🎙️ In episode 22 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Victoria, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 24 after years of brushing off bloating, cramping and changes in her bowel habits. Despite having a brother with Crohn’s, Victoria never imagined she could have the same disease until the pain became so severe she could barely walk.

💉 After blood tests revealed high levels of inflammation, a CT scan and colonoscopy finally confirmed Crohn’s disease, along with a nearly connecting fistula in her bowel. Victoria talks about starting Remicade, navigating recurring flares, fatigue and medication side effects, and the complicated reality of relying on a treatment that helps control her Crohn’s while creating other challenges for her body.

🧠 Now a mental health counselor and outspoken IBD advocate, Victoria shares how Crohn’s disease has changed her relationship with fitness, friendships, mental health and her own body. Through social media, she challenges dangerous misconceptions about treating IBD without medication and uses her experience to remind others that chronic illness affects far more than just the gut.

For more inspiring stories from the bathroom floor, visit colitisunfiltered.com

In episode 21 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Harriet, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 22 after years of believing she simply had IBS. With a family history of Crohn’s, blood in her stool led to a colonoscopy, years of uncertainty, and eventually a diagnosis that would completely change her life.

After trying multiple medications, developing allergic reactions, losing response to biologics, and struggling through pregnancy with active disease, Harriet reached the point where emergency stoma surgery became the only option. She opens up about living with anxiety, body image, motherhood, and the fear of surgery, before discovering that her stoma gave her back the freedom she’d been missing for years.

Today, Harriet is in remission on biologic treatment and has become a passionate advocate for the IBD community. Through her honest and unapologetic social media presence, she challenges misconceptions about Crohn’s disease, surgery, and life with a stoma, proving that sometimes the treatment you fear most can become the reason you get your life back.

For more inspiring storied from the bathroom floor, visit colitisunfiltered.com

In this episode of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Liesel, who started experiencing swollen knees, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain while in college. It would take nearly two years before blood in the toilet finally led to a colonoscopy and a Crohn’s diagnosis.

Liesel talks about navigating life with a chronic illness long before online communities and social media existed. She reflects on the isolation, anxiety, and depression that followed, as well as the devastating flare that led to emergency surgery just months after the birth of her first child. From living with an ileostomy to facing sepsis, multiple surgeries, osteoporosis, and even cancer linked to long-term immunosuppression, her journey has been anything but easy.

Today, Liesel is a doctor, educator, mother, and passionate advocate who uses her experience with Crohn’s disease to help others navigate illness and adversity. Her story is one of resilience, perspective, and hope, showing that even after decades of setbacks, it is possible to build a meaningful and fulfilling life beyond IBD.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com

In episode 19 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Kylie, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 35 after suddenly experiencing urgency, bleeding, and symptoms she immediately knew were not normal. What started shortly before her daughter’s first birthday quickly turned into a confusing diagnosis, unanswered questions, and years of feeling alone in a system that never seemed to fully listen.

Diagnosed while raising three young children, Kylie talks about navigating steroids, failed medications, and the emotional toll of constantly being stuck on the toilet while trying to be present as a mom. Frustrated by a lack of answers, she eventually turned to a gut health naturopath, changing her diet, treating underlying gut issues, and ultimately reaching remission after years of trial and error.

Now balancing motherhood, work, and the reality of occasional flares, Kylie shares how stress, food, and self-advocacy shaped her colitis journey. Her story is honest, hopeful, and a reminder that healing with ulcerative colitis is not always linear, and sometimes the right path looks very different for everyone.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com

In episode 18 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Kyle, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just nine years old after months of vomiting, severe stomach pain, diarrhea, and exhaustion. What began as a confusing childhood illness quickly turned into a lifelong battle with active inflammation, failed medications, and a body that never seemed to fully cooperate.

Diagnosed in elementary school and never fully reaching remission, Kyle talks about growing up embarrassed by his symptoms, hiding his disease from others, and pushing his body beyond its limits through school, college, travel, and intense work environments. He reflects on years of Remicade, methotrexate, prednisone, and the emotional toll of feeling like his own body was constantly working against him.

Today, Kyle uses his experience with Crohn’s disease to advocate for others living with chronic illness and co-founded Tummy, a platform helping patients better understand how food and lifestyle impact their symptoms. His story is honest, introspective, and deeply hopeful, showing that even without full remission, it’s still possible to build a meaningful life beyond IBD.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com

In this episode of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Jaime, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 25 after months of severe symptoms she initially ignored, despite correctly self-diagnosing herself online. What started as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue quickly escalated into hospitalizations, failed medications, and a body breaking down faster than she could process.

Diagnosed in adulthood and thrown into a relentless cycle of flares, steroids, and biologics, Jaime talks about spending over a month in the hospital, being fed through IV, and reaching a point where surgery became the only option left. She opens up about fear, denial, body image, and the emotional weight of facing an ostomy at a young age.

Now living with a J-pouch after multiple surgeries, Jaime shares how that decision ultimately saved her life. From learning how to live in her body again to building a family she once feared she couldn’t have, her story is raw, resilient, and deeply hopeful. A powerful reminder that even the hardest IBD journeys can lead to a life rebuilt.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com

And do not miss out on Jaime's IBD journal. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD2JGZCY

In this episode of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Jess, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 32 after years of being told it was “just IBS.” What began with mucus, bleeding, and exhaustion quickly turned into a relentless cycle of flares, medications, and uncertainty that took a serious toll on her mental health.

Diagnosed in adulthood and facing worsening symptoms every year, Jess talks about steroid dependence, failed treatments, chronic fatigue, and the constant fear of when the next flare would hit. She opens up about hitting a breaking point, spending weeks in the hospital, and ultimately undergoing stoma surgery after exhausting every other option.

Now living with an ostomy, Jess shares how surgery gave her back her energy, her identity, and her life. From struggling to even look at her stoma to building a support group for others, her story is raw, emotional, and deeply hopeful. A powerful reminder that what once feels like the end can become a new beginning.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com

In episode 16 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Clare, who was diagnosed with indeterminate colitis after a sudden and severe onset of symptoms that landed her in the hospital. With no clear diagnosis and little information available at the time, she was thrown into a confusing and frightening start to life with inflammatory bowel disease.

Diagnosed as a teenager and navigating years of flares, steroids, and uncertainty, Clare shares what it was like to grow up with IBD while trying to live a normal life. After more than a decade of remission, her condition came back aggressively, leading to emergency surgery and a life-changing ostomy. She opens up about fear, complications, mental health struggles, and the reality of starting over after major surgery.

Today, Clare lives with a stoma and ongoing complications, but also with perspective, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose. She speaks honestly about body image, advocacy, and why surgery should not always be seen as a last resort. Her story is raw, complex, and a powerful reminder that life with IBD doesn’t end, it changes.

For more stories from the bathroom floor, subscribe to the podcast and visit colitisunfiltered.com