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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,  Egg-Freezing,  fistula,  IBD Parenthood Project,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Motherhood,  Ostomy,  Pregnancy in IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    IBD Motherhood Unplugged: Womanhood Questioned by Crohn’s Disease

    February 22, 2021

    Motherhood is so much more than a word—it’s an expectation and an identity. It’s a right of passage many girls dream of when they think about their future and what their family will look like. But family planning, pregnancy, and motherhood are far from a given, especially for those with chronic illness. This week my post kicks off IBD Motherhood Unplugged, an ongoing series that will be shared on my dear friend and fellow Crohn’s advocate, Natalie Hayden’s blog: Lights, Camera, Crohn’s. My post has been in the works for 2+ years sitting in my drafts folder with me hoping that I’ll eventually be able to speak up for women…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    OYC Trailblazers: What Healing Means to Natasha

    March 26, 2019

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

    September 27, 2019

    World PTSD Day 2019: The Faceless Woman

    June 27, 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…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    August 24, 2019

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

    December 11, 2019

    My Ostomy, My Lifesaver

    October 3, 2019
  • Uncategorized

    Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in IBD ~ A Live Discussion with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

    August 24, 2020

    Pelvic pain is far more common in inflammatory bowel disease than often discussed or addressed. In a recent live discussion with Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed (pelvic pain physiatrist at Pelvic Rehabilitation), Dr. Neilanjan Nandi (IBD specialist at Penn Medicine), Kara Mortifoglio, DPT (pelvic floor physical therapist at Solstice Physiotherapy) and me in conjunction with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, we discuss the various ways in which pelvic pain manifests in IBD patients. Given that pelvic pain is often confused with IBD symptoms and flare-ups, we discuss symptoms and how to get help to alleviate this pain and achieve greater quality of life. Please check out the video below to learn more:…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    How I Combat Election-Related Anxiety as a Crohn’s Patient and Ostomate

    April 4, 2018

    The Song That Makes Me Proud of My Scars

    March 23, 2018

    Welcome to “Own Your Crohn’s”

    March 23, 2018
  • 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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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    May 7, 2020

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

    August 7, 2018

    All of these exceptional women have won awards this year for their public advocacy efforts

    October 16, 2018
  • Ableism,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  fistula,  Mental Health,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health,  World IBD Day

    What IBD Awareness Means to a South Asian American Woman with Crohn’s

    June 17, 2020

    By Tina Aswani Omprakash Originally published in IBD Relief on May 18th, 2020: https://www.ibdrelief.com/ibd-stories/my-ibd-story-tina-aswani-omprakash I remember waking up from a surgery to repair a rectovaginal fistula in late 2011 and being yelled at by an elderly family member for ruining their lives. Even though I was still in a haze in the recovery room, the tears of pain and anguish washed over me. Whether it was my body violating me with perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease or family and friends constantly reminding me of how much of a burden I was, the floodgates opened in that moment as I asked that family member to please excuse themselves from the recovery area. You see, it’s really…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide

    October 17, 2019

    University Accommodations in the COVID-19 Era

    September 7, 2020

    Disability Awareness in the Midst of Coronavirus

    March 12, 2020
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  Colorectal Surgery,  coping with flares,  Coronavirus,  COVID-19,  Crohn's,  fistula,  Fistulizing Disease,  immunocompromised,  living with IBD,  Minority Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    ~OYC TRAILBLAZERS~ Spotlight on Malaysian Crohnie & Ostomate Saravanan

    April 22, 2020

    It all started in early 2008 when I was still in high school and started to experience bowel disease symptoms. However, as many of us know, there can be a large gap between the time we experience symptoms and the time we are officially diagnosed. I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in July 2012. The four and half years in between onset of symptoms and diagnosis were the most arduous part of my journey. My battle began upon developing a fistula. For those who may not be familiar, a fistula is an abnormal tract created between the intestinal wall and another organ or out on to the skin due…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Disability Awareness in the Midst of Coronavirus

    March 12, 2020

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    July 1, 2020

    Real Talk about Ostomies

    October 5, 2018
  • 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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    April 10, 2019

    The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide

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    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020
  • Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Fistulizing Disease,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    Patient Experiences with IBD Surgery

    November 9, 2019

    Last winter, my husband and caregiver, Anand, and I recorded a video with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation on what it’s like to have surgery for Crohn’s & ulcerative colitis. We shared my experiences as a patient undergoing colorectal surgery and his experiences as my caregiver. The video was released in the last week or so. To view, check out https://youtu.be/InmqegoP-6c. Be sure to check out the entire video as there are other patient experiences included as well! So own your Crohn’s, own your colitis, and educate yourself on all the treatment options available to you and your loved ones! ?✨ ~~Love, Light & Peace Always~~

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    October 21, 2020

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

    September 4, 2019

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

    December 4, 2024
  • advocacy,  awareness,  Body Positivity,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  Diet,  J-Pouch,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Pelvic Floor Dysfunction,  Self-image,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

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

    August 24, 2019

    Everyday Health blogger Tina Aswani Omprakash details her experience on a weekend-long retreat for women living with IBDs.

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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

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

    January 28, 2021

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

    December 11, 2019
  • Ableism,  acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  caregivers,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Dating & Relationships,  Disability Justice,  Fistulizing Disease,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    Love Knows No Disability

    July 2, 2019

    Nine years ago today, the love of my life, Anand, and I were married in a beautiful Hindu temple with several of our relatives and friends in attendance from all over the world. It was a momentous occasion for me not just in a traditional sense but because of how close I had been to death just two years prior. But as beautiful as the wedding was, the process of getting married wasn’t exactly a fairytale or a bed of roses. You see, a couple years prior, I was freed of an extremely warped and diseased colon on the 4th of July, 2008 (see blog post: My Very Own Independence…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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 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!

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