
Kelly Owens: Vagus Nerve Girl
What is the next innovation in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Is it the microbiome? Stem cells? Or, is it the emerging field of bioelectric medicine? IBD is a complicated disease to treat and can bring complications and other, related conditions. The problem is the immune-mediated nature of the disease and how it affects the entire body. For Kelly Owens, who lives with Crohn’s disease, bioelectric medicine has bumped her into remission and changed her life in several ways. Today she goes by "Vagus Nerve Girl” because she had a device implanted in her chest that stimulates her vagus nerve. For her, this treatment has been a resounding success. Episode page and transcript can be found at: https://aboutibd.com/?p=1984 Concepts discussed in this episode: TED Talk: How electricity could replace your medications - Neurosurgeon Kevin Tracey Osteoporosis Discovery and Functions of Acetylcholine Anatomy of the Vagus Nerve What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)? Find Kelly Owens on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and on her blog, Vagus Nerve Girl. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
14 Juni 202138min

Single Motherhood and IBD With Brooke Abbott
Motherhood comes in all shapes and sizes. The intersection of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and motherhood is often left out of the discussion and single motherhood and IBD is pretty much ignored altogether. That's why I asked my close friend and co-founder of IBDMoms, Brooke Abbott of The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles, to tell me about her challenges and her successes living with IBD, a j-pouch, and being a single mom of a young son. Concepts discussed in this episode: What Are the Five Love Languages? An Overview of Asacol (Oral Mesalamine) How Does Implicit Bias Influence Behavior? Black Women Suffer Most From Restrictive Reproduction Policies, Study Shows Racial Disparities in Maternal Health May Be at a Pivot Point How Prince Shook Up the Music Industry Motherhood Unplugged on Lights, Camera, Crohn's Complete show notes and transcript found at https://aboutibd.com/?p=1965. Find Brooke Abbott on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and on her blog, The Crazy Creole Mommy Chronicles. Find IBDMoms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
31 Maj 202131min

Motherhood Unplugged With Natalie Hayden
It's one thing to talk to your physicians about becoming pregnant when you live with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. But what about getting the benefit of experiences from the mothers who have been through a pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding journey? Former news anchor and current blogger and Crohn's patient Natalie Hayden gives her experiences with pregnancy and receiving biologics, as well as how she has participated in research during her pregnancies and the benefits it offers her family. Concepts discussed in this episode: What is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction? An Overview of Sacroiliac Joint Pain IBD Parenthood Project Mother to Baby Studies - Crohn's Disease Mother to Baby Studies - Ulcerative Colitis Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist What Is Colostrum? Motherhood Unplugged on The PIANO Registry Complete show notes and transcript found at https://aboutibd.com/2021/05/16/about-ibd-podcast-episode-93---motherhood-unplugged-with-natalie-hayden/ Find Natalie Hayden, MD on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at Lights, Camera, Crohn's. Find IBDMoms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
17 Maj 202141min

IBD and Pregnancy With Jill Gaidos, MD
We used to be told that women with IBD couldn’t have children. We were also told people with IBD shouldn’t have children. The truth is this: women with IBD get pregnant and have healthy pregnancies and babies. We have more evidence and guidance than ever before. Gastroenterologist Dr Jill Gaidos, Associate Professor of Medicine in the section of Digestive Diseases and the Director of Clinical Research for the Yale Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Program discusses the finer points of pregnancy and IBD. When to seek help for fertility, what medications should be continued in pregnancy, and the risk of passing on IBD to children. Concepts discussed in this episode: The PIANO Registry Conversations with Women in GI Updates on the Safety of Using Newer IBD Medications during Pregnancy Find Jill Gaidos, MD on Twitter and at Yale Health. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
3 Maj 202136min

