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Five years post J-pouch surgery sounds like a finish line, but our bodies do not read the brochure. We’re together in person for a live catch-up with our favorite recurring guest and IBD Registered Dietitian, Stacey Collins, and we get real about what changes with time and what still blindsides you when you live with a J-Pouch after IBD.

We talk through the wins that matter most day to day: more capacity, less urgency, and the quiet joy of doing normal things without panic, like waiting in line, taking long road trips, hiking, skiing, and traveling. Then we dig into the stuff patients whisper about but rarely get warned about, especially gas pain. We break down what it feels like, why it can block emptying, what actually helps (yes, including “toilet yoga”), and why travel, altitude, fasting, dehydration, carbonation, and food additives can make symptoms spike.

We also cover the scary gray zones: when symptoms feel like a Crohn’s flare but turn out to be SIBO, why antibiotics may be part of J-pouch life, and how to rebuild the gut microbiome afterward with food you can tolerate. Finally, we get blunt about the “surgery is curative” myth, the need for ongoing monitoring (iron deficiency anemia, B12, folate, fatigue), and what better post-op care should look like, including pelvic floor physical therapy and honest expectations at 3, 6, and 12 months.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review. What’s one thing you wish your care team had told you before surgery?

Links:

• Stacey's website- sign up for her waiting list, find resources
• Stacey's additives guide
• Stacey's oral rehydration guide
• Info about SIBO- Mayo Clinic
• Info about the ENIGMA Study- National Institutes of Health
• Info about the ENGIBMA Study from Stacey's website

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The word “surgery” can feel like a threat when you’re young and already worn down by Crohn’s disease. Michael Morgan, author of *The Secret Life of Crohn’s*, joins us to talk about being diagnosed at age 10, cycling through medications, and living with the kind of urgency that forces you to plan every minute around toilets, school schedules, and the fear of being noticed. We get into the part people don’t always see: the constant anxiety, the shrinking world, and how much mental energy IBD can steal long before anyone calls it mental health.

Michael also shares what it was like to hear ostomy surgery discussed as a teenager, the misconceptions that fueled his fear, and the moment he realized life on the other side could be bigger than the life he was trying to protect. We talk about the adjustment period, confidence building, and why so many people with ostomies describe freedom and relief once their disease is under better control.

From there, we dig into practical realities: asking schools for accommodations, using tools that make bathroom access easier, staying on top of Crohn’s management even after major surgery, and navigating rare symptoms like inflammatory disease in the mouth. And yes, we go deep on travel with an ostomy, including packing supplies, hostel bathrooms, and the small “tricks” that make big adventures possible.

If you’re facing a big treatment decision, supporting a child with IBD, or trying to make your world bigger again, this conversation will meet you where you are. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs a little more hope and a lot more real talk.

Links:

• More of Michael's Story- Crohn's & Colitis UK
• Order Michael's book
• Article about Michael and his book- Hackney Citizen
• Traveling with an ostomy- United Ostomy Association

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Medical care can be doing everything “right” and you can still feel wrecked, anxious, and trapped in a never-ending cycle of symptoms, appointments, and fear. That gap is where GI psychology lives, and it’s why we wanted Dr. Anna Katherine “AK” Black. AK is a licensed clinical health psychologist at GI Psychology, with a focus on gut-brain therapies, trauma-informed care, and medical fatigue in chronic illness.

We get into what clinical hypnosis actually is (no stage tricks, no mind control) and why gut-directed hypnotherapy has decades of research behind it for GI conditions. AK explains the gut-brain connection in plain language, including how stress can hijack the system, how visceral hypersensitivity turns the volume up on sensations, and why you can’t just tell your gut to “calm down” with conscious thoughts alone. We also talk about how fear and pain overlap, and why techniques that shift the nervous system toward parasympathetic regulation can change real physical symptoms.

Then we name the thing so many people feel but rarely hear described: medical fatigue. If you’ve ever canceled yet another appointment, struggled to keep up with meds and procedures, or felt judged as “noncompliant,” this conversation puts words to that burnout and offers practical next steps. We also cover trauma-informed care, what providers can do with better language and screening, and why integrated teams work best. AK shares resources and explains the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation partnership group that combines community with skills like CBT and hypnosis.

