Just had a bout with it myself. Every year now in the last two years it has seemed to rear it's ugly head around this time of year. Stress is all I can attribute it too. I had my last surgery in 2009. I am allergic to sulfa and penicillin so they are giving me 500 mg of Ciprofloxacin. Remicade never worked for me when I had my colitis. The antibiotics made me sick also but it was better than flat on my back nursing a fever with the pouchiits. I missed a week of work.
Definitely avoiding stress can help with that! Make a list in your head or write down the things that make you happy and/or grateful for, that helps me feel better a lot. Try it out 
Exercising helps reduce stress too