Indian-American Crohn’s Patient and Ostomate Named Honored Hero of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation By Brown Girl Magazine May 1, 2018 [All photos courtesy of Tina Aswani Omprakash] I was at the top of my game having just graduated college with a Wall Street career and BAM, just like that, the colitis hit. At the tender age of 22, when my life was just beginning, my existence became a perpetual case of bolting to the nearest bathroom. Between wearing diapers and trying to date while popping pills and using enemas, I began to realize how tenuous life is. It was a scary proposition because my father passed away at…
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Tear Up Your Flare-Up
Whether it feels like a bus just squashed us flat or we have that sudden urge to defecate with no end in sight, we all know that feeling when a flare is imminent. And while it is no fun, it is a part of living and breathing with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). So how do we manage flares? And more importantly, how do we to cope with them to live the fullest life possible? We all know flare-ups are unapologetically anxiety-producing. But staying in those thoughts may cause us to flounder. Overanalyzing and blaming ourselves for a flare, or even for our diseases, is unfair, unreasonable, and counterproductive. IBD has…
- acceptance, advocacy, awareness, Colorectal Surgery, coping with flares, Crohn's, living with IBD, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis
TINA ASWANI OMPRAKASH | 2018 NYC ADULT HONORED HERO
I was at the top of my game having just graduated college with a Wall Street career all lined up and BAM, just like that, the colitis hit. At the tender age of 22, when my life was just supposed to be beginning, my life became a perpetual case of where’s the nearest bathroom and having to bolt to avoid accidents. Between wearing diapers and trying to date while popping pills and using enemas, I began to realize how tenuous life is. It was a scary proposition because my dad passed away at 39 years old from a wicked case of Crohn’s that turned into colorectal cancer, and his sister…
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How I Combat Election-Related Anxiety as a Crohn’s Patient and Ostomate
This election has been a cause of distress for many, Crohnies and ostomates included. No matter what your individual views are on each candidate, there is a degree of uncertainty involved with any transition of leadership, let alone a change as drastic as the one we are now facing with our newly elected president. Knowing full well that change can be stressful and anxiety-producing for us as Crohnies and ostomates, how do we face and battle that anxiety? How do we accept outcomes we may not support? And most importantly, how do we combat any fear-mongering attitude that may be directed towards our “bathroom disease” and ostomies? Do we ignore the…
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The Song That Makes Me Proud of My Scars
As a Crohn’s disease patient with a permanent ostomy and severe fistulizing disease, I often look to music for solace. Listening to soulful music isn’t just soothing; it helps me cope, process and move past the never-ending laundry list of health issues I face. One song that hit home the second I heard it was “No Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara, and it has been on repeat ever since. It goes: You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are, And you don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart, No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful… What do these…
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Welcome to “Own Your Crohn’s”
Dear reader, My name is Tina, and my struggle with Crohn’s disease began over 12 years ago when I was 22. I am from the New York City area, and my background is in legal and compliance for investment banking. My battle with this beast of a disease rendered me unable to work. I have been nonetheless actively involved with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation as one of the leaders of the NYC Women’s IBD Support Group, through which I help to educate and advocate for women like myself who are struggling with the most debilitating aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). (Courtesy of Tina Aswani Omprakash) My struggle with Crohn’s derailed my career, my…
