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  • advocacy,  autoimmune disease,  Crohn's,  Diet,  immunocompromised,  invisible illness,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Traveling with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    How to Own Your Crohn’s & Ostomy While Traveling to India

    February 18, 2025

    By Tina Aswani-Omprakash As IBD warriors, it’s always nerve-wracking to travel with our conditions and/or an ostomy. For me, it’s been 7 years of me traveling all over the U.S. and Europe for patient advocacy work. And even though I’ve spoken many times virtually for events in India and Pakistan, I hadn’t traveled to the region to speak given the pandemic. Now that we are out of the pandemic and back at in-person conferences, it was fantastic to be invited to speak about my experiences as an IBD patient & ostomate at Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin’s (GAPIO’s) conference in Mysuru, Karnataka, India. Plus, traveling to Karnataka meant…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Real Talk About Fistulae

    January 19, 2019

    Don’t Forget Your Flu Shot This Fall

    October 21, 2018

    I’m Chronically Ill & Depressed; So What?

    June 3, 2019
  • Crohn's,  Cultural Foods,  Diet,  J-Pouch,  Nutrition,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    How to Enjoy Your Favorite Cultural Foods Living with Crohn’s Disease

    December 19, 2023

    Eating with Crohn’s disease can be a challenge as it is, and especially so during cultural events when there are food and festivities galore. I’ve struggled immensely with my diet as a South Asian American woman living with Crohn’s disease.  Coming out of the hospital flare after flare, surgery after surgery, it was difficult to get care that would consider the cultural foods I was accustomed to eating… Read more on the Healthgrades website: healthgrades.com/right-care/crohns-disease/how-to-enjoy-your-favorite-cultural-foods-living-with-crohns-disease Originally Published on Healthgrades.com, Written by Tina Aswani-Omprakash, Medically Reviewed by Lisa Valente, MS, RD

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    August 7, 2020

    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020

    Talking Gut Podcast Episode 20: Tina Aswani Omprakash on Resilience & GRITT

    May 30, 2020
  • advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Traveling with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    7 Tips for Traveling With IBD, From Someone Who Gets It

    July 1, 2022

    Don’t let inflammatory bowel disease and fears of COVID-19 get in the way of your travel plans. Here’s what you need to know before you start packing. By Tina Aswani-Omprakash Summers are a time to look forward to rest, relaxation, and vacations. But for those of us living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), going away on a trip can often mean additional anxiety. And with the addition of COVID-19, anxiety levels are heightened. While many of us want to travel, we struggle to wrap our heads around how to travel when living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, especially as new variants of the novel coronavirus circulate around the world. In fact, stressing out over travel…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020

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

    January 24, 2019

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

    February 27, 2019
  • Crohn's,  Digital Healthcare Innovations,  Disability Justice,  invisible illness,  Irritable Bowel Syndrome,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  patient rights,  Ulcerative Colitis

    My Feature in The New York Times!

    June 22, 2022

    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 York Times on 19 June 2022!!! Read the article in-print below or online here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/nyregion/public-bathrooms-nyc-tiktok.html Check out the We Can’t Wait App to find the restroom nearest to you in the U.S. Available now for download in Apple Store and Google Play: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/wecantwait

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    IBD Insider: IBD 101 Live Discussion on Facebook

    January 16, 2020

    My Perianal Disease Feature at Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2019

    March 2, 2019

    IBD Motherhood Unplugged: Womanhood Questioned by Crohn’s Disease

    February 22, 2021
  • Clinical Trials,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Diet,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Nutrition,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Key Takeaways from IBD Insider 2022: Patient Updates from the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®

    February 16, 2022

    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 Congress®. As patients, we often have many questions about what goes on at these medical conferences and how to understand the research in bite-sized, digestible pieces (yes, pun intended). IBD Insider does just that by bringing to us the newest research updates in IBD for us to stay abreast of the latest and greatest, but also to enable us to make the best shared decisions with our physicians in our care. The…

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    IBD & Tea: What Patients Want to Know When It Comes to a Clinical Trial

    January 12, 2021

    Clinical Trials: The Next Frontier for Diverse Populations of IBD Patients

    July 31, 2019

    A Gutsy Feeling: Advocating for the Best Care Possible as IBD Patients

    September 18, 2021
  • autoimmune disease,  Black Lives Matter,  Caregiving,  Coronavirus,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

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

    April 1, 2021

    “I think I might be at the start of a partial obstruction.  What do I do?” The words I shared with my husband in late March 2020 weren’t rhetorical.  It was more like I dropped a mini bomb into an already stressful situation. Even though I’ve had a series of partial bowel obstructions over the years, this time felt different. We were at the beginning of the pandemic.  At a time when merely stepping  outside seemed dangerous, a trip to the ER felt terrifying. In that moment, I was asking for much more than just advice.  I wanted – no, needed  – reassurance that regardless of what was happening with…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Sjögren’s Story

    April 13, 2022

    Accepting My Crohn’s Disease to Finally Become Me

    January 15, 2024

    Key Takeaways from Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2023

    February 24, 2023
  • Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  immunocompromised,  J-Pouch,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  Pregnancy in IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Vaccinations

    Demystifying the COVID Vaccine for IBD Patients

    January 10, 2021

    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 in good health to go out and about.…

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    Gaurav’s Covid-19 Journey as a Crohn’s Patient in India

    June 11, 2021

    Coping with IBD & Stress & Anxiety Around COVID-19

    April 1, 2020

    South Asian IBD & COVID-19

    January 26, 2021
  • Colorectal Surgery,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  J-Pouch,  Kock Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Mara Living Her Best Life with a Kock Pouch in Germany

    December 7, 2020

    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 colitis. I thought this would be…

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    October 18, 2020

    TINA ASWANI OMPRAKASH | 2018 NYC ADULT HONORED HERO

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    Key Takeaways from IBD Insider 2022: Patient Updates from the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®

    February 16, 2022
  • advocacy,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  fistula,  Fistulizing Disease,  J-Pouch,  Mental Health,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  Self-image,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    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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    When Diagnoses Accumulate – My Endometriosis Journey

    August 28, 2023

    A Day on the Hill: Putting a Face on IBD Legislation

    May 26, 2018

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    November 21, 2018
  • advocacy,  Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  immunocompromised,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    COVID-19 Survivors: Stories of Hope in the IBD World

    May 7, 2020

    The last 8 weeks since the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus a pandemic have been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster ride for many of us. From uncertainty around chronic illness and medications making us a higher risk to jarring numbers of lethal infection rates, we are all grappling with much despair. Given all the sadness in the media right now, I thought it relevant to share stories of hope, ones where IBD patients, their caregivers and their doctors have not just survived but are making a full recovery. Check out the stories below of 4 IBD patients, a caregiver and a gastroenterologist, all survivors of COVID-19 and heroes…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    July 1, 2022
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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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  • Key Takeaways from Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2023
    Key Takeaways from Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2023
  • ~OYC Trailblazers~ Mara Living Her Best Life with a Kock Pouch in Germany
    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Mara Living Her Best Life with a Kock Pouch in Germany
  • ~OYC Trailblazers~ Tanya's Pregnancy Journey Living with Crohn's Disease in India
    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Tanya's Pregnancy Journey Living with Crohn's Disease in India
  • When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Sjögren's Story
    When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Sjögren's Story
  • 7 Tips for Traveling With IBD, From Someone Who Gets It
    7 Tips for Traveling With IBD, From Someone Who Gets It

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