About Ibd

It’s estimated that half of people who have an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) try complementary and alternative medicine to treat their disease. Eric Polsinelli of Vegan Ostomy describes how he tried dozens of complementary therapies for his Crohn’s disease but never found anything that worked. He did, however, come away with vital insight about how people living with IBD can assess alternative therapies and talk to their physicians about working them into a comprehensive treatment plan. Find Eric Polsinelli, of Vegan Ostomy, at: Blog: https://www.veganostomy.ca/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/veganostomy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Veganostomy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/veganostomy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegan_ostomy/ Ostomeme: https://www.ostomeme.com Find Amber J Tresca at: Verywell: https://www.verywell.com/ibd-crohns-colitis-4014703 Blog: http://aboutibd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aboutibd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboutIBD Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.

The healthcare space isn’t a level playing field. Minority populations face complex challenges when it comes to accessing and receiving care, which is why April is designated as National Minority Health Month. In regards to inflammatory bowel disease, it’s not well known that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis also affect minorities. Shawntel Bethea of Chronically Strong and Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles discuss how they’ve been affected by healthcare disparity and offer concrete ideas on what can be done to start addressing healthcare gaps in their communities. Learn more about National Minority Health Month here: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/NMHM18/ Find Shawntel Bethea, Chronically Strong, at: Blog: https://chronicallystrong.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrklcLJ7FvGtN-fOvJJM-jQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chronicallystrongblog/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnbethea_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronicallystrongblog/ Find Brooke Abbott, The Craz

Take a journey back to 1999, when cellphones were a rarity, dial-up internet access was still used, and Amber had her first surgery of the 2-step j-pouch process. Amber’s husband Mike, a writer and communicator, journaled his thoughts on the day of the surgery. This journal was recently uncovered and Amber reads it to Mike and gets his reactions and further recollections of that challenging day. You can find out more about Amber and Mike in Episode 8, where you’ll hear about being told surgery was needed and find out about their fairytale wedding: https://soundcloud.com/amber-j-tresca/michael-tresca Conditions and procedures mentioned in this episode: Before, During, and After J-Pouch Surgery https://www.verywell.com/before-during-and-after-j-pouch-surgery-4137938 Central Lines: Why Is a Central Line Necessary? https://www.verywell.com/central-lines-why-is-a-central-line-necessary-3156818 What Are Precancerous Cells? https://www.verywell.com/what-are-precancerous-cells-2248796 Pseudopolyps in Inflammatory Bow

Megan Johnson of The Front Butt YouTuber has presented 5 questions for people with IBD to answer and then tag someone else using #IBDAdvocacyTag. It’s a great way to get to know people in the community better and hear different perspectives. My answer to the form of IBD I have is not going to be what you expect and my socially awkward moment is pretty epic: I remember every detail about it, even though it happened almost two decades ago. And who did I tag? Well, I do that in my own way, too. If you decide to participate, use #IBDAdvocacyTag on social media and answer these questions: What form of IBD do you have? Why is IBD advocacy important? Describe a socially awkward moment with IBD. What is a common stigma you run into? What do you want other people to know about IBD? Related articles: Is Discharge From a Rectal Stump Normal? https://www.verywell.com/discharge-from-a-rectal-stump-1942932 An episode mentioned in this podcast: Episode 17 - When IBD Gets Married With Jaime Weinstein Find Amber J Tresca at:

Pregnancy and birth are different for women with IBD. There are not only challenges that come from the disease itself but the lack of awareness about IBD during pregnancy can lead to less than optimal treatment. Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles describes how she coped with ulcerative colitis during her pregnancy and a birth that did not go as she’d hoped or as she’d expected. Learn how everything turned out in the end and find out what Brooke and Amber think pregnant women with IBD should do to prepare for birth and for those first few weeks with a new baby.   Web sites mentioned in this episode: Mother to Baby: https://mothertobaby.org/La Leche League: https://www.llli.org/Kelly Mom: https://kellymom.com/Breastmilk Donations: https://www.hmbana.org/ Find Brooke Abbott, The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles at: Blog: https://crazycreolemommy.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrazyCreoleMama Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrzyCreoleMommy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazycreolemama/

Getting married is a joyful time in one’s life. Until you have to bring your IBD and body image difficulties along when you shop for your wedding dress, that is. Learn how Crohn’s disease affected Jaime’s perceptions about body image throughout her life and how it all culminated in a trip to a bridal shop that left her angry and frustrated. Plus, we share our best tips for making the dress shopping, and eventual wedding day attire wearing, go more smoothly if IBD decides to make make an appearance. Ideas and products mentioned in this podcast: The Bridal Buddy, the slip that saves your dress in the bathroom: https://bridalbuddy.net/products/bridal-buddy Find Jaime Weinstein at: Blog: http://prettyrottenguts.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaimeEditor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slightlyjaided/ YouTube: http://po.st/prKAKf Find Amber J Tresca at: Verywell: https://www.verywell.com/ibd-crohns-colitis-4014703 Blog: http://aboutibd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibdcrohns/ Twitter: http

