Tag Archives: coronavirus

About IBD - Pre-print Report_ COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy in IBD Patients

Pre-print Report: COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy in IBD Patients

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People who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have questions regarding COVID-19 vaccination and how it may be impacted by their disease or their medications. IBDologists recommend that people who live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis receive a vaccination for COVID-19. Check with your physicians on your individual circumstances but, in general, the advice is that the vaccines are safe and effective for people with IBD, and they are recommended.

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About IBD - Episode 90 - Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

About IBD Podcast Episode 90 – Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

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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.

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Climbing the Steps to Pandemic Recovery

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I remember looking down at my abdomen shortly after having the first of two surgeries to complete the j-pouch procedure for treating ulcerative colitis. It was open surgery, so I had a line of staples closing the surgical site that was about 8 inches long. I spent most of those first weeks with a pillow clutched against my abdomen because it felt like my guts were going to fall out. I couldn’t imagine how I would ever complete a simple sit-up again.

Yet, I did recover. I can do the things that seemed beyond reach in those first days and weeks, but it didn’t happen right away or without effort. As the country becomes vaccinated against COVID-19 and we consider next steps, I am reminded of that feeling of having no idea how I would ever be whole again. Restarting a face-to-face life is off in the distance: hazy to the point of being unrecognizable. I’m struck by the similarities between resuming life after surgery and resuming life after a pandemic. They happen slowly, with the individual steps being so small they are almost imperceptible.

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About IBD Podcast Episode 88 - Leaning Into Pleasure With Passion by Kait - About IBD

About IBD Episode 88 – Leaning Into Pleasure With Passion by Kait

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During times of stress, our personal relationships may suffer. In the pandemic, we are finding ourselves spending a lot of time with those in our households, and for couples, that can start to take a toll. Certified sex educator Kait Scalisi, founder of Passion By Kait, shares her knowledge and experience as a neuroscientist, public health professional, and couples’ counselor to help us understand how to better manage our relationships during the pandemic and beyond.

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5 Things I Want You to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccines

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People who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have had many questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine rollout is no different. The good news is that prominent IBD physicians are advocating for people who live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19). As healthcare professionals, many of them have already received a vaccine themselves.

After speaking with Dr David Rubin, highly respected IBDologist, fierce advocate for patients, and consummate educator who graciously responds to my emails, on About IBD, I became better aware of the concerns of the IBD community in regards to vaccination. I’ve spent the better part of the last month working towards answering questions and reading research.

To that end, I have come up with 5 nuggets of information that address some of the chief concerns about COVID-19 vaccinations in people who live with IBD.

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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

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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.

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In a Pandemic, Every Decision Is Complicated

In a Pandemic, Every Decision Is Complicated

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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.

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IBD Treatments and COVID-19: What the Experts Say

COVID-19 and IBD: Notes From an AGA Briefing

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I attended a briefing given by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) which was focused on COVID-19 and how the disease may affect people who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The briefing was given by three specialists: AGA Patient Education Advisor, Rajeev Jain, MD, AGAF, of Texas Digestive Disease Consultants; David T. Rubin, MD, AGAF, Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine, Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Chicago Medicine, Illinois; and Russell D. Cohen, MD, AGAF, Professor of Medicine, Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, University of Chicago Medicine, Illinois. Drs Jain, Rubin, and Cohen are all integral in the IBD community and generously lend their time and expertise to helping both healthcare professionals and patients better understand IBD. What follows are highlights from this presentation that illustrate what has been learned so far about the intersection of IBD and COVID-19.

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About IBD Episode 68 - What It's Like to Have IBD and COVID-19

About IBD Episode 68 – What It’s Like to Have IBD and COVID-19

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People living with IBD who have suppressed immune systems because of medication are understandably concerned about their risks surrounding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19. Jamie Horrigan, a medical student and founder of “Sweetened By Nature,” lives with Crohn’s disease and gastroparesis and was diagnosed with COVID-19. She describes her experiences with symptoms, diagnosis, isolation, and recovery. She also gives some insight on why a common complication of coronaviruses, called a cytokine storm, may be an important factor of COVID-19 for people with IBD.

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What to Do If Your Infusion Center Closes

What to Do If Your Infusion Center Closes

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In this moment of physical distancing in order to flatten the curve of people being exposed to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and developing the disease it causes, COVID-19, it may prove challenging to receive medication to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Certain medications that are given to manage Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are given by infusion. This is most often done at a doctor’s office, infusion center, or at a hospital.

People with IBD have questions about the safety of receiving infusions outside the home at this time. In addition, there have been reports of infusions centers closing for the indefinite future, leaving patients to find another location to receive their medication. All the major gastrointestinal organizations and IBD specialists are recommending that patients still receive their medication at this time. It’s currently thought that the focus should be on avoiding an interruption in care and running the risk of an IBD flare-up. This article will provide resources in order to help patients navigate the closing of an infusion center.

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