditions. I came back right before graduation, my face was back to normal and I felt great due to a change in medication that helped put me into remission immediately…thank you, Remicade. I can honestly say my life started when I graduated high school but it only lasted for about two and a half years until Remicade was no longer an effective drug for me, and my health depleted so fast and with such a vengeance that surgery was a must. I had a blockage in my ileum and it was becoming scar tissue so it had to be removed. Although I knew surgery wasn’t a cure, I thought it was going to be my cure. Shortly after a successful surgery and a two week period of great recovery at home, I fell extremely sick and back to the hospital I was. Three long months of living in the hospital, and it was discovered that my Crohn’s returned right at the surgical site. This shocked even the doctors because although it is known that Crohn’s may return at the surgical site, they said it was impossible for it to return so fast. Well guess what? It’s possible because it happened to me, my Crohn’s came back two weeks after surgery. I can go on about all the complications and tests I went through during my 3 month stay in the hospital but then I would be writing a book. I just know that I was 20 years old, locked in a hospital, I felt alone, and that was my frst face to face encounter with depression. It became too much, an endless battle and no solution. I wanted to just experience life like all my friends were. I was fading and doctors didn’t seem to have a concrete plan on how to revive me. After the nightmare was over, I started Humira and again immediate remission for 3 years. Sorry, but there is no happy ending because a year ago I fared up again and my health is back in the hole. Within my journey to get my health back, I realized that I am one strong individual. At 25 years old, I have been through a lot, but during my periods of remission I feel like I lived life to the fullest. I realize that over the years dealing with my health, it became something that I was no longer ashamed of, and I would no longer get depressed about it. I mean I am human, I do have my days when it does affect me, but I always seem to shake it off and continue with a positive attitude and a smile. I have learned to embrace my illness because I can’t get rid of it, it is a part of me and I can’t let Crohn’s disease 53
ruin my life and take away my sunshine. With that, I decided that I needed to create an environment for kids, teens, and even adults who still cannot cope with the disease. I needed to create a support system for crohnies to know that they are NOT alone. With my health at a current low, I am not able to do as much physically as I would like to at the moment, but social media had been a great system of communication and support. C.A.R.E for Crohn’s is not an organization only dedicated to physically joining with local crohnies, but I have been able to talk to teens all around the world, even internationally via email and video chat. Those are the best times when someone says to me how much I have helped them because I was able to relate and give them courage to move forward and be strong. C.A.R.E for Crohn’s is an organization that stands for spreading awareness to those who don’t have it because I am tired of people saying, “I never heard of that”. Millions of people have this disease and no one knows what that is?! That means too many people are quiet about the disease. The mission is to help break the silence, and to get those who are hiding their condition to feel comfortable enough to speak out about it. C.A.R.E for Crohn’s stands for Caring and Responding Effectively and ultimately providing resources to those with Crohn’s to help cope with the disease and take care of themselves with better nutrition. The website is www.careforcrohnsfoundation and it’s defnitely a site where you will always want to go back and check what’s new. It is informative on nutritional advice that is always being updated with posts on eating suggestions during a fare. Also video interviews called Crohnie Talk, with different people with Crohn’s discussing various topics such as: dating with Crohn’s, food and Crohn’s, even interviews of celebrities with Crohn’s sharing their story. Photos from different Crohn’s related events thrown by C.A.R.E for Crohn’s Foundation, and more. It’s just a fun website, with a positive message, and educational all at the same time. FACEBOOK: CARE FOR CROHN’S FOUNDATION INSTAGRAM/TWITTER: @CAREFORCROHNS 54
