Thanks for all the web sites--I'm very glad to have somewhere to begin my research. My brother has had Crohn's Colitis (they first thought it was Ulcerative Colitis) since high school (about 7-8 years ago), and he was on and off steroids and other meds for many years without much improvement. He finally had surgery last year and they removed 10 inches of horribly infected, blocked bowel--the doctor could not believe how my brother had been able to have a somewhat normal life and to go to work every day. Anyway, he's been better since. Not normal, but much much improved. It was bittersweet to hear him express concern over the fact that he was only having one BM a day--he had been sick for so long he didn't know what normal was. So, as you can imagine, when I started having cramps and the usual D drill about 18 months ago, I was concerned. Luckily, I'm not very sick, (on the spectrum of such ailments) but I don't want to get worse. Hence the questions about diet.Sigmoidoscopy looked normal but tissue sample revealed "mild irritation". I've been on Metamucil with about a 75% improvement, but it hasn't gone away so I'll have to have to go through the ordeal of a colonoscopy (I was miserable during and after the sigmoid, so I am really dreading the colonoscopy). After what bro has been through, I feel a little guilting complaining about my comparatively mild symptoms, but I also definitely don't want them to become chronic, if I can help it.God, it's so great to have this bulliten board--somehow, I don't want to discuss my bowel movements with my friends.