LOOP Blog

June is Pride Month - a time for the LGBTQIA+ community to join together and celebrate their freedom to be exactly who they are. In honor of Pride Month, members of the Patient Advisory Council have recorded a special episode of the imPACt podcast to help bring awareness to the ways that queerness and chronic illness intersect.

Hi everyone! My name is Maitri, and I attend the Ohio State University (yes, the "the" is obnoxious but absolutely necessary). I am majoring in Neuroscience, and plan on attending medical school! I also work as a part-time PCA at Nationwide Children's Hospital. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when I was 15. An interesting thing that most people don't know about me is that I am trilingual - I speak Gujarati, Hindi, and English!

Last December, @ICNPatients shared how holiday stress and eating can affect IBD and their wellbeing. We are re-sharing today, because we are coming into the summer holiday season. With more gatherings and food offerings on the horizon, we hope you'll take a PAC moment to learn how patients with IBD might experience these celebrations:

Did you miss us? We briefly interrupted our regular, every-other-Friday podcast release schedule. It was for a really good cause though - we released a special episode of imPACt to celebrate World IBD Day (May 19) and talk about the importance of Advocacy! Now we're back and hope you'll join us today for our chat about IBD & Identity.

Hello everyone, it’s Hannah! In early December of 2020, I had my ostomy reversal or takedown surgery to create my J-Pouch. I knew from talking with my doctor some of what to expect: waking up with lots of tubes, feeling tired and sore. But it was through reading articles about other people’s J-pouch experiences (those who just had surgery and those who have lived with their pouch for some time) that I was able to prepare myself for what to anticipate physically after surgery. Looking back now, I realize I’ve learned a lot, that there are things I wish I had known, and that I want to share what I’ve learned so others can know what to expect.  

PAC members weigh in on how friends and family can best support them when they share about their IBD or are having a hard time. Here's what they say:

World IBD Day is May 19. It happens every year and is a time for #TalkingAboutIBD. It's important to share our lived experiences with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (also known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD), to raise awareness of these often invisible illnesses and to build momentum and advocacy for positive changes to IBD care and outcomes. Join us for a special episode of the imPACt podcast this #worldIBDday 💚💙

Hey! My name is Caitlyn, I'm an 18 year old freshman in college. I was only just recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease in December of 2020, but I have struggled with symptoms for a while. An interesting fact about me is that I grew up in a military family and have lived all over the country.

My name is Nicole and I am 21 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease on my 16th birthday and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) just a few months later. These diagnoses were heartbreaking, but I did not let them stop me. I am graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and will be returning to my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio to work as a Genetic Counseling Assistant to pursue my passion in genetics.

Heidi's #IgniteTalk is a powerful reminder that while IBD may be part of your life, you don't have to do it alone. There is value in connecting with others to give and receive support, in #TalkingAboutIBD because every story matters and has the power to change someone else's story, in offering what you have learned on your journey in the hope that it can help another person outsmart IBD.

Be inspired by Heidi's #IgniteTalk 🔥