Are you unique? Do you represent most patients with IBD? Christy Stone of Crohnie Bologna tells the story of her disease journey, how she feels that she’s not unique as an inflammatory bowel disease patient, why she chooses kindness, and why these things make her a better advocate. Find Christy Stone, Crohnie Bologna, at: Blog: http://www.crohniebolognaibd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrohnieBolognaIbd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrohnieBologna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crohnie_bologna_ibd/ Find Amber J Tresca at: Verywell: https://www.verywell.com/ibd-crohns-colitis-4014703 Blog: http://aboutibd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibdcrohns/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboutIBD Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aboutibd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/about_IBD/ Find Mac Cooney at: Cooney Studio: http://cooneystudio.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelandrewcooney/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/maccooney Bandcamp: https://michaelandrewcooney.bandcamp.c

Welcome to the year-end wrap up show! I put together clips from my first 14 shows that drop the heaviest knowledge bombs about how life with IBD affects us, our careers, our relationships, and our stress levels. Do you have an IBD Elevator Speech? I got you, here’s where you can learn to create yours after you listen to Brooke Abbott give hers: https://www.verywell.com/how-to-create-your-ibd-elevator-speech-1942452 Find Christy Stone, Crohnie Bologna, at: Blog: http://www.crohniebolognaibd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrohnieBolognaIbd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrohnieBologna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crohnie_bologna_ibd/ Find Ryan Stevens, IBD Swimming & Me, at: Blog: http://www.crohnsguy.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IBDSwimmer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_stevens/ Find Jaime Weinstein at: Blog: http://prettyrottenguts.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaimeEditor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slightlyjaided/ Find Brooke Abbott, The Cr

What are your goals? Are you taking steps each day to move towards those goals? Brian Greenberg, endurance athlete and president of Chronically Better You tells us how he moved from goals after surgery—getting out of bed and making his own lunch—to training for an Ironman in 2018. People with IBD know the value of structure and Brian explains how he has learned to manage his life with Crohn’s disease and an ostomy through careful planning and setting goals.   2:35: Why sitting still actually makes Brian feel worse. 3:18: Why a routine is important 4:33: What’s a Half Ironman? 6:41: How to set goals, no matter if they’re big or small 10:20: Why a schedule is important  13:05: On being a model patient 13:57: What happens when you miss a training day? 18:30: What Brian thinks when he looks at his training schedule or during a race 20:02: A nightly routine that helps reduce stress 24:19: The biggest motivating factor in Brian’s life 27:19: Shout out to our partners for the help 29:49: Why it’s best to do you and

Being diagnosed with IBD as a child presents special challenges for kids and for parents. Learn how Brian Greenberg of Intense Intestines Foundation dealt with a Crohn’s disease diagnosis at a young age and transitioned from being a child reliant on parents to help manage his IBD to learning how to manage it all himself. 2:15: Brian spent a lot of time in detention as a kid! 3:15: The hardest part of going to school with IBD. 5:00: Brian's first resection: at 21. 7:00: Deciding to get an ostomy and what that meant for the future. 9:00: How an ostomy and a Ken butt made life better. 11:00: The misunderstandings that can happen when your peers don’t understand about IBD. 14:00: Why do people not just ask about why a person may appear sick? 16:00: How Brian manages to stay active with Crohn’s disease. 16:30: How being active can help with the mental aspects of coping with IBD. 17:34: Why distractions can actually be beneficial at times. 19:00: One of the things Brian has done that maybe is a little risky. But su

Did you know that more than 70% of people with IBD have reported bathroom accidents (fecal incontinence)? Did you also know that only around 20% ask for help from their physicians? It’s a sensitive topic, to be sure, which is why I offer advice on how to cope with this problem and how to avoid it in the first place. If you’re struggling with this issue I have tips that you can use today but the best advice is to talk to your doctor about it (and I discuss that also!). 2:53: IBD is not a pooping disease! 3:34: 8AM classes — everyone else hates them ‘cause they’re hung over. You hate them because IBD. 4:28: Contact the student services office at your university about getting accommodations. 5:19: IBD is covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which means that you can ask for reasonable accommodations. 6:23: Yeah, I’m gonna come down on coffee and how it affects your digestive tract. 8:18: Not eating/drinking in the morning: how that can be good or bad depending on circumstances. 10:13: Why a lack of

How does stress affect IBD? We know that stress does not cause IBD, but it does affect the disease. How does IBD actually cause stress, and what can we do to balance our lives in such a way that it does not affect us in a negative way? I talk with my guest, Dr Taft, about how she advises patients with chronic diseases on relieving stress and the tips and tools that have worked for her and her patients in integrating a comprehensive stress relief program into daily life. :28 The role of stress as it applies to IBD. (No, it’s not “all in your head!”) 1:40: Easy ways to get started on stress relief, even for people who aren’t interested in it, and a reality check on how effective it is. 4:15: Some of the free apps that Dr Taft recommends for mindfulness and insomnia.  5:30: What is mindfulness? 7:45: How do I make mindfulness a habit? 11:22: But what does the research show about what stress relief techniques actually work for IBD? 13:52: Are there risks involved with trying stress relief techniques? 16:23: Stres