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FEATURE FOUNDATION: THE CROHN’S JOURNEY FOUNDATION THECROHNSJOURNEYFOUNDATION.ORG @CROHNSJOURNEY Sarah Chouirey, founder of The Crohn’s Journey Foundation, shares with Companion her journey to discovering how helping others has, in fact, helped her. I’m on a life journey to fnd health through love, compassion and education. This journey started before I even knew it had begun, at the age of 12. My name is Sarah Choueiry, and I am what I like to call a “Crohnie”. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which is an infammatory bowel disease (IBD). This term, “Crohn’s disease”, was shared with me at such a young age that it made it truly hard to comprehend the struggles that I would be facing for years to come. When I heard “Crohn’s disease”, I heard nothing. Now when I hear it, I visualize fear, pain, surgery, hospitals, nausea, depression, anger, loneliness, fatigue, needles, medication, fading hope, and much, much more. This is where The Crohn’s Journey Foundation (TCJF) comes into play. The idea to form a foundation began in a hospital bed one year ago in November 2012, when I was hospitalized for a week with a bowel obstruction. I was in a hospital bed—a million emotions and drugs running through me—and all I could think about was the need to get away. I needed a haven, a place to connect with others who understood me. I wanted a place that would not keep pumping me full of pharmaceuticals, but would offer alternative treatment methods, so I began to search but found nothing. At that moment, I told my family sitting in that hospital room that I was determined to create a retreat for people like me—and I’m happy to say that I’ve realized that goal less than 1 year later. The Crohn’s Journey Foundation is my way of sharing my journey with those who struggle with Crohn’s disease and Me in the hospital bed 1 year ago, ulcerative colitis (another serious form of IBD). It’s a journey where the foundation began, eating that educates those with IBD to help them fnd a healing my grandma’s chicken broth. 56
peace in their bellies through a healthy balance of Eastern and Western medicine. We are constantly researching and working to spread this knowledge through our IBD retreats, informative frst-person and educational articles and info graphics, and The Heart Project. ABOUT THE FOUNDATION The Crohn’s Journey Foundation (TCJF) is a non-proft founded on December 2012 and led by Sarah Chouiery (me) with the help of TCJF team: Kevin A. Barnes, Linton Rodgers and Stephanie Smith. TCJF is the IBD movement for compassion, health and love for your insides. The “Love Your Insides” tank top. Our goal is to create a haven all over the world for people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, through our IBD Retreats. The retreats encompass a well-rounded, East-meets-West approach to healing which focuses on the mind, body and soul. The retreats offer a safe place for people with IBD to relate to others who truly understand the struggles that come with having an infammatory bowel disease. We aim to make all retreats donation-based by 2015, so that everyone will have the opportunity to join us and fnd a haven that will not only provide education, but a place to create an IBD family that will last a lifetime. The “Love Your Insides” Along with the retreats, The Crohn’s Journey Foundation connects men’s shirt. with the community through well-written articles that explore many different topics related to IBD. Our articles provide a voice to the IBD community, as our panel of IBD writers educate and inspire the community while sharing their personal and honest Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis stories. The Heart Project is The Crohn’s Journey Foundation’s IBD movement to love your insides. The Heart Project comes in various forms—from our fake tattoo (pictured at the beginning of the article), which can be symbolically placed on the part of the body where IBD has left its physical and emotional impact, to our stylish One of our beautiful and positive “Love Your Insides” tank top (also pictured, available in writers, Laura Cox men’s t-shirts and women’s tank tops). from Ostomystory, wearing the heart tattoo. 57
THE FUTURE FOR THE FOUNDATION I am very excited to announce some of the incredible things The Crohn’s Journey Foundation has planned for 2014: Our offcial store page will be open at the end of December, selling our amazing IBD “Love Your Insides” shirts, as well as our temporary Heart Tattoo symbolizing our “IBD movement to love your insides”. We are selling both items to help spread a love for IBD so that we can begin to replace some of the fear, sadness, anger and other negative emotions that come from having IBD. You may go here to purchase them: http:// thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/shop/. If our store hasn’t launched by the time you click on it, please feel free to email me at [email protected] and I will be more than happy to process your order for a shirt or