fistula – Page 2 – Own Your Crohn's

acceptance, awareness, Colorectal Surgery, coping with flares, Crohn's, living with IBD, Mental Health, PTSD, Stigma, Ulcerative Colitis, Women's Health

World PTSD Day 2019: The Faceless Woman

June 27, 2019

In honor of World PTSD Day today, I release a poem I wrote some weeks ago surrounding the medical trauma I’ve faced as a Crohn’s patient. This poem is not for the faint of heart so I will not be offended if you cannot read it. Post-traumatic stress is a term that’s often thrown around lightly but it has serious implications for people who have been in battle for their country, for their lives and against chronic illnesses. Everyday is a minefield with an array of flashbacks and memories that keep us from living our best lives. I urge you all to learn more and to respond to those who…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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J-Pouch Failure – Tina’s Story

June 15, 2019

Originally published by Amber of Colitis Ninja on June 12, 2019: https://colitisninja.com/2019/06/j-pouch-failure-tinas-story/ J-POUCH TAKEDOWN ANNIVERSARY Next month is my 5 year takedown anniversary for my j-pouch. I have stated many times that the j-pouch has a 94-96% success rate. But you don’t hear many success stories on the internet because most of them are out there living their lives and not boasting about it on the internet. Because you don’t hear a majority of the success stories out there, I feel compelled to keep sharing my own story of life with a j-pouch. SUCCESS & FAILURE STORIES I have given a lot of thought to how I would address this year’s takedown anniversary. I thought…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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Why My IBD Scars Make Me Proud

May 23, 2019

How I learned to love what once made me shudder. By Tina Aswani Omprakash Originally published by Everyday Health on 5/17/2019: https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/why-my-ibd-scars-make-me-proud/ This year’s World IBD Day theme is “Making the Invisible Visible,” and I’ve been taking a long hard look at what that means to me. The reality is that living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has meant donning an invisibility cloak for most of my adult life. But over the past 14 months, I’ve striven to make my invisible illness visible. From sharing my story widely on social media to using my platform to educate others on how IBD wreaks havoc on patients like me, I’ve come to realize that visibility is necessary for…

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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

By Padma Nagappan Medically Reviewed by Kareem Sassi, MD Originally published by Everyday Health on May 14th, 2019: https://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-disease/symptoms/fistulas-common-crohns-side-effect-you-should-aware/ Fistulas are an abnormal connection between two body parts. In Crohn’s patients they form as tunnels within the walls of the intestine and connect to other organs or tissue, causing pain and infection. After years of living in intense pain and going through several misdiagnoses, Tina Aswani Omprakash, found out she had Crohn’s disease. Her condition was so severe that she needed emergency proctocolectomy surgery (removal of the colon and rectum), and she was put on biologics. “I knew Crohn’s was an intense disease, but I did not realize what it takes to really, truly fight…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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The Impact of IBD on Racial & Ethnic Minorities

April 24, 2019

On Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019, in honor of National Minority Health Month, Dr. Aline Charabaty (Director of Johns Hopkins IBD Center), Brooke Abbott (Patient Advocate, Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles) & I (Patient Advocate, Own Your Crohn’s) had the honor of speaking with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation on the very important topic of “The Impact of IBD on Racial & Ethnic Minorities.” Please view the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s video below: If you are a man or woman of color living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), please know you are NOT alone. We are all here to support you through your journey. More is and will be done to tend…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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About IBD Podcast #40 – Tina Aswani Omprakash’s Story: What Are People Going to Think?

April 10, 2019

Listen to About IBD’s Podcast #40: What Are People Going to Think? Shared via Amber Tresca’s podcast and blog, About IBD People who live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis experience stigma because of their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The taboo topic of bowel disease can permeate all aspects of a person’s life, especially when there are cultural influences also at play. Tina Aswani Omprakash, who lives with Crohn’s disease and a permanent ileostomy, shares her story of personal empowerment and how she is working to help other people with IBD live their lives with confidence. Tina describes how IBD has profoundly affected her family as well as why…

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Lilly Singh’s ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?’: My Anthem for Body Positivity

April 1, 2019

I still remember when the racy Bollywood song, “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?” (Hindi: What’s Behind the Saree Blouse?), teased South Asian household television sets and AM/FM radios (yes, those used to be a thing). I was barely 10 years old and even though I couldn’t get enough of the song’s hypnotic beat, I felt tingling shame every time I heard its lyrics. So when Lilly Singh (a/k/a iiSuperwomanii), Punjabi-Canadian LGBTQ YouTube star and soon-to-be late-night TV show host, released her rap remake of “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?” last week, I nearly fell off my chair. She didn’t just remake a Bollywood classic; she recreated a spectacle made for…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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The Top 10 IBD Blogs to Follow in 2019

March 15, 2019

Discussing bowel movements is undoubtedly a taboo subject for many people, which has helped a stigma form around Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). For people living with IBD, most commonly in the form of Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, ‘embarrassment’, ‘shame’, and ‘isolation’ are regularly used words to describe the emotional strain that accompanies the physical symptoms of their condition. These bloggers, each excelling in particular areas, write openly and honestly about the realities of life with IBD. In doing so, they are helping create a community that offers support, raise awareness that helps tackle the stigma, and provide practical tips for various walks of life. Top IBD Blogs for Real…

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

March 2, 2019

As many of you may have seen on my social media accounts this last month, Crohn’s & Colitis Congress is a premier conference that discusses all the latest breakthroughs in inflammatory bowel disease. I had the honor of taking part in one of the breakout sessions called Management of Complicated IBD: Perianal Disease. During this panel discussion, I shared my experiences with perianal fistulizing Crohn’s Disease and the psychosocial toll it wreaked on my entire being as a woman, as a professional and as a wife. As terrifying as sharing my horrific experience with perianal disease was, it was absolutely validating and felt like a huge weight off my shoulders.…

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

February 27, 2019

I had the honor of attending the 2019 Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas, NV as a patient advocate and speaker on the Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease panel. From diet and nutrition to mental health and pregnancy in IBD, here are the most salient topics presented at the conference this year for us patients: https://www.oshihealth.com/crohns-congress-2019/ Originally published by Oshi Health, Inc., on February 26th, 2019. Written by Tina Aswani Omprakash Medically reviewed by Matthew Hamilton, MD Please feel free to leave comments and feedback. I would love to hear your thoughts as always.

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Tina Aswani Omprakash

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