Subscribe for more real talk about living with IBD, share this with someone who needs it, and please leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. What part of the gut-brain story hit closest to home?

Links:

• Join the IBD Psychotherapy Group
• Info on Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy

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A Crohn’s diagnosis at eight can shrink a kid’s world down to fatigue, fear, and the nearest bathroom. Nicole Thornton took that same reality and built something bigger: community, advocacy, and a blueprint for how young people with IBD can lead without pretending it’s easy.

We talk through Nicole’s early health journey and the moment Camp Purple Live in New Zealand changed everything by giving her friends who truly understood Crohn’s and colitis. From there, Nicole shares how she petitioned the New Zealand Parliament at just 12 years old to improve toilet access for people with inflammatory bowel disease and other urgent health needs, and how that effort evolved into the “I Can’t Wait” campaign where busin

esses voluntarily welcome patients to use staff bathrooms. We also dig into the everyday stakes behind “bathroom access” and how stigma and public accidents can shape mental health, confidence, and relationships.

Nicole also brings a global lens from her work with the International Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (IFCCA) youth group, including what she’s learned about medication access, healthcare funding, and how different countries support young patients. Finally, we get into why she’s studying nursing, how small acts of care can change someone’s life, and what it takes to balance advocacy, school, work, and chronic illness without burning out.

If you care about Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic illness advocacy, bathroom accessibility, or patient leadership, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.

Links:

• Camp Purple Live- Crohn's & Colitis New Zealand
• IFCCA- Youth Group
• Article on Nicole's NZ parliamentary efforts
• Story on CCNZ on Nicole's trip to Brussels

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A lot of IBD news sounds like it should change your care tomorrow and then… nothing changes at your next appointment. We wanted to close that gap, so we invited back Dr. Victor Chedid and Dr. Iris Wang from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for a Research Rroundup that’s honest about what’s exciting, what’s early, and what still has major caveats for real people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

We dig into emerging data on GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide and why several retrospective studies are turning heads with signals for fewer hospitalizations and less steroid use in IBD patients. We also get specific about the “who should not use this” question, including risks for people who are underweight or have disordered eating concerns, and why multidisciplinary support with an IBD dietitian can matter. Robin also raises a practical angle many patients care about: whether GLP-1 medications could help slow gut transit for high ostomy output or pouch output, and what makes insurance approval so challenging.

From there, we talk breakthroughs that could reshape the long game of Crohn’s care: fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease and strictures. An antifibrotic drug targeting intestinal fibroblasts is showing early promise, and we walk through what a phase 2 trial result really means, plus why it can still take years before a therapy becomes available in clinic. We also explore the surprising two-way relationship between sex hormones and the gut microbiome, what that could imply for symptom patterns, and why microbiome testing and “fix your gut” products often outrun the evidence.

We end with what makes us hopeful over the next five years: better biomarkers, precision medicine, and AI in gastroenterology, paired with a clear warning about bias and why ChatGPT-style tools can confidently generate misinformation. If you found this helpful, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who needs a clear-eyed update on IBD research.

Links:

• Information from Mt. Sinai about GLP-1 Medications and IBD
• Preventing Fibrosis in IBD: Update on immune pathways and clinical strategies

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Your baby is bleeding, no one has a clear answer, and you’re expected to make high stakes decisions while running on zero sleep. That’s the reality Andrea Potvin lived when her daughter developed bloody stools at five months old and was ultimately diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at just 10 months old, a form often described as very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD).

We talk through the winding road to diagnosis, the crushing pace of pediatric hospital life, and what it’s like to try medication after medication while your child becomes dangerously anemic. Andrea shares how her family kept pushing for more opinions, searched for doctors with deeper IBD experience, and stayed data-driven with notebooks, symptom tracking, bloodwork, and stool tests. We also dig into diet therapy, including how they implemented the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) in a staged way and why monitoring inflammation markers like fecal calprotectin still matters when things look “better.”

Andrea also explains why they added functional and integrative care, what functional stool testing showed, and how mental health support became essential for the whole family. Then we get practical about the everyday stuff: school lunches, restaurants, birthday parties, and teaching a five-year-old how to advocate for her own food needs without feeling isolated. That journey eventually led Andrea and her husband, Nick to start Moon & Co Wellness, their wellness brand built to help other families feel less alone.

