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Own Your Crohn's

Empowering the Chronically Ill & Disabled to Lead Fuller Lives

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  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Caregiving,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  Minority Health,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  World IBD Day

    World IBD Day Panel Discussion: Experiences of Minority IBD Patients & Caregivers

    May 23, 2020

    By Anand Omprakash For World IBD Day, I was invited to be a part of a virtual panel discussion with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Dr. Meena Bewtra (IBD patient & gastroenterologist) and Stephanie Stinson (IBD patient) highlighting the unique struggles that minority patients and caregivers face.  I did this because I wanted to shed light upon the stigmas surrounding chronic illness in my community, especially so when it comes to a bowel disease and to marriage. In many communities around the world, a chronic illness is often viewed as a liability because marriage is considered as a familial “contract” to provide and reproduce and not just a means to provide…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    My Health Became My Top Priority

    April 16, 2019

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

    June 22, 2020

    My Feature During Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week

    November 8, 2018
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  Colorectal Surgery,  coping with flares,  Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  fistula,  Fistulizing Disease,  immunocompromised,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    ~OYC TRAILBLAZERS~ Spotlight on Malaysian Crohnie & Ostomate Saravanan

    April 22, 2020

    It all started in early 2008 when I was still in high school and started to experience bowel disease symptoms. However, as many of us know, there can be a large gap between the time we experience symptoms and the time we are officially diagnosed. I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in July 2012. The four and half years in between onset of symptoms and diagnosis were the most arduous part of my journey. My battle began upon developing a fistula. For those who may not be familiar, a fistula is an abnormal tract created between the intestinal wall and another organ or out on to the skin due…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Step in Our Shoes: A Discussion on Being an Ally to the Black Community

    June 20, 2020

    Why My IBD Scars Make Me Proud

    May 23, 2019

    World IBD Day Panel Discussion: Experiences of Minority IBD Patients & Caregivers

    May 23, 2020
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Coping with IBD & Stress & Anxiety Around COVID-19

    April 1, 2020

    Last night I had the honor of doing a Facebook Live with Dr. Tiffany Taft (Psychogastroenterology, Northwestern University) and Amber Tresca (About IBD, IBD Moms) in conjunction with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. We discussed all the emotions around COVID-19 from fear and anxiety to grief and loss and how we can cope best with stay-at-home and social distancing order in light of the challenges being presented to us in recent times. Hope you all found this discussion informative in learning some coping skills around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and living with IBD. For additional resources and updates on COVID-19 and IBD, please visit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Coronavirus…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Basmah’s Journey: The Cultural Impacts of Being an Egyptian Crohnie

    April 18, 2021

    Metamorphosis

    August 13, 2018

    Honoring My Late Father

    June 17, 2018
  • Ableism,  acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  crip,  Disability Justice,  invisible illness

    Disability Awareness in the Midst of Coronavirus

    March 12, 2020

    The past 3.5 months I’ve spent much of my existence fairly immobile and mostly homebound: 2.5 weeks in an aircast, 8 weeks in a boot and 4 weeks in an ankle brace. Why? Because of a torn ligament in my ankle. And more recently, I’ve been in a neck brace due to a herniated disc in my neck/back. And now because of the infamous pandemic, Coronavirus. And during this time, I have come to understand the synergies at play within my body. You see, this hasn’t just been a simple ankle or neck injury for my body. They are excruciatingly debilitating on their own and even more so because I…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide

    October 17, 2019

    My Feature in Suffering the Silence’s Photo Series Campaign

    October 6, 2019

    The Other Side of Crohn’s: Caregiving

    December 9, 2019
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Self-image,  stigma

    A Valentine’s Day Special: Dating & Relationships with an Ostomy

    February 25, 2020

    A couple weeks ago, Amber Wallace Ogle of Ostomy Diaries and I did a Facebook Live in conjunction with Hollister Incorporated regarding dating, relationships and intimacy with an ostomy. Yes, folks, it is possible and that’s what Amber and I aimed to share–our stories of happiness and heartbreak and how we found lasting love and continue to thrive in our relationships while we live with permanent ostomies. Feel free to check out the video below. Enjoy! So, own your Crohn’s, own your ostomy, and take charge of your relationships and remember that our ostomies are not a flaw. They make us whole again and help us survive what we may…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    My Health Became My Top Priority

    April 16, 2019

    Brown Girl with Guts: Tina’s Journey with Crohn’s Disease

    April 30, 2019

    My Ostomy, My Lifesaver

    October 3, 2019
  • Ableism,  acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    What Will People Think? ~A Short Documentary by Chealynn Feaster

