Incredible Innovations: A Brand New Wireless IBD Medication Delivery Solution
Sponsored by Veloce Corporation - SmartTab. All thoughts & opinions are my own. As a Crohn’s patient for the last 15 years, I’ve done my fair share of taking oral medications, receiving infusions and giving myself subcutaneous injections. So last summer, when I came across a digital health company called SmartTab, I was fascinated to learn about the wireless drug delivery solutions they are working on to change the way we take and absorb medications. After having done a lot of research and seeing the buzz at Crohn’s & Colitis Congress ’21 on SmartTab’s poster session, I thought it’s...
Being South Asian American & Living with IBD
Originally published on February 2nd, 2021 on the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's IBDVisible Blog: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/blog/being-south-asian-american-living-with-ibd By: Tina Aswani Omprakash I was 22 years old when I was first diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). I felt very isolated as a young South Asian American woman, unable to relate to those around me who were healthy and able-bodied. Even though this disease runs in my family, there was very little knowledge about Crohn’s disease or willingness to discuss my journey. Not only was my diagnosis...
~OYC Trailblazers~ Anisha Zumba-ing Her Way into 2021!
This blog post has been done in collaboration with Girls With Guts Community Connection. By Anisha Gangotra My name is Anisha, I’m 37 years old and I live in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom. I’ve lived with ulcerative colitis since 2008, from the age of 24. I experienced my first colitis symptoms following a two-week holiday abroad. My stomach hadn’t felt quite right but I’d also had my period when I was on holiday so I assumed that it was a mixture of jet lag, my body adjusting to a different environment and my menstrual cycle. I’ve always had a sensitive stomach so I didn’t think...
South Asian IBD & COVID-19
Ten days ago, India released its two vaccines, CoviShield & Covaxin, to begin distribution to frontline workers and eventually the general population. As such, Dr. Sumit Bhatia, leading IBD specialist at Medanta - The Medicity Hospital in Gurgaon, India, and Dr. Neilanjan Nandi, esteemed IBD specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, joined me on the FITWITMD Facebook page for a live discussion to explain the two vaccines in India along with the two mRNA vaccines in much of the Western world. The purpose of this discussion was to understand how COVID is...
Patients’ Journey Through Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A Qualitative Study
Poster of Study on IBD Patients' JourneysDownload Tina Aswani Omprakash, Norelle Reilly, Jan Bhagwakar, Jeanette Carrell, Kristina Woodburn, Abby Breyer, Frances Close, Gabriel Wong, PATIENTS’ JOURNEY THROUGH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD): A QUALITATIVE STUDY, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Volume 27, Issue Supplement_1, January 2021, Pages S53–S54, https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izaa347.127 **Abstract originally published in the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases on January 21st, 2021 and presented at Crohn's & Colitis Congress. Research study...
IBD & Tea: What Patients Want to Know When It Comes to a Clinical Trial
Often, patients who live with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) do not respond to conventional drugs and are offered to participate in clinical trials for new treatments. When this happens, patients tend to have doubts and may feel scared because they do not have enough information about the process. This was the case for Tina Aswani Omprakash, IBD patient, patient thought leader, and award-winning author of the blog ´Own Your Crohn’s´, when she was offered to participate in a clinical trial. Aswani Omprakash talked about her experience from having participated in two clinical trials during...
Demystifying the COVID Vaccine for IBD Patients
By Tina Aswani Omprakash Originally published in Everyday Health on January 8th, 2021 We open the new year with hope after a dreary year filled with ups and downs from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a woman with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), I have been practicing every precaution recommended by my doctor, from masking up to practicing social distancing and avoiding crowded, indoor spaces. While I’m used to being home a lot as a result of surgeries related to my disease and regular flare-ups, the pandemic was doubly hard for me because I have been in remission, and...
AIBD 2020: Hot Topics for IBD Patients
This year’s Advances in IBD conference was my first time attending and it sure as heck did not disappoint! AIBD may have been virtual due to the ongoing pandemic but it was nevertheless very well-organized and informative. The sessions shared many important studies and topics for us to learn and know all about. As a patient advocate who was sharing information across platforms, there were several topics buzzing in the IBD patient community around the world. Below are my picks for the top highlights from AIBD for IBD patients: COVID-19 & IBD According to the SECURE-IBD registry, IBD...
~OYC Trailblazers~ Mara Living Her Best Life with a Kock Pouch in Germany
My name is Mara and I am from a small state in Germany called Bremen. I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in 2016 when I was 21. Shortly after my diagnosis, I celebrated my 22nd birthday. I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Marine Microbiology working to learn more about unknown microorganisms found on the seafloor. One week after handing in my Bachelor’s thesis, I became severely ill with sudden and bloody diarrhea. I could not leave the toilet at all. A few days after having these initial symptoms, I was admitted to the hospital. The verdict was clear: I was diagnosed with ulcerative...
Pain and Fatigue in IBD: Provider and Patient Perspectives
Raise your hand if you've dealt with chronic pain and fatigue living with IBD. Pain and fatigue are two common complaints amongst Crohn's & ulcerative colitis patients whether disease is active or in remission. And oftentimes, it's the least addressed or acknowledged. Many of us patients live with different types of chronic pain from abdominal pain and cramping related to disease flare-ups to post-surgical pain and pelvic pain. Some of us also tend to have pain from extraintestinal manifestations including severe joint pain and pain from dermatological manifestations (erythema nodosum,...
My Feature in The New York Times!
In conjunction with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's new We Can't Wait App, nonprofit partner South Asian IBD Alliance's Co-Founder & President Tina Aswani-Omprakash was interviewed and featured in the Metropolitan section of the Sunday's edition of The New...
Research Highlights from Digestive Disease Week 2022 for the IBD Community
Originally Published by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation on their IBDVisible Blog on June 8th, 2022 By: Madhura Balasubramaniam & Tina Aswani-Omprakash After two years of virtual programming due to COVID-19, Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2022 came...
When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Sjögren’s Story
April marks Sjögren’s Syndrome Awareness Month, so I thought it was high time I shared my Sjögren’s diagnosis journey now that I’m finally getting answers and treatment to deal with a condition that has been plaguing me for years. It all started in November after my...
Dropping Mask Mandates: A Time of Anxiety or Joy?
Last week I went back to school in-person for the first time in 2 years. There was a part of me that was excited, yes, but the other part of me was nervous as all heck. Meeting professors and students I had gotten to know virtually over the semesters felt like there...
Key Takeaways from IBD Insider 2022: Patient Updates from the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®
Originally Published by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation on their IBDVisible Blog on February 14th, 2022 By: Tina Aswani Omprakash The third annual IBD Insider was, as always, a great culmination of the events from the 2022 Crohn’s & Colitis...
