Coronavirus – Own Your Crohn's

autoimmune disease, awareness, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Minority Health, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations

Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine as a Patient with Several Autoimmune Conditions

March 22, 2021

I recently received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine! Many folks have been asking about my stance on it and what my experiences with it have been. First of all, I want to be clear – in line with the guidance shared by the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, I am without any doubt a supporter of vaccination against COVID especially as a student of public health who has learned about the immense significance of vaccines in curbing pandemics. I believe this pandemic has taken far too many lives (~500K just in the U.S.) and I think that the potential for overarching complications of contracting…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

A Gutsy Feeling: Advocating for the Best Care Possible as IBD Patients
September 18, 2021

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
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.…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

~OYC TRAILBLAZERS~ Spotlight on Malaysian Crohnie & Ostomate Saravanan
April 22, 2020

Coping with IBD & Stress & Anxiety Around COVID-19
April 1, 2020

South Asian IBD & COVID-19
January 26, 2021
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…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide
October 17, 2019

Honoring My Late Father
June 17, 2018

Real Talk about Ostomies
October 5, 2018
Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Ulcerative Colitis

COVID-19 & IBD: GI Perspectives on Fall 2020 & Beyond

September 16, 2020

Given all the chatter about COVID-19 this upcoming fall season, I thought it best to inform ourselves as patients as to what to expect. Because rates of COVID infection are so variable across the U.S., I spoke to several leading gastroenterologists around the country to get their take on what they’re recommending to their IBD patients about vaccinations, medications, surgery in addition to attending social gatherings and returning to school and/or work. The 5 IBD specialists I spoke to are located in various parts of the country and include Dr. Jordan Axelrad (Adult GI at NYU Langone Medical Center), Dr. Sabina Ali (Pediatric GI at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital), Dr.…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

How to Vacation (or Staycation) Safely During the Pandemic
August 14, 2020

What the IBD Community Needs to Know About Getting a COVID-19 Booster
December 11, 2021

Managing Ostomy Care in the Era of Covid-19
October 21, 2020
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…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective
July 1, 2020

Inspire’s #KeepUsAllSafe COVID-19 Campaign
April 12, 2020

Love Knows No Disability
July 2, 2019
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…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash
July 23, 2020

When Diagnoses Accumulate: My Gastroparesis Story
August 29, 2019

~ OYC Trailblazers ~ Amy & Terrell: Crohn-ically Ever After
September 23, 2020
advocacy, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Mental Health, Ulcerative Colitis

Immunocompromised in the Age of Coronavirus

May 1, 2020

By Tina Aswani Omprakash A Crohn’s patient shares her very real fears, anxieties, and sadness around being immunocompromised while grappling with the coronavirus pandemic in New York City. *Originally published on April 27th, 2020 by Everyday Health: https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/immunocompromised-in-the-age-of-coronavirus/ It was one of those winters full of never-ending health complications. Before Thanksgiving I ruptured a ligament in my ankle, which compounded my difficulties in managing life with Crohn’s disease. And if that wasn’t hard enough, many of my other conditions — gastroparesis, arthritis, pelvic pain — flared up due to immobility from the ankle injury. More recently, I had a couple of ER visits because of a herniated disc in my neck. In…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

OYC Trailblazers: An Ode to My Father & Fellow IBD Warrior
January 30, 2019

~OYC TRAILBLAZERS~ Spotlight on Malaysian Crohnie & Ostomate Saravanan
April 22, 2020

My Pelvic Pain Story
October 26, 2018
advocacy, awareness, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis

Managing IBD in the Era of COVID-19

April 19, 2020

Last Friday, Gastroenterologist Dr. Supriya Rao and I had a conversation on Instagram Live about how to manage inflammatory bowel disease given the difficult circumstances around COVID-19. To watch and learn more, please check out the video below: For additional information, please feel free to reach out to @gutsygirlmd on Instagram or me here on my blog. For your reference, I have also put together a summary of tips on how to optimize our use of telehealth during the pandemic to manage our IBD optimally from a distance: https://ownyourcrohns.com/telehealth-ibdcare-covid19/. This post also references guidance from the IOIBD and AGA that we IBD patients should be aware of when discussing our…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

Indian Ostomate Podcast Show: Episode 1 with Tina Aswani Omprakash
July 23, 2020

Day on the Hill 2019: The Faces of IBD Legislation
May 11, 2019

~OYC Trailblazers~ Mollie’s Story: Living la Vida Latina with Ulcerative Colitis & an Ostomy
September 27, 2019
advocacy, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, J-Pouch, living with IBD, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis

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

April 18, 2020

One of the things I do a lot as a patient with many chronic illnesses is visit all sorts of healthcare providers for the maintenance of my care. However, during this time, when many non-essential visits to the doctor’s office or to medical facilities are not recommended, what do we do? In the last 6 weeks, many providers have ramped up a service we are now calling telehealth. That is, many doctors are offering virtual visits to us from the convenience of our home. While it isn’t the ideal way to examine a patient, it certainly gets the job sufficiently done for many of us who are struggling to manage…

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

Being Brown and Coming Out of the IBD Closet: The Chronic Illness Experience
August 7, 2018

An Interview with News 12 NJ: How Does Coronavirus Affect YOU?
April 6, 2020

7 Tips for Traveling With IBD, From Someone Who Gets It
July 1, 2022
Ableism, advocacy, awareness, Colorectal Surgery, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, Disability Justice, immunocompromised, invisible illness, living with IBD, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis

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!

Read More

Tina Aswani Omprakash

Related Posts

My Feature in Suffering the Silence’s Photo Series Campaign
October 6, 2019

I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective
July 1, 2020

What IBD Awareness Means to a South Asian American Woman with Crohn’s
June 17, 2020