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  • autoimmune disease,  chronic illness,  Crohn's,  Emerging Therapies,  living with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    What I’ve Learned About Starting an Advanced Therapy for Crohn’s Disease

    March 2, 2024

    Are you getting ready to start an advanced therapy (for example, a biologic or small molecule medication) for the first time for your Crohn’s disease? Or perhaps this is round 2, 3, or 4 when it comes to trying advanced therapies to better manage your Crohn’s? Whether it’s your first rodeo or not, it’s important to know all the ins and outs so you can make appropriate decisions for your care in conjunction with your gastroenterologist. I have been there, and this is what I’ve learned about navigating my care and feeling empowered when getting ready to start a new therapy. Read more on the HealthGrades website: https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/crohns-disease/what-ive-learned-about-starting-an-advanced-therapy-for-crohns-disease Originally Published on…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    September 8, 2022

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

    April 1, 2021

    Key Takeaways from Crohn’s & Colitis Congress 2023

    February 24, 2023
  • Caregiving,  Crohn's,  Cultural Stigma,  Family Planning,  IBD Parenthood Project,  invisible illness,  living with IBD,  Motherhood,  Nutrition,  Patient Voice,  Pregnancy in IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Tanya’s Pregnancy Journey Living with Crohn’s Disease in India

    November 5, 2022

    Written by Tanya Manohar My name is Tanya, and I live in Chennai, India. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1999, a time when little was known about IBD in India. This means that I have segments of intestinal narrowing and scarring throughout my small intestine known as strictures caued by Crohn’s. I had one small bowel resection in 2009. A treatment regimen, comprising Azathioprine and Mesalamine, was the cocktail my Gastroenterologist Dr. Ashok Chacko prescribed to treat my Crohn’s. In combination with a restricted and closely monitored low-fiber diet, this regimen has kept me fairly stable. It has allowed me to live alone in a foreign country, pursue…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    The Other Side of Crohn’s: Caregiving

    December 9, 2019

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

    September 23, 2020

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

    June 11, 2021
  • advocacy,  autoimmune disease,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  immunocompromised,  living with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Dropping Mask Mandates: A Time of Anxiety or Joy?

    March 15, 2022

    Last week I went back to school in-person for the first time in 2 years. There was a part of me that was excited, yes, but the other part of me was nervous as all heck. Meeting professors and students I had gotten to know virtually over the semesters felt like there was a human connection again outside of Zoom! And I have to admit that I really enjoyed going to class and being around like-minded people before this pandemic started. It was definitely a loss to go virtual but at the same time, going virtual meant people with disabilities like us could take care of our health while being…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    12 News to Your Health IBD Segment

    June 23, 2018

    University Accommodations in the COVID-19 Era

    September 7, 2020

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

    April 6, 2020
  • advocacy,  autoimmune disease,  Clinical Trials,  Colorectal Surgery,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

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

    September 18, 2021

    By Tina Aswani Omprakash **Supported by agutsyfeeling.org, a collaboration between Girls With Guts, Purdue University, College of Pharmacy, and the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning** In today’s day and age, there are many treatment options for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD – ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). But given all the new medications on the horizon, how do we as patients participate in shared decision making with our IBD specialists regarding which medication might be best for us? And how do we know when we have given the medication a fair enough shot and that it might be time to move on to the next treatment option? How do we know…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Edgar Flores opens up about surviving near-death and the challenges of living with an ostomy in Mexico

    November 4, 2018

    An IBS Journey: Tina

    April 21, 2019

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

    February 25, 2020
  • 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…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Love Knows No Disability

    July 2, 2019

    Coping with IBD & Stress & Anxiety Around COVID-19

    April 1, 2020

    I’m Chronically Ill & Depressed; So What?

    June 3, 2019
  • Ableism,  advocacy,  Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  disability accommodations,  Disability Justice,  Gastroparesis,  invisible illness,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ulcerative Colitis

    University Accommodations in the COVID-19 Era

    September 7, 2020

    The last few weeks have felt daunting and overwhelming as I’ve been battling intense floods of illness and considering whether or not to resume graduate school part-time again this fall. You see, even contemplating a graduate program was a huge undertaking for me a couple years ago when I was accepted into a Certificate of Public Health program. As I slowly mustered up the courage to transfer into the Master’s in Public Health program, I felt scared yet hopeful all at once. And in between it all, I’ve had to take a trimester off to tend to my health.  But all that aside, now we are in the midst of a…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Inspire’s #KeepUsAllSafe COVID-19 Campaign

    April 12, 2020

    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020

    The Other Side of Crohn’s: Caregiving

    December 9, 2019
  • 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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    No More Secrets: An enlightening film that reveals the stigma of having an ostomy in India

    September 24, 2018

    Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash

    July 23, 2020

    Ostomy Awareness Day: Empowering Ostomates to Live Fuller Lives

    November 22, 2019
  • 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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    World PTSD Day 2019: The Faceless Woman

    June 27, 2019

    TINA ASWANI OMPRAKASH | 2018 NYC ADULT HONORED HERO

    April 20, 2018

    Metamorphosis

    August 13, 2018
  • advocacy,  awareness,  colorectal cancer,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    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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    MM&M Transform Talks: Prioritizing the Patient Voice

    September 20, 2020

    The Top 10 IBD Blogs to Follow in 2019

    March 15, 2019

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

    June 20, 2020
  • advocacy,  awareness,  Biosimilars,  Canadian healthcare,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  fistula,  Forced Medical Switching,  living with IBD,  Lobbying,  patient rights,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    Sophia’s Chronic Illness Journey: Forced Switching to Biosimilars in Canada

    December 15, 2019

    By Sophia Ali Khan From Diagnosis to Remission I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the tender age of seven in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. This was after I was born with congenital neutropenia, a condition that involves the deficiency of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that plays a key role in fighting infection and inflammation. After many months of debilitating stomach pains and unexplained weight loss, I was rushed into the OR for an appendectomy, but upon examination, the doctors found Crohn’s Disease. Being of Pakistani origin, Crohn’s was unheard of so naturally my family and I had to navigate our way through a sea of diagnoses,…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    December 9, 2018

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    MC Capital T Reppin’ from the BK Walk!

    June 25, 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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