Bowel Moments

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 t...

Send us Fan Mail 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 &qu...

Send us Fan Mail 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 understa...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 tre...

Send us Fan Mail 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 t...

Send us Fan Mail 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 Chi...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Marla Dubinsky, a trailblazer in pediatric gastroenterology and a fierce advocate for people living with inflammatory bowel disease. She shares her journey from pediatric residency to becoming a leading voice in IBD care, shaping the future of treatment and advocacy. Through her work at Mount Sinai and as co-founder of Trellus Health...

Send us Fan Mail This week we reflect on the journey since launching Bowel Moments in August 2021, sharing our personal updates and the lessons we've learned along the way. We reminisce about the podcast's beginnings as a concept born out of a love of podcasts and how it evolved into a heartfelt platform for the IBD community, featuring memorable interactions with guests. We open up abou...

Send us Fan Mail Could your holiday season be a little less stressful and a lot more joyful? Our latest episode of Bowel Moments provides you with the tools to do just that, especially if you're navigating the festive chaos with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We have the pleasure of welcoming back Stacey Collins, a registered dietitian and IBD specialist, who not only shares valuable profe...

Send us Fan Mail This week we spoke to Dr. Colm Collins ! Dr. Collins is an Associate Professor at the Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research at University College Dublin. He shares his journey from the world of pharmacology to pioneering research in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). You'll learn about the innovative approaches his team is exploring to revolutionize treatmen...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how someone turns a challenging health diagnosis into a source of artistic inspiration? This week we chat with Kaitlyn Niznik about her microscopic lymphocytic colitis and how is influenced her life and her art! Kaitlyn offers a unique perspective, sharing her journey from diagnosis to becoming an empowered advocate through her art. As an art teacher, Kaitlyn navigat...

Send us Fan Mail This week we welcomed back Registered Dietitian, Neha Shah ! Neha joined us back in episode 42 where she was interviewed by friend of the show and I BD RD Stacey Collins. Neha specializes in IBD and other GI disorders and has both a private practice and is also part of the Colitis & Crohn's Disease Center at UCSF .  We spent this episode shedding light on the distinctive...

Send us Fan Mail This week we were so excited to have a crossover episode with the host of the About IBD Podcast- Amber Tresca ! We turned the tables on Amber and interviewed her about her IBD story! Amber has been living with UC for several years and underwent a 2-step J-Pouch surgery. We talked about her story thus far and how that plus her background in medical writing led her to a career of ed...

Send us Fan Mail This week Alicia was joined by guest host and former guest, Hannah Cramer and they interviewed Alicia Aiello! Alicia A. is the President of Girls With Guts which is a nonprofit organization supporting and empowering women living with IBD and with ostomies. We talked to her all about her IBD journey and how that lead her to Girls With Guts. We discussed how her background in videog...

Send us Fan Mail **Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicidal ideation.** This week we had so much fun getting to know Belinda Brown! Belinda is the CEO of Crohn's & Colitis New Zealand! Belinda was diagnosed with Crohn's at 26 years old and we discussed her diagnosis, her search for the right treatment, navigating the consequences of her surgeries when she was trying to concei...

Send us Fan Mail This week Robin was joined by guest host, friend of the show, and IBD Dietitian, Stacey Collins! They spoke to Yi Min Teo ! Yi Min is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Herbs and Food – a virtual private practice specializing in digestive health and culturally-sensitive nutrition counseling. They talked about Yi Min growing up in Singapore and some of the cultural diff...

Send us Fan Mail This week we spoke to Dr. Alan Moss! Dr. Moss is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation in the US. Previously he was the Director of the Crohn’s & Colitis Program at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Professor of Medicine at Boston University (BU). He is a clinician-scientist who is a passionate patient advocate. We talked to him about moving f...

Send us Fan Mail This week we had such an interesting conversation with Dr. Erica Barnell. Dr. Barnell is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical and Science officer for Geneoscopy, Inc! Geneoscopy is a life-sciences start-up company that leverages eukaryotic biomarkers to non-invasively diagnose, monitor, and treat gastrointestinal disease. The idea for Geneoscopy was conceived during Dr. Barnell’s firs...

Send us Fan Mail This week we talked to Nicole Kittleson! Nicole's daughter Addy was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was 8 years old but that diagnosis wasn't easy to get to. Addy wasn't growing or gaining weight, her eyes became dull and her hair started falling out. Nicole brought her concerns to her daughter's pediatrician but they just encouraged her to feed he...