Are you ready to tell your story? Your legislators in Washington D.C., in your state, and your home town want to hear from you about how IBD has affected your life and the legislation you care about. Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles and Amber tell you how to get started in health activism and how to make your voice heard in our government! 6:00: What’s an IBD Elevator Speech? Hear Brooke’s and then use the create your own. 7:15: Find out what happens when you meet with the staff in your representatives’ office. 12:27: What should you know—and do—before you meet with someone at your representative’s office? 12:53: What you do say when you call your representative’s office to set up a meeting? 15:34: Do this if your representative will not meet with you. 22:07: What to write on a postcard you send to your representative. 28:50: Do our representatives pay attention to Twitter hashtags? 29:48: How https://www.govtrack.us/ and https://www.congress.gov/ can help you advocate! 35:30: Brooke always

If I asked you what about your IBD you were grateful for, what would you say? This is exactly what I asked IBD Advocates, and their answers are as complex, rich, and varied as they are. As you listen to their responses, you will undoubtedly find yourself nodding in agreement with some ideas and seeing your life from a different perspective with others. I hope this episode is as fulfilling for you to listen to as it was for me to produce. 4:45: Hear why Alison Rothbaum of Empowering Patients wouldn't give back these 2 things. 6:25: Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles explains why IBD turned her life upside down in a positive way. 8:55: Christy Stone of Crohnie Bologna gives you the four-letter word that has defined her journey with IBD. 11:17: Megan Johnson of The Front Butt YouTuber explains why her IBD goes hand-in-hand with her accomplishments. 13:00: Ryan Stevens of Crohn’s Guy tells us what IBD has helped him cut out of his life. 14:00: What’s Your Trust Setting? http://aboutibd.com/2016/04

What's it like to watch your partner's ulcerative colitis become life-threatening and not be able to do anything about it? My husband, Mike, tells my story from his perspective, including how we met, what it was like to watch my health degrade, and all about our fairy tale wedding. Featured Guest: Michael Tresca Twitter: https://twitter.com/worldofwelstar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldofwelstar/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/talien Want to become a Lady or Lord of Glencoe, like Amber? Buy your plot of land here: https://www.highlandtitles.com No, there are no utensils at Medieval Times. But you can get married there, like we did, or have your 15th anniversary party there, which we also did: http://www.medievaltimes.com In loving memory of Anastasia, also known as Mary Queen of Scots and the Quiet Scottish Tailor. Intro Music: Sunny - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music Outro Music: Tenderness - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music  

On this episode of About IBD, I talk with Michael Osso of Crohn's & Colitis Foundation and learn how important clinical trials are to patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, including how we can do better to ensure trials are completed. This podcast will answer many of your questions about clinical trials, plus we discuss the brand new resource the Foundation has launching later this month! Featured Guest: Michael Osso, President and CEO Crohn's & Colitis Foundation http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/about/staff/ Website: http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccfafb/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrohnsColitisFn Need Help With Your IBD? Call Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Help Line at 888-694-8872 or email info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org Music: A New Beginning - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music Acoustic Breeze - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music  

When you fly, do you board early? Once you get on the plane, what's the first thing you do? What's the second? Veteran traveler Jaime Weinstein, who lives with Crohn's disease, answers these questions and more based on her personal experiences when flying the friendly skies. Featured Guest: Jaime Weinstein Twitter: @JaimeEditor Instagram: @slightlyjaided Web Site: http://prettyrottenguts.tumblr.com/ Facebook Groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ibdjourney/ https://www.facebook.com/SupportIBD/ Music: Buddy - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music Memories - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music  

I talk with Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles about what it's like to be a parent with a chronic illness and how that's affected our relationship with our children. We also try to figure out how to clone ourselves and I'm so tired that I get the name of a well-known celebrity wrong -- several times. Featured Guest: Brooke Abbott Twitter: @CrzyCreoleMommy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazycreolemommy/ Web site: https://crazycreolemommy.com/ Women of Distinction: https://crazycreolemommy.com/the-giant-pat-on-the-back/ Additional Audio Engineering by Mac Cooney http://cooneystudio.com/ Music: Clear Day - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

What's it like to be a competitive swimmer and one day develop Crohn's disease? Well, you don't stop swimming! Hear Ryan Stevens, Crohn's Guy, talk about the work he's doing to raise awareness of IBD. Featured Guest: Ryan Stevens Twitter: @ryan_crohnsguy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IBDSwimmer/ Web site: www.crohnsguy.com Swimming With Courage & Crohn's: http://www.janssen.com/making-a-splash-with-patient-advocacy Finely Tuned: http://www.finelytuned.com/ Music: Moose - Bensound.com - www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music  

On this episode of the About IBD Podcast, I discuss j-pouches and bust some of the misconceptions that surround them. I also give my firsthand experience as a j-poucher who gave birth twice and let you in on what it's like for me to have a midline scar from open surgery. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: “About IBD" ©Cooney Studio.