About Ibd

What should people who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) eat? What diet plans are available? Barbara Olendzki, the Director of the Center for Applied Nutrition and an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, helped developed the inflammatory bowel disease anti-inflammatory diet (IBD-AID). The IBD-AID is currently being studied in pregnant people in the MELODY Trial. Barbara gives the lowdown on the IBD-AID, the MELODY Trial, and how and why she got started in the nutrition field. Concepts discussed on this episode include: The MECONIUM Study (Exploring MEChanisms Of disease traNsmission In Utero through the Microbiome The MELODY Trial Anti-Inflammatory Diet for IBD (IBD-AID) Find the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Center for Applied Nutrition on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,”

How do your pets help you with your IBD? I speak to Meredith Mangold, "The Bowel Battling Badass,” about the role her dogs have played in her life. She became seriously ill with ulcerative colitis, which progressed into a rare complication called toxic megacolon. As her journey with IBD progressed, she eventually needed colectomy surgery, and has since been diagnosed with other immune-mediated conditions. Her two dogs, however, have become a big part of her advocacy work and they help her manage the pain and loneliness that come with chronic illness. Concepts discussed on this episode: Toxic megacolon CT Scan Ileus Extra-intestinal Manifestations of IBD Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis Find Meredith Mangold of The Bowel Battling Badass at Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance P

The back to school period is already a time of so much change but once again in this pandemic, parents and school systems are also facing difficult choices. The experiences of families during the pandemic has been diverse, which means that individual needs need to be addressed. But how do we manage that? Dr Brad Jerson Pediatric Psychologist in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Connecticut Children’s, puts some framing around these issues and how we might approach them. Topics discussed include making the decision to go back to school in the building, 504 plans for kids with digestive conditions, and helping kids to transition to school in a difficult atmosphere. Concepts discussed on this episode: 8 Tips to Help Kids With Special Needs Adjust to a New School Year What to Do When Your Child or Teen Doesn’t Want to Go Back to School What Should Parents Know About the Delta Variant, Kids and Back to School? How to Check On Your Child’s Mental Health Find Dr Brad Jerson on Tw

This is the second part of my conversation with Kathleen Nicholls, author of "Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease” and "My Flare Lady: A Handbook for Today's (Diseased) Dame.” Hear the first part in Episode 97, where Kathleen tells us about her Crohn’s disease diagnosis and how blogging became the way she processes her disease journey. We talk about how to answer when people ask us how we’re doing. Which leads to another topic, and that’s how providers can ask patients about whether or not they want to pursue parenthood. Kathleen also gives blogging tips, including a hard truth, and offers advice to anyone who is newly diagnosed. However, I think her wisdom is important for long-term patients as well. Buy Kathleen’s Books: Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease My Flare Lady: a handbook for today's (diseased) dame Find Kathleen Nicholls on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on her web site, KathFantastic.com. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com,

Life with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) brings challenges and many life changes but it can also sometimes bring unexpected opportunities. Kathleen Nicholls, author of "Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease” and "My Flare Lady: a handbook for today's (diseased) dame” was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in her 20s. She started a blog as a way to process her disease journey. She was stunned when people started reading it and when publishers became interested. Two books later, she shares the lessons she learned along the way. Buy Kathleen’s Books: Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease My Flare Lady: a handbook for today's (diseased) dame Find Kathleen Nicholls on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on her web site, KathFantastic.com. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

The patient advocacy space is lacking the voices of men and especially men of color. The result is that the IBD community is not diverse enough to provide the kind of support that they need. Jordan McConnell, the founder of Crohn’s Veteran, is looking to change the dynamics of the online IBD space. Jordan served in the military and was eventually discharged due to his Crohn’s disease. It was a shock and changed his career plans unexpectedly. His disease journey showed him that he needed to be the change and he developed his podcast and his brand to support men and the larger IBD community. Concepts discussed in this episode: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) How to Prepare Yourself for Ileostomy Surgery Parts of the Small Intestine Find Jordan McConnell on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Find Crohn’s Veteran on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Twitch, and on their web site, Crohn’s Veteran. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Very

What is the next innovation in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Is it the microbiome? Stem cells? Or, is it the emerging field of bioelectric medicine? IBD is a complicated disease to treat and can bring complications and other, related conditions. The problem is the immune-mediated nature of the disease and how it affects the entire body. For Kelly Owens, who lives with Crohn’s disease, bioelectric medicine has bumped her into remission and changed her life in several ways. Today she goes by "Vagus Nerve Girl” because she had a device implanted in her chest that stimulates her vagus nerve. For her, this treatment has been a resounding success. Episode page and transcript can be found at: https://aboutibd.com/?p=1984 Concepts discussed in this episode: TED Talk: How electricity could replace your medications - Neurosurgeon Kevin Tracey Discovery and Functions of Acetylcholine What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)? Find Kelly Owens on Twitter, Facebook,  and Instagram and on her blog, Vag

