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...
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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 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 ...
Send us a text What happens when you decide to throw caution to the wind, decline your PhD acceptance, quit your job, and travel the world for 10 months—all while managing Crohn's disease? Friend of the show and health psychologist Josie McGarva takes us along on her extraordinary global adventure, revealing both the challenges and profound joys of pursuing dreams despite having IBD. From the medication logistics nightmare of switching from the medication she was on for a long time to one th...
Send us a text The quest for better outcomes in pediatric IBD has taken significant strides forward, and Dr. Jeremy Adler returns to Bowel Moments to guide us through the most promising research developments of the past year. Dr. Adler is a clinical Professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan and serves as the Interim Director of the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center. We discuss how medication dosing strategie...
Send us a text This week Alicia and guest co-host Stacey Calabro talk to Stephanie LaFlamme! Stephanie takes us on an extraordinary journey through simultaneous health battles that would challenge anyone to their core. In late 2020, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, but it wasn't until 2023 that her health challenges truly escalated. Stephanie discovered a breast lump that led to a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer—all while her IBD symptoms were spiraling out of control. F...
Send us a text Discover the cutting-edge world of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research and management with Dr. Charlie Lees, a leading gastroenterologist and professor at the University of Edinburgh. In this episode, Dr. Lees guides us through his groundbreaking initiatives, including the Atomic IBD series and the insightful PREDICT study. Learn how innovative predictive health tools, such as sweat sensors, are shaping the future of IBD care and how the series has become a beacon of hope...
Send us a text Imagine navigating a life filled with complex medical diagnoses while juggling the everyday challenges of parenthood. That's the reality for our guest, Tish, the insightful creator of Luminous Wounds. Her journey with Crohn's disease, endometriosis, and other autoimmune conditions is not just a story of survival but a testament to resilience and advocacy. Tish shares her experiences of battling medical gaslighting and the importance of finding compassionate healthcare providers...
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...