Subscribe for more real talk about IBD, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more families can find these stories.

Links:

• Moon & Co Wellness on Instagram
• Comparing and Contrasting Therapeutic Diets for IBD- GI Nutrition Foundation
• Information on VEO IBD- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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Ever been told your pain is “just a flare,” even when your labs look calm? We sit down with Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Xiao Jing (Iris) Wang to unpack why symptoms can linger after inflammation is under control—and what to do about it. From constipation myths to the real mechanics of bloating, this conversation reframes gut discomfort through muscles, nerves, and breath, not just meds.

Dr. Wang breaks down pelvic floor function in clear, memorable language. Learn how the puborectalis sling preserves continence, why years of urgency or “holding it” can hardwire a constant clench, and how that leads to straining and incomplete emptying. She shares practical paths to diagnosis without over-reliance on expensive tests, smart ways to find qualified pelvic PT, and simple at-home tactics like an optimized toilet posture, the “anti‑Kegel,” and biofeedback fundamentals. We also explore why J‑pouch patients need their own testing norms and a different definition of “normal.”

Then we tackle bloating. Groundbreaking research shows many visibly distended bellies aren’t full of excess gas—the diaphragm is pushing down while the abdominal wall pooches out. Dr. Wang demonstrates how diaphragmatic breathing can retrain this pattern and why yoga, gentle twists, and abdominal massage move trapped gas better than most medications. Finally, we zoom out to the brain. When the gut’s “fire” is out but the alarm keeps blaring, neuromodulators, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and virtual reality can close the pain gates. You’ll hear how VR helps patients navigate bathroom anxiety, tolerate unsedated procedures, and feel safer in their own bodies.

Finally we talk to Dr. Wang about the genesis of her children's book called "Boo Can't Poo." It's a humorous story about a constipated ghost named Boo and his efforts to get his bowels back on track. It's a great read for parents who are working to potty train their toddlers but also for all us to re-learn how to poo!

If you’ve wondered whether your pain is real when scans look fine, this is your validation and your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find practical relief and a new way to think about gut health.

Links:

• Boo Can't Poo book
• Yoga poses for constipation- Yoga Journal
• More yoga poses for constipation- Verywell Health
• Resources on disorder of the gut-brain axis and more from GI Psychology

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When your scope looks great but your day still falls apart, something’s missing. We sit down with Dr. Dawn Beaulieu, a Vanderbilt IBD specialist certified in functional medicine, to unpack a root-cause approach that complements biologics and brings relief where patients feel it most: sleep, fatigue, bowel consistency, and energy.

We get specific about what functional medicine actually is—science-based, holistic, and individualized—then trace how Dr. Beaulieu integrates it into a busy academic IBD center. From the “functional medicine tree” and Five Rs to team-based care with dietitians and social workers, she shows how nutrition, hydration, and nervous system training shift the gut-brain axis. We talk real-world food strategies that work for sensitive guts, why ultra-processed ingredients and dyes upset the microbiome, and how to ramp fiber without misery. She shares outcomes from Vanderbilt’s group programs, where patients improved quality-of-life, sleep, and fatigue in about twelve weeks, with some showing lower fecal calprotectin.

We also tackle supplements with nuance: which nutrients many IBD patients actually need, how to choose third‑party tested brands, and why you can’t out-supplement a bad diet. Dr. Beaulieu sets clear lines on when medication is essential for moderate to severe disease, then explores where GLP‑1 drugs may help overweight patients alongside standard care. Access matters too, so we highlight ways to find certified functional medicine providers, piece together a local team, and use tools like HRV training and Nerva to build daily resilience.

This is a grounded, empowering roadmap for anyone stuck between “remission” and “feeling well.” If the goal is fewer flares and more life, these are the levers you can pull today—without abandoning the therapies that work. Follow the show, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge toward better routines, and leave a review to help more people find the conversation.

Links:

• Find a practitioner- Institute for Functional Medicine
• IBD Learning slides "Functional Medicine and Inflammatory Bowel Disease" with Dr. Beaulieu- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation USA
• Podcast with Dr. Beaulieu on FMP Essentials
• Podcast episode with Dr. Beaulieu on The Dr. Mark Hyman Show

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