IBD News Today Columns

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

Shouting From My Laptop: Using My Voice in the IBD and Rare Disease Communities

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

When I returned to teaching full time after my liver transplant, I quickly discovered that the job caused me more frustration than joy. Life is too short and precious to ... Read more

February 25, 2021February 25, 2021

Surviving Texas’ ‘SNOVID-21’ With Crohn’s and Other Medical Needs

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

After the toilet paper and hand sanitizer hoarding of 2020, I thought I was equipped for anything. By luck and God’s grace, I survived the winter storm disaster in Texas, ... Read more

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021

Venturing Back Into the COVID-19 World After a Year of Self-quarantine

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

After my second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine last Friday, I expected days of flu-like symptoms. Luckily, I only had a low-grade fever the next day and fatigue for ... Read more

February 11, 2021February 11, 2021

How Learning to Love Myself Helped Me Fight Crohn’s

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

Valentine’s Day is in a few days. I told my husband, Patrick, that I wanted to spend the entire day in bed. I burst his bubble when I reminded him ... Read more

February 4, 2021February 4, 2021

Sizing Myself Up: A Short Story for IBD Patients

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

After almost 15 years, I continue to learn something new about my Crohn’s disease. The other day, I read a statistic from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation stating that about ... Read more

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021

My COVID-19 Vaccine Experience, Part 2: One Down, One to Go

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

Last in a series. Read part one.  In last week’s column, my hope of getting a COVID-19 vaccine was slowly chipped away while I navigated the difficult process. Almost two ... Read more

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021

My COVID-19 Vaccine Experience, Part 1: Expectations and Frustrations

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

First in a series.  On Dec. 11, after I had spent more than 80% of 2020 at home, the door to normalcy cracked open. That day, the U.S. Food and ... Read more

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021

Nurturing Hope in 2021 With Fertilizer From 2020

IBD News Today Columns

Along with the rest of the world, I’m forging ahead into 2021, making 2020 a distant memory. I thought 2020 would be a year to remember. I had a new ... Read more

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021

Finding a Remedy When Remicade Stops Working

IBD News Today Columns

Since September, I’ve been getting Remicade (infliximab) infusions every four weeks. My gastroenterologist changed my schedule from every eight weeks after my colonoscopy in August showed I was no longer ... Read more

December 17, 2020December 17, 2020

Chicken Soup for the Soul and IBD Symptoms

IBD News Today Columns

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that a lot of Filipino cuisine I grew up eating soothed my Crohn’s symptoms. A comfort food that my mother makes for me whenever ... Read more

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

A Week of Worry: COVID-19 Hits Home

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

Before Thanksgiving, I wrote about finding thanks in the chaos of COVID-19. As I submitted my column for publication, the pandemic hit home. Fear and uncertainty quickly replaced gratitude. Since ... Read more

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week From a Minority’s Perspective

IBD News Today Columns

I’ve been active in my new role as a Color of Crohn’s & Chronic Illness (COCCI) ambassador for a couple of weeks now. This week has been especially busy. In ... Read more

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020

A Coronavirus Cornucopia: Finding Thankfulness in Chaos

COVID-19 Columns, IBD News Today Columns

A week from today is Thanksgiving in the United States. Because I’ll be taking a holiday from writing my column, I wanted to count my blessings this week. I’m a ... Read more

November 12, 2020November 12, 2020

Behind the Stall: Fear and Anxiety in Public Restrooms

IBD News Today Columns

I was 5 when the movie “Jaws 2” was released. My parents didn’t take me to it because it was R-rated, but they couldn’t protect me from the television commercials. ... Read more

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020

Finding My Flock: My Involvement With the IBD Community

IBD News Today Columns

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, I kept my illness to myself. I rarely discussed my disease with anyone except my doctors and my loved ones. I disclosed my health ... Read more