Skip to content
Own Your Crohn's

Empowering the Chronically Ill & Disabled to Lead Fuller Lives

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Authorships
  • SAIA-IBDesis
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Authorships
  • SAIA-IBDesis
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Me
  • autoimmune disease,  chronic illness,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  medical trauma,  Mental Health,  Mindfulness,  Ostomy,  PTSD,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Navigating Mental Health in Crohn’s Disease 

    December 5, 2024

    Did you know that approximately 25% of people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) report significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS)? This PTS is directly related to disease experiences and related hospitalizations and is referred to as IBD-PTS. So what is IBD-PTS? It is when a patient experiences significant trauma related to the underlying condition and that trauma flashes back in the form of nightmares and unwanted memories. It may result in disturbed sleep, hypervigilance, and even low mood, including depression and anxiety.   Did you also know that there is a bidirectional relationship between IBD and depression and anxiety? This means declining mental health can contribute to disease activity, and IBD activity can also…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    Bachatera with a Bag: Theodora Shattering Ostomy Stigma Through Dance

    April 27, 2021

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

    February 18, 2025

    What the IBD Community Needs to Know About Getting a COVID-19 Booster

    December 11, 2021
  • 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.…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    The Healio Disruptive Innovator Award: Moving the Needle on IBD Care

    November 16, 2019

    OYC Trailblazers: An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior

    January 30, 2019

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

    December 9, 2018
  • chronic illness,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Cultural Stigma,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  World Ostomy Day

    How Ostomy Surgery Impacted My Life

    October 5, 2024

    How ostomy surgery gave Tina Aswani-Omprakash her life back and the impact these surgeries can have in IBD treatment. Originally published on IBD Social Circle’s Blog It is estimated that approximately three-quarters of Crohn’s disease patients and a third of ulcerative colitis patients will need surgery at some point or another in their disease journey. What’s often not discussed enough, though, is how many of those surgeries will lead to ostomies. So, what is an ostomy and how does it help patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? According to United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA), ostomy surgery is a lifesaving procedure. It allows bodily waste to pass into a medical…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    A Direct-to-Patient Model: How Online Pharmacy Marley Drug is Revolutionizing Drug Pricing

    September 8, 2022

    HealtheVoices 10-Year Anniversary (A Reminder of Why We Advocate)

    October 19, 2024

    Navigating Mental Health in Crohn’s Disease 

    December 5, 2024
  • Coming Out,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  diversity,  LGBTQ+ health,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Pride,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    This Love Takes Guts

    October 11, 2021

    Our love isn’t simple, but it’s also the easiest feeling in the world. Being a woman in the LGBTQ+ community, I assumed that I would always have to come out over and over again throughout the course of my life. But when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at 19 and had my first surgery at 20, I realized that I would have to come out about multiple parts of who I am for the rest of my life. It wasn’t until I found Girls with Guts in 2016 that I found a group of people that I finally didn’t have to go through the process of coming out to, at…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash
  • 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…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    Accepting My Crohn’s Disease to Finally Become Me

    January 15, 2024

    How to Vacation (or Staycation) Safely During the Pandemic

    August 14, 2020

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

    April 18, 2021
  • 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…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    IBD Awareness Week Line-Up: Diversity, Mental Health & More!

    December 1, 2018

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

    August 7, 2018

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

    January 24, 2019
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  diversity,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Minority Health,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

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

    January 28, 2021

    This blog post has been done in collaboration with Girls With Guts Community Connection. By Anisha Gangotra My name is Anisha, I’m 37 years old and I live in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom. I’ve lived with ulcerative colitis since 2008, from the age of 24. I experienced my first colitis symptoms following a two-week holiday abroad. My stomach hadn’t felt quite right but I’d also had my period when I was on holiday so I assumed that it was a mixture of jet lag, my body adjusting to a different environment and my menstrual cycle. I’ve always had a sensitive stomach so I didn’t think much of it. When…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    Accepting My Crohn’s Disease to Finally Become Me

    January 15, 2024

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

    December 27, 2019

    OYC Trailblazers: An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior

    January 30, 2019
  • Body Positivity,  cervical cancer,  Dating & Relationships,  diversity,  Mental Health,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  Self-image,  stigma,  Women's Health

    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Jennylyn’s Ostomy Love Story in the Philippines

    October 30, 2020

    My name is Jennylyn Ajes and I’m 32 years old from Laguna, Phillippines. In 2018, I was diagnosed with stage 2b cervical cancer, which means I had a tumor that had grown beyond the cervix and uterus.[1] During this time, I had undergone chemotherapy, radiation therapy and brachytherapy. I had to do these therapies for 5 months total and none of it was easy. The brachytherapy required internal radiation therapy to get to the source of the cancer and try to wipe it out. I felt fine for the first 3 months after treatment but I really struggled with my confidence losing most of my hair and eyebrows due to…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    Weekend Long IBD Retreat Helped Me to Own My Crohn’s

    August 24, 2019

    My Feature in Suffering the Silence’s Photo Series Campaign

    October 6, 2019

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

    December 11, 2019
  • 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,…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    6 Myths About IBD in Minority Patients, Busted

    December 20, 2018

    My Nomination for the WEGO Health Patient Advocacy Awards

    July 21, 2019

    Tips for Telehealth and Managing Your IBD Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    April 18, 2020
  • Ableism,  acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  stigma

    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…

    Read More
    Tina Aswani Omprakash

    Related Posts

    Disability Awareness in the Midst of Coronavirus

    March 12, 2020

    Love Knows No Disability

    July 2, 2019

    My Feature in Suffering the Silence’s Photo Series Campaign

    October 6, 2019
 Older Posts

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!

Sign Up for New Blog Posts!

Please follow & like us :)

Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Follow Me
Post on X
LinkedIn
Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • 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

Clinical Trial Finder

Copyright ©2018-2024 Tina Aswani Omprakash. All Rights Reserved.
Savona Theme by Optima Themes