Healthcare Disparities in IBD
Hey, it's Amber. I want to tell you about my limited podcast series, Healthcare Disparities in IBD. IBD used to be thought of as a Western disease. Something that happened in developed countries like the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia. IBD was also thought to mainly affect White people and people of Jewish heritage. However, these demographics are changing, and IBD is now considered a global disease.[1] A harmful and pervasive misconception is that IBD does not affect people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Minority patients are sometimes told that they can't have an IBD because they are of African, Latinx, Native American, or Asian descent. This leads to a delay in diagnosis and care. In the setting of IBD, which is difficult to treat, this can lead to significant complications that negatively affect every aspect of a person's life. In this limited series, we explore the ways in which the healthcare system is underserving minority and LGBTQ patients who live with an IBD. We cover the spectrum of this issue including the lack of research in minority populations, how cultural ideas around nutrition affects patients, how patients of color can be better supported, and how legislation can play a role. As a long-term IBD patient myself, it's my goal to help physicians, industry, and legislators understand how inequalities affect the IBD community and what they should be doing to improve patient care. Subscribe to Healthcare Disparities in IBD wherever you listen to podcasts. [1]Molodecky NA, Soon IS, Rabi DM, et al. Increasing incidence and prevalence of the inflammatory bowel diseases with time, based on systematic review. Gastroenterology. 2012;142:46-e30. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2011.10.001 Credits: Healthcare Disparities in IBD is written, produced, and directed by Amber Tresca. Theme music, mix, and sound design is by Cooney Studio.
5 Apr 20211min

Derek Mari of Crohnie: It's Not Impossible
Have you ever seen a person who lives with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in a movie or TV show? If so: was the depiction positive or negative? My guest is actor, writer, and filmmaker Derek Mari. Derek lives with Crohn's disease and his IBD journey inspired him to create a story that explores the way people cope with living with a chronic illness. He has already filmed a short film, entitled "Crohnie," which was positively received at several film festivals (before the pandemic shut everything down). Derek's next project is a full-length feature film with a main character who lives with Crohn's disease. Loosely autobiographical, it will examine the journey to acceptance of life with a chronic illness, and show how that life can be full and filled with success. Learn more about Derek and his Crohn's story, as well as how you can get involved in the crowdfunding program to get this film made. Find Crohnie Movie on Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Derek Mari on Vimeo, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
23 Mars 202130min

Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Telling your Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis story is powerful. It can be freeing but it can also come with some unexpected side effects. Welcome back Rosanne Mottola, who originally intended to talk over receiving her second dose of the Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine. She told her ulcerative colitis story and about receiving her first dose on Episode 87, "COVID-19 Vaccination With UC Patient Rosanne Mottola." She gives her experience on her second dose, how it affected her, and what her family's plans are now that she's vaccinated. Additionally, Rosanne had another part of her journey that she wanted to share. She listened to her first About IBD episode (something a lot of guests don't actually do), as did her family. Reflecting on her ulcerative colitis journey brought things back in a fresh way. She tells me how revisiting some parts of her life in this way was both troubling and healing. It's an important part of the disease journey, especially for those who tell their story publicly, that doesn't often get discussed. Concepts discussed on this episode: Clostridium Difficile Infection With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Dependent Coverage for Young Adults CDC: COVID Vaccine Doses Can Be Spaced Up to 6 Weeks Apart You Got Your COVID-19 Vaccine. Now What? CDC: Fully Vaccinated People Don't Need to Quarantine After COVID-19 Exposure Yes, Social Distancing Does Lower Your Chance of Contracting COVID-19 Here's Why Your Symptoms May Be Worse After Your Second COVID-19 Shot 5 Ways To Prepare for Your COVID-19 Vaccination Find Rosanne Mottola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
8 Mars 202120min

Living With Crohn's Disease and a Rare Disease
Living with one disease is bad enough, but living with two adds more than two times the complexity. As a young man, Aaron Blocker was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after years of coping with strange and seemingly disconnected signs and symptoms. He continued to have problems which resulted in two hip replacements that were blamed on prednisone. However, after one of those hip replacements became dislocated, Aaron went looking for more answers and wound up suspecting that he also had an ultra-rare condition called hypophosphatasia. Concepts discussed on this episode: Osteonecrosis (Avascular Necrosis) Explained What Is Alkaline Phosphatase? Soft Bones, Inc National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Ultra-rare disease diagnosis is an uphill battle Find Aaron Blocker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party,” is from ©Cooney Studio.
21 Feb 202137min