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Real talk about the realities of IBD...On the rocks! Hosts Robin and Alicia interview people living with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or indeterminate colitis (collectively knows as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or IBD) and the medical providers who care for our community. Join us to meet people affected by IBD- we laugh, we cry, we learn new things, we hear inspiring stories, and we share a drink.
151 Episodes
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Send us a text This week we talk to Caroline Perry on being diagnosed with Crohn's disease very young, growing up with IBD, and what is was like to have a sibling with IBD as well as one without IBD. We also talk about establishing boundaries when we you have IBD and also work in IBD research, how important it is to find people who really "get it", creative outlets for expressing feelings, and the importance of therapy (again- always). We share some laughs, some stories about bathroom e...
Send us a text In this episode you meet Dr. Lukasz Kwapisz! Dr. Kwapisz is an Assistant Professor and IBD Specialist at the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. We discuss how he chose to specialize in IBD and his passion for treating our community, his special interest in pouch disorders, tests that your doctor orders and why, the importance of early interventions, his clinical trials experience versus real life treatment, ho...
Send us a text What does great IBD care look like when the system won’t make it easy? We sit down with Dr. Adam Ehrlich, Section Chief of Gastroenterology at Temple Health and GI fellowship program director, to explore how he builds patient-centered care in an underserved setting—where insurance denials, missing records, and real-life logistics collide with complex disease. We talk about health literacy, trust, and the conversations that actually change outcomes. Adam explains how he frames ...
Send us a text The hardest part isn’t always the pain; it’s the fog—those days when the labels keep changing, the meds blur together, and the bills are louder than your body. That’s where Stephanie A. Wynn stepped in, transforming her Crohn’s journey into a movement for clarity, access, and equity. We sit down with Stephanie—author, podcaster, and founder of the Stephanie A. Wynn Foundation—to unpack how a misdiagnosis spiral, two heartbreaking pregnancy losses, and a sixth GI finally led to...
Send us a text Welcome to episode 1 of our series- IBD Can Eat Me guest hosted by Stacey Collins, IBD RD. In this series, Stacey will interview other Dietitians who also specialize in IBD. This week we welcomed Venus Kalami- board-certified pediatric Dietitian Nutritionist! What if the strict diet you’re told to follow does more harm than good? We sit down with pediatric dietitian Venus to unpack how nutrition in IBD can support health without sacrificing joy, culture, or family life. F...
Send us a text Want a clear, human guide to modern IBD care without the jargon? We’re joined by Janette Villalon, a physician assistant at UC Irvine’s IBD Center, who brings a front-line view of what truly helps patients: personalized therapy choices, honest safety talk, and practical plans that fit real life. She traces the evolution from a handful of anti-TNFs to a wider toolkit—anti-integrins, IL-12/23 and IL-23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, and S1P modulators—and explains how we match treat...
Send us a text A boxer in training. A terrifying spiral of symptoms. A life-saving surgery that changed everything. Jose Torres joins us to share how ulcerative colitis pulled him out of the ring and propelled him into purpose—building community, advancing equity, and living well with a J‑pouch in a city that isn’t designed for urgent needs. We trace Jose’s path from misdiagnosis in Brooklyn to specialized care in Manhattan and the brutal logistics of public transit without bathrooms. He ope...
Send us a text Imagine being able to turn down the volume on gut pain, food fear, and medical anxiety—without white-knuckle coping or guesswork. We sit down with Dr. Ali Navidi, co-founder of GIpsychology.com and past president of the Northern Virginia Society of Clinical Hypnosis, to unpack how clinical hypnosis and gut-focused CBT help people with inflammatory bowel disease interrupt the gut-brain loop that keeps symptoms alive. No stage tricks here—just practical tools that retrain the ner...
Send us a text Comedian Ian Goldstein takes us through his journey with Crohn's disease, beginning with his diagnosis at 16 when he was just trying to navigate the already challenging world of high school, SATs, and planning for college. With candid humor, he recounts the moment he realized something was seriously wrong – not just from frequent bathroom trips, but when a coworker pointed out his dramatic weight loss. What follows is a rollercoaster of medical experiences that many in the IBD...