Motherhood comes in all shapes and sizes. The intersection of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and motherhood is often left out of the discussion and single motherhood and IBD is pretty much ignored altogether. That's why I asked my close friend and co-founder of IBDMoms, Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles, to tell me about her challenges and her successes living with IBD, a j-pouch, and being a single mom of a young son. Concepts discussed in this episode: What Are the Five Love Languages? An Overview of Asacol (Oral Mesalamine) How Does Implicit Bias Influence Behavior? Black Women Suffer Most From Restrictive Reproduction Policies, Study Shows Racial Disparities in Maternal Health May Be at a Pivot Point How Prince Shook Up the Music Industry Motherhood Unplugged on Lights, Camera, Crohn's Complete show notes and transcript found at https://aboutibd.com/?p=1965. Find Brooke Abbott on Twitter, Facebook,  and Instagram and on her blog, The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles. Find IBDMoms o

It's one thing to talk to your physicians about becoming pregnant when you live with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. But what about  getting the benefit of experiences from the mothers who have been through a pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding journey? Former news anchor and current blogger and Crohn's patient Natalie Hayden gives her experiences with pregnancy and receiving biologics, as well as how she has participated in research during her pregnancies and the benefits it offers her family. Concepts discussed in this episode: What is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction? An Overview of Sacroiliac Joint Pain IBD Parenthood Project Mother to Baby Studies - Crohn's Disease Mother to Baby Studies - Ulcerative Colitis Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist What Is Colostrum? Motherhood Unplugged on The PIANO Registry Complete show notes and transcript found at https://aboutibd.com/2021/05/16/about-ibd-podcast-episode-93---motherhood-unplugged-with-natalie-hayden/ Find Natalie Hayden, MD on Twitter, Facebook,

We used to be told that women with IBD couldn’t have children. We were also told people with IBD shouldn’t have children. The truth is this: women with IBD get pregnant and have healthy pregnancies and babies. We have more evidence and guidance than ever before. Gastroenterologist Dr Jill Gaidos, Associate Professor of Medicine in the section of Digestive Diseases and the Director of Clinical Research for the Yale Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Program discusses the finer points of pregnancy and IBD. When to seek help for fertility, what medications should be continued in pregnancy, and the risk of passing on IBD to children.  Concepts discussed in this episode: The PIANO Registry Conversations with Women in GI Updates on the Safety of Using Newer IBD Medications during Pregnancy Find Jill Gaidos, MD on Twitter and at Yale Health. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©

Hey, it's Amber. I want to tell you about my limited podcast series, Healthcare Disparities in IBD. IBD used to be thought of as a Western disease. Something that happened in developed countries like the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia. IBD was also thought to mainly affect White people and people of Jewish heritage. However, these demographics are changing, and IBD is now considered a global disease.[1] A harmful and pervasive misconception is that IBD does not affect people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Minority patients are sometimes told that they can't have an IBD because they are of African, Latinx, Native American, or Asian descent. This leads to a delay in diagnosis and care. In the setting of IBD, which is difficult to treat, this can lead to significant complications that negatively affect every aspect of a person's life. In this limited series, we explore the ways in which the healthcare system is underserving minority and LGBTQ patients who live with an IBD. We cover the

Have you ever seen a person who lives with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in a movie or TV show? If so: was the depiction positive or negative? My guest is actor, writer, and filmmaker Derek Mari. Derek lives with Crohn's disease and his IBD journey  inspired him to create a story that explores the way people cope with living with a chronic illness. He has already filmed a short film, entitled "Crohnie," which was positively received at several film festivals (before the pandemic shut everything down). Derek's next project is a full-length feature film with a main character who lives with Crohn's disease. Loosely autobiographical, it will examine the journey to acceptance of life with a chronic illness, and show how that life can be full and filled with success.  Learn more about Derek and his Crohn's story, as well as how you can get involved in the crowdfunding program to get this film made. Find Crohnie Movie on Vimeo,  Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Derek Mari on Vimeo, Twitter, and Instagram. F

