Anyone who can give me info. on inflammatory bowel disease?

My fiances mom just recived news from her doctor, that she has inflammatory bowel disease, I was wodering exactly how serious is this and how much has it affected you?

i know what it is, i would just like to know from somebody who's had it, or had a family member with it.

My Father has it and it has really had minimal affects in his day-to-day life or activities. He takes care of his body and watches what he eats. He eliminated many of his favorite foods (coffee especially, he was a huge coffee drinker) but has come to enjoy what he east now just as much. He has also taken (not sure what or if he still does takes the same meds) medication to keep inflammation down and symptoms at bay.
The worst affects he suffered were those in the beginning, becoming adapt to all the changes he had to make and emotionally. Over the last 10 years he has improved physically and emotionally and is as happy as ever.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a relapsing and remitting condition characterized by chronic inflammation at various sites in the GI tract, which results in diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Crohn's disease is a chronic transmural inflammatory disease that usually affects the distal ileum and colon but may occur in any part of the GI tract. Symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal pain. Abscesses, internal and external fistulas, and bowel obstruction may arise. Extraintestinal symptoms, particularly arthritis, may occur. Diagnosis is by colonoscopy and barium contrast studies. Treatment is with 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, anticytokines, antibiotics, and often surgery.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory and ulcerative disease arising in the colonic mucosa, characterized most often by bloody diarrhea. Extraintestinal symptoms, particularly arthritis, may occur. Long-term risk of colon cancer is high. Diagnosis is by colonoscopy. Treatment is with 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, anticytokines, antibiotics, and occasionally surgery.
Please see the web pages for more details on Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis)

What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (which is not the same thing as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS) refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although the diseases have some features in common, there are some important differences.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine, also called the colon. In ulcerative colitis, the inner lining - or mucosa - of the intestine becomes inflamed (meaning the lining of the intestinal wall reddens and swells) and develops ulcers (an ulcer is a sore, which means it's an open, painful wound). Ulcerative colitis is often the most severe in the rectal area, which can cause frequent diarrhea. Mucus and blood often appear in the stool (feces or poop) if the lining of the colon is damaged.

Crohn's disease differs from ulcerative colitis in the areas of the bowel it involves - it most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (called the terminal ileum) and parts of the large intestine. However, Crohn's disease isn't limited to these areas and can attack any part of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease causes inflammation that extends much deeper into the layers of the intestinal wall than ulcerative colitis does. Crohn's disease generally tends to involve the entire bowel wall, whereas ulcerative colitis affects only the lining of the bowel.

There you go you got three very helpful answers above, they were so informative that I dont have anything to add! It looks like it can be treated with a few combinations of drugs.Don't be scared by there big names there really not that bad.(biology major can pay off : / )
Sounds like if she goes through treatment and changes her diet she can keep her symptoms at bay.Luv ya darling!