Category Archives: Family

Instagram Giveaway

Leave a reply

I’m giving away 3 copies of “Up and Adam: A Patient’s Experience on Winning with IBD” by Adam Finkelstein.

“Up and Adam” is a book for kids and parents who are touched by IBD. The book depicts a relatable role model for young (pediatric) patients so they know they are not alone. As a child, Adam did not realize that having IBD was unique, and so he did not feel different from other kids. Adam gives practical tips and tricks for families to manage the ups and downs of IBD with emotional resilience.

Continue reading →
This is Not a Gift Guide

This Is Not A Gift Guide: An IBD Community Poll

Leave a reply

At the end of the year, we see the gift guides come out. There’s one for every type of person, usually focused on age and gender, but also based on hobbies or interests. Or, even, based on chronic illness such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

There’s no doubt, gift guides are helpful. For someone like me, who doesn’t go out shopping a lot, it’s useful to know what’s out there. Learning about the latest in cookware or video games can be helpful. To me, the funniest ones are the gift guides for teens or college students. Even I know they just want cash.

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode 105 - What Remission Means to a Teen With Ulcerative Colitis

About IBD Podcast Episode 105 – What Remission Means to a Teen With Ulcerative Colitis

Leave a reply

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis) is being diagnosed in young people with greater frequency. Research on how to treat pediatric patients, and indeed how to prevent IBD in the first place, is still lacking. What’s not in short supply is the strength and resilience shown by pediatric IBD patients and their families. Meet Brooke, a pediatric patient at Connecticut Children’s Hospital who credits her dedicated IBD team with her ability to live a life filled with summer camp, dance, and tennis lessons, without the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. 

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode Cover 99

About IBD Podcast Episode 99 – Making a Plan for Back to School With Dr Brad Jerson

Leave a reply

The back to school period is already a time of so much change but once again in this pandemic, parents and school systems are also facing difficult choices. The experiences of families during the pandemic has been diverse, which means that individual needs need to be addressed. But how do we manage that? Dr Brad Jerson Pediatric Psychologist in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Connecticut Children’s, puts some framing around these issues and how we might approach them. Topics discussed include making the decision to go back to school in the building, 504 plans for kids with digestive conditions, and helping kids to transition to school in a difficult atmosphere.

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode 94 - Single Motherhood and IBD With Brooke Abbott

About IBD Podcast Episode 94 – Single Motherhood and IBD With Brooke Abbott

Leave a reply

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.

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode Cover - Episode 93 - Motherhood Unplugged With Natalie Hayden

About IBD Podcast Episode 93 – Motherhood Unplugged With Natalie Hayden

Leave a reply

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.

Continue reading →
About IBD - The Power In Your IBD Story

The Power In Your IBD Story

Leave a reply

When I asked Rosanne Mottola to come on About IBD and discuss her recent vaccination against COVID-19, I was excited that we could share her story with other people who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has been a difficult year for everyone, but people who live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis have also weathered a significant amount of uncertainty in regards to their health.

I also asked her to come back to briefly update me after her second dose and I thought I’d add it on as a segment of a longer episode. My intention was to understand how she felt physically and emotionally after the second shot, which wouldn’t take long. But it turns out we had more business to discuss and instead, we created another full-length episode together.

It became clear to me that Rosanne’s experience through the process of agreeing to tell her ulcerative colitis story and in creating Episode 87 with me brought up some salient issues that I’ve probably been long remiss in addressing.

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode 78 - Sending Chronically Ill Kids to School, Featuring Dr Brad Jerson

About IBD Podcast Episode 78 – Sending Chronically Ill Kids to School, Featuring Dr Brad Jerson

Leave a reply

Kids with chronic illness face special issues when going back to school because they’re at risk of their accommodations becoming eroded. In particular, children who live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis might be in danger of not being granted appropriate bathroom access. I speak with Dr Brad Jerson, a Pediatric Psychologist in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Connecticut Children’s and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. We discuss the worrying behaviors that parents should watch out for in their kids and how we can help kids who feel scared to go back to school.

Continue reading →
About IBD Podcast Episode 77 - Back to School In the Pandemic With Dr Brad Jerson

About IBD Podcast Episode 77 – Back to School in a Pandemic With Dr Brad Jerson

Leave a reply

Back to school will be quite different for families across the United States and the world this year. There aren’t many answers to be had to our questions, yet we must make decisions with the best information that we have at this time. I speak with Dr Brad Jerson, a Pediatric Psychologist in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Connecticut Children’s and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine about how we can prepare our kids, and ourselves, for the school year. We discuss the behaviors we can model for our children, how we can talk to young kids about mask wearing, and how to engage kids of all ages in conversation about their fears and anxieties during this time. 


Get About IBD on Google PodcastsListen to About IBD on Apple Podcasts
Other Podcast Apps

Continue reading →
In a Pandemic, Every Decision Is Complicated

In a Pandemic, Every Decision Is Complicated

1 Reply

As of this writing, for the past two months, I have not been to a pharmacy or a grocery store. I have used a delivery service. I, like many other people who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), am immunocompromised because of the medication I receive. I am now reliant on other people to obtain the things we need for our household, but it’s unclear to me if this is the right decision.

Continue reading →