a Heart Tattoo. You can also read our incredible articles written by people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which are guaranteed to inspire you, relate to you, and educate you: http://thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/blog/. We are also launching in-person support groups in January 2014 in Chicago, New York, Texas, Sacramento and Los Angeles. These support groups will focus on bringing IBDers together, creating an IBD support system and providing education on various ways to fnd a peaceful balance within our bodies with Eastern and Western medicine. Information about the support groups will be announced here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/ the-crohns-journey-foundation/tcjf-ibd-meetups-2014/365367590274914. The Foundation will also be hosting the IBD Prom—our exciting fundraiser event in New York in April 2014 (exact date TBA). The proceeds will go towards funding our second IBD Retreat on the East Coast in 2014. This is a very exciting event because TCJF will be receiving amazing support from some incredible IBD advocates who will help host the event, including Sara Ringer from Infamed and Untamed , Frank Garuf Jr. from The Crohn’s Colitis Effect , Christina Matthies from The Crohn’s Diaries, Marisa Troy from Keeping Things Inside Is Bad For My Health, Jeffrey LeVine from A Guy With Crohn’s , Mary Pryor, and Rebecca Kaplan from Caring For Crohn’s. The frst Crohn’s Journey Retreat was held in Ojai, CA Oct 16-19 (3 nights, 4 days) and was amazing. We look forward to bringing the same positive energy, love and community to the East Coast in our next retreat which will be announced soon. We will keep our members and supporters updated! 58
FACTS ABOUT SARAH & HER TEAM I can speak two languages My goal is to hike the entire Inca Trail in Peru I almost died river rafting in Costa Rica (it was incredible) I love to dance in my living room (party of one!) I have a masters degree in Speech and Language Pathology I was determined to start a non-proft in that hospital bed one year ago and here I am with a 501c3, falling in love every day with TCJF community! Stephanie Smith, head of the development team, plans to be a certifed yoga teacher by 2015 and has a horrifc fear of ET (yes, the “ET go home” ET). She also lives in a very fun city, Austin, Texas. Kevin Barnes, head of technology, was diagnosed with Crohn’s at the age of 12. He has been an amateur astronomer as long as he could remember, and recently decided to return to school for astrophysics as a step toward a second career. Linton Rogers, head of design, lives in a little town called Bexhill on Sea, along the southeast coast of England. Linton has a degree in graphic design and plays football (soccer) at county level. He is also addicted to cereal, particularly Corn Flakes. 59
I think the best part of TCJF is that it has helped me connect with others with infammatory bowel disease. Since I began the foundation, I’ve created an IBD family that I feel so blessed to have. TCJF has created a space for others to feel safe, while they relate, learn and fnd hope again. My favorite part of the foundation is that it’s created a haven for those with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—and I can help be a part of that. People have told me that TCJF provides a platform to connect, to feel heard and understood, to gain knowledge, to feel loved and to fnd hope. It helps smooth the sometimes rocky path of their personal journeys with IBD. After our frst IBD retreat, I received uplifting surveys from all of the attendees who unanimously said that they were able to leave with new knowledge, feel recalibrated, and were able to form an IBD family that they will take with them forever. Want to learn more about the Crohn’s Journey Foundation? Feeling the need to let everyone know how much you love your insides by wearing one of their tank tops or shirts? Do you need a retreat? Want your picture featured on their website? There are numerous ways that you can be involved with the foundation, check out their website for more information. thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org Collage of our 2013 IBD Retreat in Ojai. 60
