Tag Archives: ibd

Hidden Ways IBD Affects You Over a Lifetime With Puja Khanna, MD — About IBD Podcast Episode 206

The truth about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is that it goes beyond the gut. In this first-ever live recording of About IBD, Amber talks with Dr. Puja Khanna from Cedars-Sinai to explore the extra-intestinal impacts of IBD, from skin conditions and eye inflammation to debilitating fatigue. Learn how sex-specific factors affect women and why building a multi-disciplinary care team is the best strategy for long-term health.

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How to Navigate ER Visits and Avoid Fragmented Care With Dr Stephen Lupe — About IBD Podcast Episode 205

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Emergency room visits are a source of stress and can lead to fragmented care. Amber speaks with psychologist Dr Stephen Lupe to learn why inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients avoid the ER, the reality of medical trauma, and how a multi-disciplinary approach like the IBD Medical Home can revolutionize patient care.

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Brown Note: Helping People with IBD Find Hope and Support With Andrew Giffin — About IBD Podcast Episode 204

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Amber Tresca talks with Andrew Giffin, a product manager in Toronto who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 19 after years of symptoms in high school. Andrew shares his experience navigating three major surgeries, adjusting his career path away from law enforcement, and learning to manage stress as part of living with a chronic illness. He also discusses developing apps, including Brown Note, a free, anonymous peer-support app for people with digestive diseases. Brown Note was inspired by his own feelings of isolation while preparing for his third surgery and is available on Apple, Android, and the web.

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Insider Secrets to Fearless Travel with IBD Featuring Sarah McGovern — About IBD Podcast Episode 203

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Certified travel advisor, business owner, and ulcerative colitis patient Sarah McGovern joins Amber to give tips and tricks on traveling with IBD. Sarah relates her IBD journey, including a rare medication side effect that landed her in the hospital. Now in remission, Sarah breaks down her blueprint for traveling with an invisible illness. On this episode, you’ll learn concrete, practical strategies for traveling with IBD and how a travel advisor can help you relax on your next trip.

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Hospitals Are Investing in AI: What You Should Know

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By now, you’ve heard lots about artificial intelligence (AI) in the news, from friends and family, online, and even at work. You may even be impacted by AI in a significant way, especially if you’ve been laid off from your job, or if you’re a social media manager.

Or: if you’re a patient.

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Ethics, Privacy, and AI in Healthcare: What Patients Should Know

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Whether you’re an avid user or avoid it as much as possible, artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay.

When the telephone was new, some people resisted its use. They thought it had no practical use, that a telegraph was a better way of sending messages, and that it was dangerous and would intrude on privacy. [1]

It’s almost funny and quaint to think about these concerns now. The telephone changed the world. It brought opportunities for business growth and made people safer and more connected. Yet people sabotaged phone lines and refused to install them. [1]

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Amber’s Year in Books 2025 — About IBD Podcast Episode 192

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Looking for your next great read? Host of About IBD, Amber Tresca, gives her year-end roundup of books, with brief summaries and reflections on each. The selections cover a mix of genres, from speculative fiction and psychological thrillers to memoir and dark fantasy, often touching on themes of trauma, community, self-acceptance, and chronic illness. Amber shares how the stories resonated with her experience as a GenX mom living with a chronic illness, offering both recommendations and caveats. She also discusses practical tips for accessing books affordably through libraries and apps, and encourages exploring local bookstores or thrift shops to boost your reading journey and sense of community.

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How to Be Resilient (Even if You’re Sick of It)

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I’m a little tired of being “resilient,” aren’t you?

I’m told I’ve developed resiliency, and that’s how I’ve made it through the difficulties with my illnesses (ulcerative colitis and others) and their treatments, such as surgeries. I don’t really think of it that way, however. My perspective on resilience is that I don’t see how I could exist without it.

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The Truth About Surviving IBD and Incontinence – About IBD Podcast Episode 190

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Katryna Loewen, a registered nurse diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2020, shares her journey through severe flare-ups, incontinence, and her decision to have a colectomy and ileostomy in 2024. She discusses the emotional and physical challenges of living with IBD, the stigma of ostomies, and how these experiences shaped her life, relationships, and career. Katryna also describes managing her mental health, planning her wedding, and preparing for motherhood, offering hope and practical advice to others with IBD.

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