    December 27, 2019

    This past fall I had the opportunity to meet and film with filmmaker Chealynn Feaster, a fellow ostomate and Crohn’s Disease warrior. Together we pieced together a short documentary called What Will People Think? (Hindi/Urdu: Log Kya Kahenge?) which shines light on my advocacy work and the inspirations behind it from my father and aunt’s illnesses and subsequent deaths to my own constant battle with Crohn’s Disease and multiple colorectal surgeries. One of the aspects of living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that I advocate for most is the nuances that racial and ethnic minorities face. Having a bowel disease and living with an ostomy, no matter how life-saving, often…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash

    July 23, 2020

    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020

    What IBD Awareness Means to a South Asian American Woman with Crohn’s

    June 17, 2020
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  Body Positivity,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ostomy,  Self-image,  stigma

    “I Had an Ostomy—and It Changed My Life”

    December 11, 2019

    For these people living with Crohn’s disease, ostomy surgery made everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary possible. By Jennifer Rainey Marquez Excerpt taken from HealthCentral. Article originally published in HealthCentral on November 27th, 2019: https://www.healthcentral.com/article/ostomy-crohns-patient-stories “I feel more ‘myself’ than I have in years.” ~Tina Aswani Omprakash, 36, New York City “As an Indian American, getting an ostomy was so culturally taboo that I waited until I was near death’s door to finally have the surgery. I was told nobody would marry me, and I was very afraid that I’d be discriminated against. To my surprise, my ostomy didn’t just save my life—it made me feel alive again! Not only…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Love Knows No Disability

    July 2, 2019

    A Valentine’s Day Special: Dating & Relationships with an Ostomy

    February 25, 2020

    When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Gastroparesis Story

    August 29, 2019
  • Ableism,  acceptance,  Caregiving,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    The Other Side of Crohn’s: Caregiving

    December 9, 2019

    By Anand Omprakash Originally published by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation on December 3rd, 2019: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/anands-story   “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A Heinlein For anyone who has been in a loving relationship – romantic, familial, or other – I hope this quote resonates. Love truly is the condition in which another’s happiness is crucial to your own. In fact, that is the whole point of a loving relationship, is it not?   This aspect of love very much applies to relationships in which we are not just partners, but also caregivers. A caregiver is one who takes on…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash

    July 23, 2020

    University Accommodations in the COVID-19 Era

    September 7, 2020

    What IBD Awareness Means to a South Asian American Woman with Crohn’s

    June 17, 2020
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Clinical Trials,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    How a clinical trial helped this Crohn’s advocate finally reach remission

    November 24, 2019

    Originally published on November 22, 2019 on Antidote’s website Like many people living with Crohn’s disease, Tina Aswani Omprakash had trouble finding a treatment that would send her symptoms into remission.  After trying many of the common Crohn’s treatments on the market, she still wasn’t getting a response. She also had developed fistulas: abnormal connections between organs in the digestive tract, typically between one part of the intestines and another.  That’s when her doctor suggested she join a clinical trial…  To read more of this story, please visit Antidote’s website: https://www.antidote.me/blog/how-a-clinical-trial-helped-this-crohns-advocate-finally-reach-remission       As always, I welcome all your thoughts, comments and feedback! Love hearing from you all! ~~LOVE,…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    My 9/11 Story: Paying Kindness Forward

    September 11, 2019

    An IBS Journey: Tina

    April 21, 2019

    Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week: Minorities, Mental Health & IBD

    December 9, 2018
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Body Positivity,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  Gratitude,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ostomy Awareness Day,  Self-image,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Ostomy Awareness Day: Empowering Ostomates to Live Fuller Lives

    November 22, 2019

    Last month, Amber Wallace Ogle of Ostomy Diaries & I got together with Hollister, Inc. (a major ostomy manufacturer) to bring our audiences a discussion on how to lead a fuller life with an ostomy. Our aim was to engage viewers from around the world who may be struggling with self-image, body image, family life and relationships with an ostomy. And it was a grand success! We reached nearly 1,500 viewers from over 46 countries and from the feedback received, it was a video that helped many. Here’s to many more conversations like this where we can help ostomates feel less like outcasts and more like the beautiful human beings…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    OstomyConnection SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Harikesh Buch works to shatter stigma and improve post-surgery care for ostomates in India.

    January 24, 2019

    Accepting My Crohn’s Disease to Finally Become Me

    January 15, 2024

    Being Brown and Coming Out of the IBD Closet: The Chronic Illness Experience

    August 7, 2018
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Recent Posts

  • Feb 18, 2025 How to Own Your Crohn’s & Ostomy While Traveling to India
  • Jan 05, 2025 Key Takeaways from Advances in IBD (AIBD) 2024
  • Dec 05, 2024 Navigating Mental Health in Crohn’s Disease 
  • Dec 04, 2024 Highlights from ACG 2024: SAIA’s IBDesis’ Patient Experience
  • Nov 18, 2024 SAIA is proud to announce Tina Aswani-Omprakash, MPH as our full-time CEO!

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