FASHOSTOMY Gaylyn’s Story GUTLESSANDGLAMOROUS.COM @GUTLESSGLAMOUR This young lady proves that life with an ostomy doesn’t have to be fashion free! She tells her story and share some of her favorite outfts to wear that make everyone ask ostoWHERE? She is an expert at keeping herself glamorous, while being “gutless” at the same time. Even proving that wearing fashionable bathing suits doesn’t have to be off limits. She is always willing to answer any of your questions and has an amazing direct contact form right on her website, so after you’re done reading here, be sure to check it out! I am rushed to the hospital only to sit stranded in the cold, damp waiting room for what seemed like an eternity in agonizing pain. Unable to keep even a sip of water down, vomiting more than my poor little body could handle, strangers began to hook my weakened veins up to intravenously fuid and medicines in hopes to replenish my body of what it was dangerously emitting profusely. All I kept thinking was why and that in that moment; I wanted to die. I felt like I was going to die and I almost got my wish. At the age of 14, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Little did I know at the time how drastically my world was going to completely turn upside down and that my way of thinking was going to change forever. This disease has drastically impacted my life, as well as those that are close to me. I have had multiple hospitalizations, multiple surgeries, multiple procedures, and millions of doctor visits. I am in pain most days, and have taken/take an array of medications to try to alleviate the symptoms. It has been a never ending cycle living with a chronic condition, more specifcally in my case Crohn’s Colitis. My most recent surgery was a total proctocolectomy leaving me with a permanent ileostomy. As I look back, a lot of my hospitalizations and procedures prior to this last 61
surgery were in an effort to prevent a total proctocoletomy. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have had the proctocolectomy a lot sooner. You hope and pray that a medicine will be discovered that will help; that will alleviate the pain and your symptoms. I even thought “what if my colon is removed and then they fnd the cure, or a miracle drug?”. All of this will go through your mind and went through mine because this surgery was fnal -- absolutely no going back. Meanwhile, quality of life is diminishing and/or gone. I didn’t realize the impact this disease had on the quality of my life until after my last surgery. After I had my surgery, there was absolutely no way I would want to go back. I made the best decision. Do what you have to do to regain control of your life. Don’t live in torture if you don’t have to. Dressing with an ostomy can be diffcult, especially for people that are used to dressing a certain way and being able to get away with it. Our FashOstomy advisor, Gaylyn of Gutless and Glamorous, is here to help. Gaylyn’s Jeggings = Jeans + leggings. Along with leggings, these are her favorite go to pieces that help her to feel comfortable while still looking fashionable. “Believe it or not, my daily routine getting dressed with an ostomy has not changed much. However, I can say that now after 5 years of having an ostomy. When I frst had ostomy surgery, I only wore leggings and shirts that were long enough to cover the ostomy. Luckily that was the style,” says Gaylyn. “Now, 5 years later. I wear what I want! You will learn what works best for you. You will learn how your ostomy works and what you can and can not wear.” In order to best prepare for a new clothing style with your ostomy, begin wearing clothes that you know will work. Longer, bigger t-shirts (a size up from norm works great), leggings, and if you’re in colder area big, loose ftted sweaters are not only in style, they work great! Gaylyn also has some excellent advice for those that have just recently had the operation: “If you have had surgery very recently, very loose clothing is probably best. As you adjust, your body is adjusting as well.” Though many patients would like to believe there is any easy choice color wise, Gaylyn reminds us that though there are 62
many tricks of the trade -- most of the time you might have to just adapt to your new body. “There really isn’t any color that will help hide your ostomy, despite how hard you try to disguise your ostomy, chances are it will be seen. The thing is, not many people know what they are looking at when they see it”, Gaylyn says. Through weight gain and weight loss, swelling and steroid bloat, fnding clothes at your favorite store may be diffcult, but Gaylyn fnds a way around all of those issues. “I have more problems fnding clothes that ft period than whether it fts my ostomy. I have lost a considerable amount of weight since my last surgery and haven’t been able to gain it back. But! I love H&M and I shop online.” When having an ostomy, swimwear may be scary or seem out of the question to the normal person, but do not rule it out. The most fun is to be had with bathing suits! Remember, even the most normal, beautiful person still has trouble putting on a bathing suit; having an ostomy does not mean you can’t ever vacation again. “I have always been obsessed with 1920’s style era. I frst spotted a high-waist biking at American Apparel. Now you can fnd them just about anywhere: J.Crew, Urban