Send us a text Imagine visiting your gastroenterologist and feeling comfortable enough to discuss every aspect of how IBD affects your life—including your sexual health and practices. For many patients, particularly those in the LGBTQI+ community, this remains an elusive dream rather than reality. Dr. Victor Chedid, gastroenterologist and director of Mayo Clinic's Pride Clinic, joins Bowel Moments to tackle this crucial gap in IBD care. With disarming honesty and clinical expertise, he revea...
Send us a text For two decades, Rachel Gebhardt has navigated the complex terrain of Crohn's disease with a refreshing perspective shaped by her father's experience with the same condition. Where her father let illness define him, Rachel chose a different path—one filled with humor, openness, and resilience—despite her case being more medically severe. Rachel's journey encompasses four bowel surgeries and fourteen hospital admissions since 2020 alone, including a colostomy she affectionately...
Send us a text What happens when your body declares war on multiple organs? Julie Davis knows this reality all too well. Her medical journey began with a celiac disease diagnosis at 18, followed by ulcerative colitis in college, but it was the sudden onset of autoimmune pancreatitis in 2011 that turned her world upside down. Julie's story is remarkable not just for the rare combination of conditions she manages, but for the extraordinary resilience she's shown throughout her journey. As a di...
Send us a text ** Warning that this episode talks very candidly and descriptively about surgery and more.** Few IBD stories contain as many twists, complications, and near-death experiences as Bryan Schulze's journey with ulcerative colitis. What began with occasional bleeding during his military deployment escalated into a life-threatening medical emergency when doctors discovered he had been hemorrhaging internally for months. With severe anemia and barely conscious, Bryan's introduct...
Send us a text Kimberly LaRose's journey from a nine-year diagnostic odyssey to creating an award-winning vodka demonstrates the remarkable resilience found in the IBD community. After struggling with unexplained symptoms that doctors repeatedly misdiagnosed, Kimberly finally received her Crohn's disease diagnosis and discovered that gluten and corn were major inflammation triggers for her body. Rather than seeing her dietary restrictions as limitations, Kimberly embraced a philosophy of "re...
Send us a text Navigating the workplace while managing inflammatory bowel disease can feel like walking a tightrope—balancing health needs against career responsibilities. This episode cuts through the confusion with straightforward, practical advice from someone who truly understands both sides of the equation. Employment attorney Abbe Feitelberg returns to share her unique perspective as both an IBD patient and legal expert. She breaks down the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Americans...
Send us a text When you're battling inflammatory bowel disease, the wounds aren't always visible. Beyond the physical symptoms lies a reality many patients face but few discuss openly – the psychological impact of medical trauma. Dr. Christina Jagielski, clinical health psychologist at Michigan Medicine, brings her expertise to this powerful conversation about trauma-informed care in the IBD community. With surprising candor, she reveals how she discovered that approximately half of gastroen...
Send us a text Amanda Phillips never imagined her lifelong battle with Crohn's disease would transform into a business helping other people living with chronic illnesses. But after decades of unexplained stomach pains, missed diagnoses, and learning to navigate life with IBD, that's exactly what happened. Amanda takes us through her journey from childhood stomach aches dismissed as "just constipation" to her eventual diagnosis at 17. We explore how she learned to identify her personal flare ...
Send us a text When your gastroenterologist is also your dad, navigating the complexities of Crohn's disease takes on a whole new dimension. Angie's powerful story reveals a journey of discovery, resilience, and unexpected insights into managing IBD through life's major transitions. Diagnosed in 2017 following a period of intense personal stress, Angie shares her quest to understand why she developed Crohn's without family history. Her analytical approach has led to fascinating observations ...
Send us a text What happens when your chronic illness becomes the catalyst for global exploration and environmental advocacy? This week we talk to Nicholas Mertens! Nick was diagnosed with Crohn's disease six years ago and he's turned his health journey into a platform for investigating how climate change impacts healthcare systems worldwide. While most college students rarely venture beyond their comfort zones, Nick has represented his university at United Nations climate conferences in Dub...
Send us a text This week we bring back our friend and friend of the show, Dr. Ashish S. Patel! Dr. Patel takes us on a global journey through the evolving landscape of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease treatment, revealing contrasts between approaches across continents and highlighting gaps in how new medications reach children. While adult IBD patients have benefited from an explosion of treatment options over the last two decades, children remain limited primarily to anti-TNF biologics ...
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