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Empowering the Chronically Ill & Disabled to Lead Fuller Lives

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  • Colorectal Surgery,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  IBD Parenthood Project,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Mother's Day,  Ostomy,  Pregnancy in IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis,  Women's Health

    ~OYC Trailblazers~ Brandi’s Journey into Motherhood with a Redone J-Pouch

    May 12, 2019

    By Brandi Fliegel I was 22 years old when I went to the emergency room for the first time. I had extreme stomach pain and couldn’t stop going to the bathroom. They told me I had a stomach virus and sent me home with some Imodium. Then the bleeding started. I went to a different hospital and after further testing, they diagnosed me with ulcerative colitis. I didn’t really understand the disease at the time. I just knew I had to take medications to combat inflammation in the gut everyday. Then the flare-ups began and I would end up back in the hospital. I would go on steroids and then…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    April 12, 2020

    The Top 10 IBD Blogs to Follow in 2019

    March 15, 2019

    Real Talk about Ostomies

    October 5, 2018
  • advocacy,  awareness,  colorectal cancer,  Colorectal Surgery,  Crohn's,  Fistulizing Disease,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    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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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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

    April 1, 2019

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

    January 30, 2019

    The Impact of IBD on Racial & Ethnic Minorities

    April 24, 2019
  • advocacy,  Crohn's,  Fistulizing Disease,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    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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    No More Secrets: An enlightening film that reveals the stigma of having an ostomy in India

    September 24, 2018

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

    September 18, 2021

    Inspire’s #KeepUsAllSafe COVID-19 Campaign

    April 12, 2020
  • advocacy,  awareness,  Crohn's,  Diet,  Emerging Therapies,  Fistulizing Disease,  living with IBD,  Mental Health,  Nutrition,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

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

    February 18, 2025

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

    April 18, 2021
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  caregivers,  coping with flares,  hydration,  living with IBD,  Ulcerative Colitis

    OYC Trailblazers: Celebrating Melissa’s J-Pouch-versary

    February 25, 2019

    And February’s OYC Trailblazer is…wait for it…Melissa “Mush” Willner! This month marks one year since Melissa had her ostomy reversed and her j-pouch became fully functional. So what better time than now to have Melissa share her story? Here goes nothing…  Ulcerative Colitis has been a part of my life for over 20 years now.  I first learned of my diagnosis at the age of 7 in the 2nd grade. While my young mind was preoccupied with stickers and Rugrats, I was also learning about colonoscopies and mesalamines. My sleepovers were interrupted by enemas and I took my first doses of mesalamine crushed up in my bowls of Cocoa Pebbles.…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    The Beauty of Ostomates Worldwide

    October 17, 2019

    I am NOT a Burden: A South Asian Perspective

    July 1, 2020

    OYC Trailblazers: What Healing Means to Natasha

    March 26, 2019
  • awareness,  coping with flare,  Crohn's,  Diet,  Disease Prevention,  living with IBD,  Nutrition,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Can a Low FODMAP Diet Help IBD? 7 Things to Know

    February 20, 2019

    Written by Emily Willingham, PhD Medically reviewed by Matthew Hamilton, MD When patient advocate and author of the blog OwnYourCrohns, Tina Aswani Omprakash, 35, reached an impasse with symptoms related to her inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), she turned in frustration to her nutritionist. On her nutritionist’s suggestion, Omprakash, who lives in New York City, decided to give the low-FODMAP diet a try. What Are FODMAPs Anyway? FODMAPs stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols,” all sugars that are common in foods. If these small sugars go unabsorbed and hang around in the intestines long enough, they can produce diarrhea and abdominal bloating and cramping, depending on where they linger. People who…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    Allowing Acceptance In

    November 21, 2018

    OYC Trailblazers: Celebrating Melissa’s J-Pouch-versary

    February 25, 2019

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

    December 9, 2018
  • acceptance,  advocacy,  awareness,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  patient rights,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Allowing Acceptance In

    November 21, 2018

    Thanksgiving season is upon us, dearests! As we prepare to celebrate life, love and laughter with our families and friends, it may be tough to avoid the elephant in the room: our chronic illnesses and disabilities. As hard as this may be, we can get through the holidays together by advocating for better quality of life and allowing acceptance of our conditions in! Our bodies may not be in perfect condition but let’s be thankful today and always for the moments of health, peace and joy that shine their way into our lives. ‘Tis the season to allow acceptance to pervade our lives to cultivate more love and better self-care!…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    April 18, 2021

    Real Talk About Fistulae

    January 19, 2019

    Owning My Crohn’s Mindfully This New Year

    January 5, 2019
  • acceptance,  awareness,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    Throwback to La Caverna 2006!

    August 30, 2018

    Throwback to the summer of 2006 at La Caverna in New York City, just a few months after my IBD diagnosis when I was 22 (you can literally see how pale and anemic I was). My buddy, Sunil, and I were always the ultimate dance partners wil’in out on the dance floor. Some really fun times that I’m glad I had the chance to enjoy back then. Fast forward 12 years along with countless medications and surgeries, here Sunil and I are again at La Caverna. This time with our amazing husbands recreating dance moves from our college days. As friends for many years, we have come a long way…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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    March 26, 2019

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

    September 23, 2020
  • coping with flares,  Crohn's,  Dehydration,  hydration,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  Ulcerative Colitis

    The Hydration Challenge

    July 22, 2018

    We all know the feeling of waking up to our legs cramping, and our voices barely squeezing out a faint peep as an intense lightheadedness sets in. These symptoms, among others, are classic indications of dehydration. And with summer now in full swing, it is high time we talk about the importance of hydration.   So, why does dehydration happen and why is it so important to stay hydrated as an IBD patient? According to the Mayo Clinic, “dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions.” Dehydration comes into…

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    Tina Aswani Omprakash

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  • awareness,  coping with flares,  Crohn's,  Independence Day,  living with IBD,  Ostomy,  stigma,  Ulcerative Colitis

    My Very Own Independence Day

    July 4, 2018

               Today, Independence Day 2018, marks 10 years since my colon and rectum were removed in emergency. I was 24 years old, 85 lbs, being fed by a PICC line and the hair on my head was greying from malnutrition. I was dying from IBD my doctors warned me as they urged me to have surgery. I remember that day so clearly when my then boyfriend/now husband, Anand, along with my close friend, Radhika, drove me into the city to have emergency surgery. And when my surgeon came up to me in the emergency room, he expressed that I may be too far-gone, that he was…

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  • 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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