Outftters, Macys, etc. Please note, a one-piece bathing suit will never go out of style.” Going out to dinner and out with friends will forever be different with an ostomy, and for most, it will always be better. You are no longer sprinting to the bathroom or worrying about being embarrassed. You can eat and enjoy food, go out, dance and have a good time while still feeling confdent. “Wear what you want when you go out. However, I will mention I never wear jeans. I had an accident very shortly after my frst ostomy surgery while out with friends. I was mortifed and really haven’t worn jeans since, until the jegging. I will not wear jeans unless there is room for the ostomy to breathe. I have found fexible, with stretch material, jeans at GAP and Urban Outftters. **The key for wearing comfortable clothing for an ostomy is it MUST be breathable. If you have an ostomy, you are well aware that it will expand as it flls. Your clothing has to have room for it to do so or an accident can occur.” If you have questions for Gaylyn or would like more information on FashOstomy, please email [email protected] or [email protected]. 63
GLAMOUR GUIDE By Emma C. MYBEAUTIFULMESSYLIFE.WORDPRESS.COM @EMMA_CHAPPLE & @xMBML No matter how bad the fare, looking and feeling glamorous can always help uplift your spirits. Emma C., author of My Beautiful Messy Life, tells us how looking your best might help you feel a little closer to your best, too! I’m going to be blunt – fare-ups suck. Whether you’re toughing it out at home or confned in the hospital, chances are you’re feeling pretty awful. And lets not even get into how bad it makes us look. The pajamas and no-makeup look isn’t exactly flattering. Despite the havoc Infammatory Bowel Disease wreaks both inside and out, keeping to a simple beauty regimen is a great way to feel better physically and mentally. Consider this your IBD Glamour Guide – a manual for how to stay pretty and positive from the sick bed. I remember when I had been discharged from my frst Crohn’s-related hospital stay – I felt awful. I was under-weight, my face had swollen to three times its regular size, and I was out of shape from weeks of lying in bed. I needed some serious “me time.” So began a tradition of treating myself. When I’m not feeling great, beauty and skincare products are my go-to for feeling glamorous. Even when I’m in remission, scheduling my own personal spa day is how I de-stress. I love anything from The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works – I’d even keep my favourites by my hospital bed! Strawberry body butter, cucumber melon body lotion, and jasmine body spray are perfect for when you need some extra TLC. When I was put on bowel rest, chocolate was defnitely what I missed the most. Then I discovered The Body Shop’s line of Chocomania products! Whenever a craving hit (which was always!), their body and lip butter was a great quick fx. 64
Is there anything nicer than a bubble bath? Not only does it feel ah-mazing, but it can also help reduce any pain you might feel from IBD. Relaxing in a hot Epsom salt bath is great, but it’s even better when you add sweet scents into the mix. This could mean investing in a reed diffuser, or some good bath products. I love sweet bath gels from Philosophy! Cinnamon Buns and Vanilla Birthday Cake are at the top of my list. When you’re on prednisone, doing your makeup becomes a challenge in itself. Many times I’d fnd my face so puffy that my usual makeup routine wouldn’t do me any favours. It was my mom’s idea to see a makeup artist for contouring lessons, and it was one that paid off. I went to a MAC boutique to learn some tricks of the trade, but there are several other options. We all have that friend who’s a makeup guru, and if not, there’s always YouTube! Believe it or not, there are videos that specialize in makeup for moon face. Jack Mercury has a great tutorial on her channel – I wish it were around when I was taking steroids! My friends were always there to save me from bad hospital food, but once I was put on IV nutrition they could no longer bring me sushi. They’d make up for it with books, DVDs, and best of all, nail polish! Painting your nails is a great way to pass the time when you’re stuck inside. On days that I was allowed to leave the hospital for a few hours, I’d love to go to the drug store and stock up! Essie and Nicole – OPI’s lower-priced line – are my favourite brands. Choosing fun colors like bright turquoise and poppy pink was a sure- fre way to brighten my day. Prednisone would cause my nails to become brittle; luckily Essie has a great hydrating base coat that allowed my nails to keep on growing! Remember – a fare-up might not look pretty, but it doesn’t mean you can’t feel pretty! 65
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