About IBD

09/05/2026

🤩 Wouldn’t this be fun?

A person can dream about a completely fictional IBD music festival! 😀

I was writing today, and much of my writing work is best defined as “technical writing.” Everything needs to be backed up by a primary source. There’s creativity, but there’s a limit as to how much can be used.

I can start to feel creatively constipated without an outlet.

So, sometimes I get my brain juice flowing with a short creative project. I can make a reel or a short: that could take an hour or it could take 5. I could write a blog: which might take multiple sessions for copy editing and headline writing.

Sometimes I work on carousels. I take a research study or a piece of longer form content, and distill it down into a few slides. That could take several days to make sure I get it right.

Other times I come back to a partially finished idea and polish it up. The Labor Day holiday weekend seemed like a good one for this half-baked music festival flyer I was designing.

I love live music and I love my community, so putting them together seemed like a fun creativity exercise. Lately I’m digging these newsprint inspired images. I am not a graphic designer, but I can pull together a simple idea with the use of some stock images.

All these musicians are public about living with IBD, which helps the community so much. Thank you to them for being the role models so many of us need.

Where would we have this festival? Should anyone else be in the lineup? What sort of amenities should it have? Would you go? It’s fun to consider. 😀💜

09/03/2026

🤩 A review is everything to independent creators like me.

Passsion and drive only take you so far. At some point, there needs to be another reason to keep showing up. And you all always have my back, turning up for me when I can’t imagine how I’m going to have the courage to click that “publish” button.

Here’s what this review of reads:

“The integrity in your work shows through every day. Finding your Instagram account and your podcast as someone newly diagnosed about a year and a half ago was like a lifeline to resources. You clearly share research-backed information and connect patients to others who are doing the same. I appreciate it so much! ✨”

It’s that star emoji for me. 😀

Find About IBD in any podcast app or on the YouTube!

08/30/2026

I rarely go to the events or accept the promotions that come across my desk. It’s not really the kind of work that I do.

But this collab of goodwipes and Liquid Death was too good to pass up, and my digestively challenged friends may be interested in a new scent/flavor combo! 😀💜

08/27/2026

Some interesting survey results on AI and health information. I wonder how often people with complicated health conditions use it versus how often mostly healthy people do.

Americans use chatbots for a host of health-related reasons, from helping make diagnoses on their own to learning more about information they may have gotten from a doctor. Nearly all chatbot health users find this AI information helpful.

08/18/2026

✨This clip gives me goosebumps.

Alicia gives some really excellent advice for when we are struggling to be heard. And this is just a small part of the hard-won wisdom she shares on Episode 207.

You can get everything she has to say in your podcast app, on YouTube, or at AboutIBD.com! 🎧🎥📖

Girls With Guts
Alicia Aiello

08/17/2026

You did not cause this. 💜

Fistulas are one of the more challenging complications of IBD. Not only do they cause physical symptoms, but there’s also an emotional toll: losing the connection to own body, the hit to your self-esteem, and the difficulty it brings to intimacy and relationships.

It stands to reason that patients wonder if they’ve done something to bring complications onto themselves.

As Alicia Aiello (Girls With Guts) reminds us on the latest episode of About IBD, it’s important we bring these experiences out of the dark. When we share our journey, we help ourselves and others, so nobody is dealing with challenges alone.

If you are navigating this right now:
✨ Give yourself permission to grieve on the hard days.
✨ Remember that your worth isn’t defined by a complication.
✨ There is a community that understands you without any explanation.

🎧 Get the full conversation about pelvic health, fistulas, and reclaiming autonomy with Alicia Aiello on Episode 207 of About IBD: available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or here: https://aboutibd.com/2026/08/11/powerful-lessons-how-women-experience-life-with-ibd-featuring-alicia-aiello-of-girls-with-guts-about-ibd-podcast-episode-207/

08/14/2026

“I said, ‘I’m done.’” ⌛

It’s not always easy to know when to switch healthcare providers. For Alicia, it was really clear. She’s an educated patient and she knew what she wanted, and still, she wasn’t being heard. 🩺🛑

When living with IBD, your care team should be a partnership—not a one-way street where you leave feeling dismissed or gaslit.

In this new episode of About IBD, Alicia Aiello (Girls With Guts ) shares her decades-long path with IBD, including:

🔹 Navigating complex pelvic surgeries and early perimenopause
🔹 The emotional and physical reality of rectovaginal fistulas
🔹 Recognizing when you need a second opinion

We all deserve compassionate care, respect, and healthcare providers who listen and respect lived experience.

Episode 207 with Alicia is streaming now. We dig deep into the difficult experiences she's lived through. But we also laugh a lot, because otherwise we’d be crying. (But we may have cried a little too.)

🎧 You can get episode 207 of About IBD in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or you can watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/AIBD207! 💙

08/11/2026

I have been on some side quests, but I'm sending a newsletter today! Find great stuff from Lights, Camera, Crohn's, , Natalie A. Sparacio, Katie Neu (Badass with a Bad Ass), Connecting to Cure Crohn's and Colitis, and other folks not on this here app! Get subscribed with only an email address:

Sign up for the newsletter for About IBD and get updates each week!

08/11/2026

Do you know all the ways can affect you outside the gut? 💚💜

Managing IBD over a lifetime means taking the whole body and the mind into account. 🧠

You’ll need to protect your physical health as well as your peace of mind. That was the topic for my recent episode, recorded live in LA, with Dr Puja Khanna of Cedars-Sinai. 🎙️

🎧 You can get Episode 206 of About IBD, “Hidden Ways IBD Affects You Over a Lifetime,” in your podcast app, in beautiful video on YouTube, or at AboutIBD.com. (Also, dare I say it? The link is in the bio, of course! Do we need to still say that, or does everyone know that now? 😆)

Here are 5 key takeaways from my live episode:

1️⃣ You Know Your Body Best
One of the most difficult challenges of living with a chronic illness is self-advocacy. Remember that you’re the expert in your own health.

2️⃣ IBD Outside the Gut
IBD can affect your eyes, skin, joints, liver, mental health, and more. Mention new or unexplained symptoms anywhere in your body to your gastroenterologist.

3️⃣ Building a Team
Ask your gastroenterologist if they have relationships with other specialists such as dermatologists, rheumatologists, dietitians, and OB-GYNs who are familiar with IBD.

4️⃣ Track the Trends
It’s possible to over track your symptoms. Focus on trends rather than day-to-day changes and bring anything out of the ordinary to your healthcare team.

5️⃣ Ask Questions Early
Gather info about possibilities such as surgery, parenthood, or medication changes before they are options. This way you can make the best choice available if the time comes.

Which of these tips do you need to practice most right now? Let me know in the comments! 👇

08/03/2026

Imagine a day when IBD isn’t taking up brain space every day. 🎯

On the latest episode of , Dr. Puja Khanna had this vision for Crohn’s and colitis care:

“I hope at some point in time [patients] get to forget about the fact that they have this disease because they’ve been doing so well for so long.”

With new therapies, multi-disciplinary care, and the development of tools for prediction and prevention, long-term remission is the goal. You deserve days where your health isn’t your full-time job. 💚

Is there a milestone or goal you’re working toward? Tell us about it! 👇

🎧 Catch the full live episode in any podcast app, on YouTube, or at AboutIBD.com!



PS: I love this song so much. If you know it, I hope it takes you back. If you don’t know it, here’s your ear worm for the day, it’s a banger! 🎶