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Own Your Crohn's

Empowering the Chronically Ill & Disabled to Lead Fuller Lives

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  • Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Digital Healthcare Innovations,  health equity,  Healthcare Disparities,  living with IBD,  Patient Voice,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Highlights from ACG 2024: SAIA’s IBDesis’ Patient Experience

    December 4, 2024

    By: Madhura Balasubramaniam, Sharan Khela & Tina Aswani-Omprakash Our patient advocate team, SAIA’s IBDesis, were honoured to participate in the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, USA, between October 25th to October 30th, 2024. As patient advocates, we are grateful for the opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in the IBD and GI space more broadly. Here are some of our key takeaways from the conference! Understanding the Treatment Landscape (Madhura Balasubramaniam) Dr. Miguel Regueiro provided a comprehensive overview of the various therapies available today to treat IBD and their safety profile, as illustrated by the safety pyramid: It is very heartening for us…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Patient Experiences with IBD Surgery

    November 9, 2019

    My Feature in Suffering the Silence’s Photo Series Campaign

    October 6, 2019

    Inspire’s #KeepUsAllSafe COVID-19 Campaign

    April 12, 2020
  • Crohn's,  health equity,  Healthcare Disparities,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Patient Voice,  Stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    SAIA is proud to announce Tina Aswani-Omprakash, MPH as our full-time CEO!

    November 18, 2024

    SAIA is honoured to announce that Tina Aswani-Omprakash, MPH, is now our full-time Chief Executive Officer 🎉🎉 Written by Madhura Balasubramaniam, Sharan Khela, Dr. Neilanjan Nandi & SAIA’s Board of Directors Tina is a patient advocate and thought leader par excellence, with several years of experience in spearheading international health advocacy efforts within and beyond the GI space. Tina’s work with Own Your Crohn’s has been groundbreaking for communities of colour, especially the South Asian community, where discussions around inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have historically been clouded by cultural stigmas and misconceptions. Tina brought to light and underscored these hidden cultural considerations that shape healthcare for communities of colour across the world.…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Throwback to La Caverna 2006!

    August 30, 2018

    Research Highlights from Digestive Disease Week 2022 for the IBD Community

    June 8, 2022

    My Nomination for the WEGO Health Patient Advocacy Awards

    July 21, 2019
  • Crohn's,  Cultural Stigma,  extraintestinal manifestations,  feeding tube,  Healthcare Disparities,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Nutrition,  Stigma,  Women's Health,  World IBD Day

    Madhura’s Journey in India: Coping with Stigma around IBD & Feeding Tubes

    May 16, 2021

    My name is Madhura Balasubramaniam and I live in India. I have been locked in battle with my intestines for as long as I can remember. I spent a large part of my early childhood dealing with constant spells of stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and rashes. I struggled to meet my height and weight targets and had multiple nutritional deficiencies. When I was 10 years old, I was given a tentative diagnosis of celiac disease and I have been gluten-free since. While this diet seemed to provide pain relief, I remained underweight and anaemic.  In mid-2018, I began to experience occasional bouts of watery diarrhea and fatigue. I was travelling…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    As a Chronically-Ill Brown Woman, Here’s Why I Share My Survival Story

    May 16, 2019

    Immunocompromised in the Age of Coronavirus

    May 1, 2020

    My Very Own Independence Day

    July 4, 2018
  • awareness,  Crohn's,  Fistulizing Disease,  Healthcare Disparities,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Being South Asian American & Living with IBD

    February 9, 2021

    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 delayed from my teenage years, due to a lack of understanding of extraintestinal manifestations (in my case, joint pains, ocular inflammation, dermatological issues), but once I did get a diagnosis, many healthcare…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Fistulas: What You Need to Know About a Common Side Effect of Crohn’s

    May 17, 2019

    The Value of Support Groups

    August 26, 2018

    Sepsis Is a Severe, Life-threatening Complication for IBD Patients

    September 22, 2018
  • Crohn's,  Healthcare Disparities,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Minority Health,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Patients’ Journey Through Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A Qualitative Study

    January 24, 2021

    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 sponsored by Genentech & led by patient advocate Tina Aswani Omprakash of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai** I’m proud to announce the first patient advocate led study in the IBD space! Please view the above downloadable poster and link to the abstract for the results…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Can a Low FODMAP Diet Help IBD? 7 Things to Know

    February 20, 2019

    Pain and Fatigue in IBD: Provider and Patient Perspectives

    December 5, 2020

    Taryn’s Journey: Navigating Relationships and IBD During the Pandemic

    April 1, 2021
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  Black Lives Matter,  Caregiving,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  health equity,  Healthcare Disparities,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ulcerative Colitis

    ~ OYC Trailblazers ~ Amy & Terrell: Crohn-ically Ever After

    September 23, 2020

    My name is Amy Btiebet Washington, I’m 34 years old and live in Ohio. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 26 (in 2012).  Initially, I thought I had a terrible flu, but after a few days of symptoms, I was rushed to the hospital with a 106-degree fever. I was immediately treated for sepsis, which led to 5 days in the ICU.  After multiple tests, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. The sepsis was a result of a severe infection caused by Crohn’s disease. At the time of my diagnosis, I knew very little about the disease and didn’t know anyone who lived with Crohn’s or ulcerative…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    January 24, 2019

    ~OYC TRAILBLAZERS~ Katie’s Story: Baby-Making Prospects & Egg-Freezing with a J-Pouch

    September 4, 2019

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

    June 20, 2020
  • 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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    When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Sjögren’s Story

    April 13, 2022

    5 Hot Topics Presented at Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2019

    February 27, 2019

    Ostomy Awareness Day: Empowering Ostomates to Live Fuller Lives

    November 22, 2019
  • advocacy,  awareness,  Black Lives Matter,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  Disability Justice,  Healthcare Disparities,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    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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    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Mollie’s Story: Living la Vida Latina with Ulcerative Colitis & an Ostomy

    September 27, 2019

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

    June 20, 2020

    An Interview with News 12 NJ: How Does Coronavirus Affect YOU?

    April 6, 2020
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  Disability Justice,  Healthcare Disparities,  LGBTQ+ health,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    ~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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    Disability Awareness in the Midst of Coronavirus

    March 12, 2020

    The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide

    October 17, 2019

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

    August 7, 2018
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Black Lives Matter,  Disability Justice,  Healthcare Disparities,  Minority Health

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

    June 20, 2020

    Earlier this month, I moderated a live discussion for Savvy Co-op on all things around the racism, injustice, inequality that Black Americans face. The advocates involved included Tonya Hegamin (Author, Professor, Type 1 Diabetes/LGBTQIA+ advocate), Erron Maxey (international basketball player, ESL teacher, Crohn’s Disease advocate) & Larry Turner (former Lakers basketball player, coach & international basketball player). They each brought very unique perspectives and shared experiences that taught us all how to be more mindful of the discrimination that Black Americans face on a regular basis. To learn more on how to become an ally to the Black community and start having brave conversations that incite, check out our discussion…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    World PTSD Day 2019: The Faceless Woman

    June 27, 2019

    12 News to Your Health IBD Segment

    June 23, 2018

    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Anisha Zumba-ing Her Way into 2021!

    January 28, 2021

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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