Blog – Page 6 – Own Your Crohn's

advocacy, Crohn's, diversity, Gastroparesis, health equity, Healthcare Disparities, Healthcare Marketing, living with IBD, Patient Voice, Ulcerative Colitis, Women's Health

MM&M Transform Talks: Prioritizing the Patient Voice

September 20, 2020

I recently had the opportunity to work with the MM&M Transform conference on a panel discussion on Prioritizing the Patient Voice in anticipation of their conference on September 29th-30th. A panel of 3 of us patient advocates (Tonya Cherie Hegamin, Type 1 Diabetes; Teresa Johnson, Multiple Sclerosis & Heart Disease; and me, Crohn’s Disease & Gastroparesis) discussed why it’s so important to engage patients in healthcare discussions, from digital health to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. At the forefront of our conversation was a topic near and dear to all 3 of us: diversity, inclusion and health equity as well as medical accessibility for patients of color like ourselves. Check out our…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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COVID-19 & IBD: GI Perspectives on Fall 2020 & Beyond

September 16, 2020

Given all the chatter about COVID-19 this upcoming fall season, I thought it best to inform ourselves as patients as to what to expect. Because rates of COVID infection are so variable across the U.S., I spoke to several leading gastroenterologists around the country to get their take on what they’re recommending to their IBD patients about vaccinations, medications, surgery in addition to attending social gatherings and returning to school and/or work. The 5 IBD specialists I spoke to are located in various parts of the country and include Dr. Jordan Axelrad (Adult GI at NYU Langone Medical Center), Dr. Sabina Ali (Pediatric GI at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital), Dr.…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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University Accommodations in the COVID-19 Era

September 7, 2020

The last few weeks have felt daunting and overwhelming as I’ve been battling intense floods of illness and considering whether or not to resume graduate school part-time again this fall. You see, even contemplating a graduate program was a huge undertaking for me a couple years ago when I was accepted into a Certificate of Public Health program. As I slowly mustered up the courage to transfer into the Master’s in Public Health program, I felt scared yet hopeful all at once. And in between it all, I’ve had to take a trimester off to tend to my health. But all that aside, now we are in the midst of a…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in IBD ~ A Live Discussion with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

August 24, 2020

Pelvic pain is far more common in inflammatory bowel disease than often discussed or addressed. In a recent live discussion with Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed (pelvic pain physiatrist at Pelvic Rehabilitation), Dr. Neilanjan Nandi (IBD specialist at Penn Medicine), Kara Mortifoglio, DPT (pelvic floor physical therapist at Solstice Physiotherapy) and me in conjunction with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, we discuss the various ways in which pelvic pain manifests in IBD patients. Given that pelvic pain is often confused with IBD symptoms and flare-ups, we discuss symptoms and how to get help to alleviate this pain and achieve greater quality of life. Please check out the video below to learn more:…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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How to Vacation (or Staycation) Safely During the Pandemic

August 14, 2020

**CAUTION: ONLY TRAVEL WITH THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN AND IF PANDEMIC NUMBERS ARE LOW IN YOUR AREA & THE LOCATION IN WHICH YOU ARE TRAVELING. PUBLIC HEALTH & WELFARE IS EVERYONE’S RIGHT & RESPONSIBILITY** Being chronically ill and immunocompromised is hard enough, add a pandemic into the mix, and it feels impossible to get out and do the things you love. Particularly for those of us who have spent so much time in hospital beds or at home recovering from disease flare-ups and/or surgeries, that when we feel well, we want to seize the day. Seizing that moment though has been next to impossible during the COVID-19 era. This…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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FitWitMD’s Live Discussion on Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease

August 7, 2020

A couple weeks ago, esteemed IBD specialist, Dr. Neilanjan Nandi (@fitwitmd) of Penn Medicine, hosted a live discussion with me on my experiences around Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease. We opened up the discussion to an international audience and allowed for a Q&A on this very deeply stigmatized topic that’s often not discussed or understood very well. To view the video, please watch here: I have been very open about my struggles with multiple fistulae in female parts. I have lived with 5 rectovaginal fistulae and 1 pelvic transphinteric fistula that was headed to break through at the site of my tailbone, nearly paralyzing me. To read more about my experiences,…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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All of these exceptional women have won awards this year for their public advocacy efforts
October 16, 2018
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Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash

July 23, 2020

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by the very kind, positive and uplifting Indian ostomate and advocate named Dinesh Kundnani. Dinesh is someone who I came across early in my own journey as an ostomy advocate and it’s amazing to witness how he’s transformed from new ostomate to a seasoned one. Dinesh now helps others in India especially by showing his ostomy and helping to destigmatize what is considered to be a very taboo medical device. Early on in our interview, Dinesh asked if I would do this podcast show in the Hindi language! I was dumbfounded in the moment but I quickly agreed as I realized how…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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December 27, 2019
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Black Lives Matter in the IBD Community, Too

July 10, 2020

In recent weeks, months and years, we have witnessed far too many hate crimes toward our Black brothers and sisters. It is not unknown to us that many Black bodies have been tested upon without fair pain medications, expected to endure tremendous suffering in the name of science. Within the healthcare system, not only do Black folx face significant health disparities and delays to diagnosis, they also deal with uphill battles when it comes to accessing good insurance, care and treatment options. With this blog post, I aim to shed light on the stories of 8 lovely Black inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients while sharing the resources of 3 die-hard…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

July 1, 2020

The recent advice column in the NY Times called “Is it OK to Dump Him Because of His Medical Condition?” has been percolating in our minds for the last few weeks. Tomorrow, July 2nd, 2020, marks 10 years since I’ve been married to the love of my life, Anand. Yes, you read that right: one whole decade of wedded bliss and 14 years of us being together. (See Love Knows No Disability.) I still vividly remember telling him 3 weeks into us dating that I had been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a few short months earlier and that the disease had taken the lives of my father and…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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~OYC Trailblazers~ Michelle’s Story on the Intersection of Crohn’s & an LGBTQIA+ Identity

June 22, 2020

By Michelle Cabral My symptoms first started around the age of 11. As I grew into my teenage and adult years, my symptoms worsened. I found myself dealing with bathroom urgency and vomiting on a daily life. I distinctly remember when I was about the age of 16, my mother and I were leaving a restaurant after a night out and I had already vomited. I still remember her saying something to the effect of “one day you’ll be able to go out for dinner and not feel like this.” Little did she know that my life would continue with this trajectory and I would finally be diagnosed via colonoscopy…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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