Colorectal Surgery – Page 2 – Own Your Crohn's

colorectal cancer, Colorectal Surgery, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, Ostomy, Ostomy Awareness Day, Ulcerative Colitis

Managing Ostomy Care in the Era of Covid-19

October 21, 2020

Many of us with chronic illnesses have struggled throughout this pandemic with accessing timely care. One issue I’ve faced is because of my gastroparesis and other functional gastrointestinal conditions (IBS, SIBO etc.) acting up, my weight has been fluctuating a lot these last several months. As a result, my stoma size has been changing every week or two. With that, I’ve suffered a lot of ostomy leaks but even more skin irritation. While I’ve worked with my ostomy nurse virtually the last couple months to get my skin issues under control, I keep thinking of my ostomate family online and how you all may be handling your ostomy care in…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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IFFGD #DDHChat: Nutrition for the Ileostomy – The Dietitian & Patient Perspectives

October 18, 2020

The Diet & Digestive Health (#DDHChat) Twitter chat series with the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), co-host Tina Aswani Omprakash and lead host dietitian Neha D. Shah, MPH, RD, CNSC, CHES. We are excited to help to educate patients, caregivers, and others about Nutrition for the Ileostomy: The Dietitian and Patient Perspective. Recap originally published by IFFGD on October 6th, 2020: https://www.iffgd.org/blog/october-2020-ddhchat-recap.html IFFGD – introductory tweets and remarks: The views and experiences shared by our participant are their own and do not reflect the official positions of IFFGD. Each patient is different. Always consult with your health care provider or a registered dietitian (RD) on a diet treatment plan…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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August 7, 2020
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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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What IBD Awareness Means to a South Asian American Woman with Crohn’s

June 17, 2020

By Tina Aswani Omprakash Originally published in IBD Relief on May 18th, 2020: https://www.ibdrelief.com/ibd-stories/my-ibd-story-tina-aswani-omprakash I remember waking up from a surgery to repair a rectovaginal fistula in late 2011 and being yelled at by an elderly family member for ruining their lives. Even though I was still in a haze in the recovery room, the tears of pain and anguish washed over me. Whether it was my body violating me with perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease or family and friends constantly reminding me of how much of a burden I was, the floodgates opened in that moment as I asked that family member to please excuse themselves from the recovery area. You see, it’s really…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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The Other Side of Crohn’s: Caregiving
December 9, 2019
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~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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Inspire’s #KeepUsAllSafe COVID-19 Campaign

April 12, 2020

Last week, Inspire released a short video we made virtually on why living with Crohn’s Disease and being immunocompromised during COVID-19 is downright terrifying for patients like myself who are chronically and invisibly ill. Please take a moment to watch this video and share to help raise awareness. And don’t forget – every life is valuable! So please #KeepUsAll safe by practicing social distancing and staying home as much as possible! Be well & best wishes always!

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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Colon Cancer & Its Devastating Impact on My Family

March 19, 2020

I was 8 years old when I walked into my father’s room in the hospital as he laid there coma-stricken in his final days. I told him I had gotten an A on my Science test, hoping in all my innocence that an A would make him so proud that he would wake up from his coma. He passed a few days later and I was heartbroken. My father, Dr. Moti Aswani, had long-standing Crohn’s Disease which turned into stage IV colorectal cancer 13 years into his diagnosis at the age of 37 (see An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior). You see, Daddy had been told to…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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“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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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

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Patient Experiences with IBD Surgery

November 9, 2019

Last winter, my husband and caregiver, Anand, and I recorded a video with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation on what it’s like to have surgery for Crohn’s & ulcerative colitis. We shared my experiences as a patient undergoing colorectal surgery and his experiences as my caregiver. The video was released in the last week or so. To view, check out https://youtu.be/InmqegoP-6c. Be sure to check out the entire video as there are other patient experiences included as well! So own your Crohn’s, own your colitis, and educate yourself on all the treatment options available to you and your loved ones! ?✨ ~~Love, Light & Peace Always~~

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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