Telling your Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis story is powerful. It can be freeing but it can also come with some unexpected side effects. Welcome back Rosanne Mottola, who originally intended to talk over receiving her second dose of the Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine. She told her ulcerative colitis story and about receiving her first dose on Episode 87, "COVID-19 Vaccination With UC Patient Rosanne Mottola." She gives her experience on her second dose, how it affected her, and what her family's plans are now that she's vaccinated. Additionally, Rosanne had another part of her journey that she wanted to share. She listened to her first About IBD episode (something a lot of guests don't actually do), as did her family. Reflecting on her ulcerative colitis journey brought things back in a fresh way. She tells me how revisiting some parts of her life in this way was both troubling and healing. It's an important part of the disease journey, especially for those who tell their story publicly, that doesn't

Living with one disease is bad enough, but living with two adds more than two times the complexity. As a young man, Aaron Blocker was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after years of coping with strange and seemingly disconnected signs and symptoms. He continued to have problems which resulted in two hip replacements that were blamed on prednisone. However, after one of those hip replacements became dislocated, Aaron went looking for more answers and wound up suspecting that he also had an ultra-rare condition called hypophosphatasia. Concepts discussed on this episode: Osteonecrosis (Avascular Necrosis) Explained What Is Alkaline Phosphatase? Soft Bones, Inc National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Ultra-rare disease diagnosis is an uphill battle Find Aaron Blocker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

During times of stress, our personal relationships may suffer. In the pandemic, we are finding ourselves spending a lot of time with those in our households, and for couples, that can start to take a toll. Certified sex educator Kait Scalisi, founder of Passion By Kait, shares her knowledge and experience as a neuroscientist, public health professional, and couples' counselor to help us understand how to better manage our relationships during the pandemic and beyond. Concepts discussed on this episode: Sexy Truth or Dare Pick A Stick How to Be a Good Partner During Quarantine How to Keep the Romance Alive Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic 3 Fun Sex Ideas for Couples—That You Can Try Tonight Mindful Sex Practices Sexy Conversation Starter Kit Find Kait Scalisi, founder of Passion By Kait, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

People with IBD and other chronic conditions have questions about receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Rosanne Mottola works at a hospital and was therefore eligible to receive a vaccination through her employer. Rosanne gives her experiences and takeaways as a "mild to moderate" ulcerative colitis patient and how she made the decision to receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. She offers some great advice about how the internet may skew our perception of what IBD life is like, and because of her background, she's a wonderful resource for people living with IBD. Concepts discussed on this episode: An Overview of C. Diff Can Immunocompromised People Safely Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine? An Overview of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Find Rosanne Mottola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

Did an IBD diagnosis change the direction of your life? For Danielle Golden and Joe Teeters, being diagnosed as a young adult had a profound influence on their lives. The plans they had for their lives were derailed, but they only met, formed a strong friendship, and founded Double Baggin' It because of their IBD. Learn more about their disease journeys, how they met, and how they use humor to raise awareness of IBD and ostomy life both inside and outside the IBD community. Further Reading: Pre-Existing Condition—What It Is & Why It’s a Big Deal Dependent Coverage for Young Adults Proctectomy Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease How to Prepare Yourself for Ileostomy Surgery Leading Charities and Organizations for Ostomy Surgery Find Double Baggin' It at Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

What does it mean to act with intention? The pandemic altered the course of our year and divorced us from our intentions. However, there were learnings that we can build on to create a better, more inclusive, and informed IBD community. In this mini-episode, I share my thoughts on how the year affected me and how I plan to move forward in 2021 by getting back to my intentions. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have had many questions. Now that vaccines against the virus are becoming available, people living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis need even more information in order to make decisions. I asked Dr David Rubin, Chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition and the Co-Director of the Digestive Diseases Center at The University of Chicago Medicine to answer some of these initial questions about the first COVID-19 vaccines (manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna). Topics discussed on this episode include: How vaccines work How mRNA works How IBD medications affect the immune system IBD medications and their potential effect on COVID-19 vaccination When we'll have more information about COVID-19 vaccines and IBD Why side effects with vaccines are expected and what they mean Key Quotes: The first thing is to remember that inflammatory bowel disease itself is a condition where in almost all situ

For many of us who live with a form of IBD, being a performer seems like it would be impossible. Some of the problems include needing a job that provides health insurance, the stress of auditions, and being healthy enough to perform onstage. Justin Baker, however, has found a way to make it work for him as he lives with Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis (a form of degenerative arthritis that's associated with IBD). Justin is an actor, a photographer, and a clown. He tells me how he manages stress, how empathy informs his work and his life, and how not having health insurance led to emergency surgery for his Crohn's disease. Concepts discussed in this episode: Ankylosing Spondylitis "Find the Pony" Camp Esperanza Find Justin Baker, actor, on Acts4Food, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Find Justin Baker, photographer, on Photo-Baker.com and Instagram. Find "You Don't Look Sick: A Documentary Series," on Facebook and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitte