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Enjoy this interview with Leah Crumrine, a businesswoman, mother, and wife of IBD Warrior Logan Crumrine. Logan has been on the show to share his story with Crohn’s disease, but today, his wife Leah shares from her perspective about what it’s been like to walk along IBD with her husband. She shares her experience, insights, and tips for supporting those in your life with IBD. Summary Leah Crumrine shares her experience as a caregiver to her husband, Logan, who has Crohn's disease. She discusses the challenges they faced during Logan's flare-up, the changes in roles and responsibilities, and the importance of communication in their relationship. Leah also talks about managing food and family meal planning, communicating with their children about the disease, and the support system they had throughout their journey. She emphasizes the need for caregivers to prioritize self-care and balance, and offers advice for managing day-to-day flare-ups. Leah concludes by discussing the therapeutic aspect of advocacy and sharing their journey with others. This conversation explores the journey of Logan and Leah Crumrine as they navigate life with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It highlights their journey to recovery, reaching remission, finding balance, and hope and perseverance. Leah also offers support to others facing similar challenges and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and love. Takeaways Prioritize self-care and balance as a caregiver. Communicate openly and honestly with your loved one about their needs. Create a support system of friends, family, or online communities. Learn as much as you can about IBD and advocate for your loved one's care. Make a plan for managing flare-ups. Enjoy moments of normalcy and adventure when your loved one is feeling well. Recovery from IBD is a journey that starts small and progresses over time. The story of Logan and Leah Crumrine is a testament to hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. Offering support and being open to conversations about IBD can make a significant difference in someone's life. Continuously learning and loving each other is essential in navigating the challenges of IBD. Topics covered in the interview Introduction to IBD and Logan's Flare Changes in Roles and Responsibilities Mourning the Loss of Expectations Balancing Responsibilities Self-Care and Finding Balance The Importance of Communication Asking Good Questions Managing Food and Family Meal Planning Communicating with Children Managing Day-to-Day Flare-Ups Advocacy and Sharing the Journey Importance of Support Systems Keep Learning and Loving From the show: Stephanie: What kind of advice would you give to someone facing a similar situation in becoming the caregiver and provider? Leah: I don't think that we knew going into it how much [life] would change, but I started having to take on more responsibility for things that we normally share, like cleaning the house, taking our boys to different things, going to different family events for holidays and things like that. Logan couldn't go to those things. And so my role really changed in our home to be the primary income earner, but also kind of the primary parent where, of course, those things were shared between us as well. And it was kind of shocking. I mean, I don't think anybody goes into a relationship or whatever, thinking this could totally get flipped on its head. But it really did. And the advice that I think that I would offer is to keep communicating through it and to be good to each other and yourself as a caregiver. Of course, I didn't know that's what I was becoming, but I was becoming a caregiver. And I don't think I realized just how significant that was gonna be…it really was kind of a role reversal, role change. So, again, just the advice of keeping communication open. There were times when we would look at each other and sit there and cry and just say the words out loud. Like, ‘I didn't think it was going to be this w

Enjoy this interview with Steve Carver, an IBD warrior, a personal trainer with over 30 years of experience, and the business and product development director at JumpSport. He shares his journey with colitis and dives deep into one of my favorite topics and activities: rebounding! Summary Steve Carver shares his journey with colitis and how he found recovery through a holistic approach. He discusses the benefits of rebounding and how it has helped him maintain his health. Steve also provides advice on getting started with rebounding and emphasizes the importance of consistency and discipline in managing IBD. In this conversation, Steve discusses the benefits of rebounding. He shares options for trying rebounding, including gyms and online platforms. Steve emphasizes the fun and versatility of rebounding, highlighting that it is not a boring workout! Steve encourages listeners to put in the work to overcome health challenges and live a peaceful lifestyle. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and learning from setbacks. Steve provides information about JumpSport and invites listeners to reach out with any questions. Takeaways: Rebounding on a trampoline can provide numerous health benefits, including increased lymphatic flow, improved mental health, and enhanced balance and stability. Getting started with rebounding can be as simple as purchasing a personal fitness trampoline or finding a gym that offers rebounding classes. You can use the JumpSport club finder to find a gym near you with classes: www.jumpsport.com/jumpsport-club-studio-locator/ Rebounding is a fun and versatile workout. Consistency and discipline are keys in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Putting in the work and having a positive attitude can help overcome health challenges. Topics covered in the interview: Steve Carver's Journey Holistic Approach to Treatment Transition to Rebounding Health Benefits of Rebounding Time Spent on the Trampoline Getting Started with Rebounding Options for Trying Rebounding The Fun and Versatility of Rebounding Accessing Rebounding Programming Maintaining a Positive Attitude Finding Information about JumpSport Additional Questions and Contact Information From the show: Stephanie: What are some of the things that you have found to help control stress levels? Steve Carver: Here's the thing about stress, I think it's really important that you have other tools at your disposal to help you de-stress yourself. Whenever a stress happens in your life…there’s about a 90 second chemical reaction that happens in your brain. So it's okay to be angry, it's okay to be sad, it's okay to be upset, scared, whatever caused the stress in the first place. That chemical reaction lasts about 90 seconds. Anything longer than that is you staying on the hamster wheel and continuing to perpetuate those feelings. So how do I stop that? So some people say, well, I can't get off the hamster wheel. So I need to distract my mind. For me, I'll do 10 deep breaths. And the first five, I'm like, doesn't seem to be doing anything, right? And then I get deeper and I exhale more and by number 10, I'm thinking only about breathing. And then I realized that I'm not as at DEFCON 5 anymore. I'm still trying to deal with whatever it was that caused me to be stressed, but now I have a clearer mind to come up with a solution that's going to be beneficial to solve the problem or if it's something that I just can't control and there's nothing I can do about it at this moment, me being worked up about it is not helping the problem. So find a way that works for you to distract your mind from the thing that caused you to be stressed in the moment. I know that there are some monumental things that happen in life and in the moment it's very upsetting. But I always take a moment and think, okay, what can I do about it right here, right now in this moment? And too many of us regress to some other trauma in our life where we were a child and we

Enjoy this interview with Logan Crumrine, a Crohn’s disease warrior of more than 30 years, advocate, and writer. Logan was first diagnosed in 1990. For years he fluctuated between states of flares, semi-remission, clinical trials and surgeries, and then went into complete remission for over 15 years! But remission came to an end in 2012 and he spent the next few years fighting for his life and eventually filed for disability. Today, he’s now in his second year of remission and living life to the fullest.  Some of you will remember Logan as one of my repeat guests. He shared the first part of his story in episode 29 of this podcast in July 2019, and came back a year later in 2020 to talk about his experience and knowledge about going through the process of filing for disability.  Today, he’s back to update us on his journey and share what it’s like to now live in remission. From the show: Stephanie: What kind of tips do you have for other people who are finding themselves newly in remission and still afraid to let go of the habits that they've held onto for so many years as their safety net? Logan: I think the best advice would be that you've kind of got to do your own walk in that. You've got to kind of let go of those things as you feel comfortable. I still carry supplies in my backpack, but I don't carry as many. I don't carry an extra change of clothes, so my backpack has gotten down to just some undergarments in there and some stuff to clean up if I need to. It's a much smaller kit, but again, I'm still learning. It's still automatic for me to put all that stuff on when I'm going out. And I think it's just, you just kind of have to challenge yourself and push yourself. It helps too that I have Leah with me, who's an incredible partner who reminds me, ‘hey, you know, you made this trip a couple of times without anything. Why don't you try it again?’ Or I'll be able to share with her that I didn't even get ready like I normally do for a trip. And then it's kind of an epiphany almost to say, ‘oh wow, we don't need that stuff all the time anymore.’ Stephanie: You've shared on social media a few times about struggling with Crohn's and depression. Can you talk about how you've coped through some of the hardest times and how has remission affected your overall mental health? Logan: I think remission has helped my mental health and has benefited it. I still struggle with depression and sometimes, some days, it's absolutely debilitating. Right now, my depression seems to be presenting itself with insomnia. So I can be tired at seven o'clock and think, okay, I'm going to head to bed around nine and then I'm up till two. So it seems to be presenting that way. I think being in a place with more sunlight has helped. Seasonal depression affected me really bad in Washington because where I lived in Washington, from about October to March, it's very dark and very gray. It's nice to be able to look out the window and see blue skies and sun, I'm trying to get back to exercising because that's so vital to mental health. Stephanie: You have shared on social media about your fitness journey and just getting to a place of better overall health, what were some of the baby steps or the ways that you started to get back into that as you were feeling better? Logan: I think that, and for the record, my hiking and walking come and go, like any kind of fitness thing, I do really good for a while and kind of back off for a little while. I think that one thing that I had to do is realize that I have to start with what I can do, even if it's five minutes of getting outside and taking a walk. I started when I was starting to get my health back. I was just literally doing laps around the cul-de-sac. And that's all I could do, just walk around the cul-de-sac very slow with a cane. It was very difficult for me to even get out and do anything. And now, I mean, where I was at the height that's kind of dropped off since we moved, but I'm tr

Enjoy this interview with Abigail Marie the Chef With IBD. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2014, halfway through culinary school. Throughout her journey, she’s navigated various medications, been hospitalized during severe flares, and even adjusted her career path as chronic illness was consuming her life. Unable to find relief, she began experimenting with diet and eventually found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). Since then, she’s improved her health and discovered a new dream: to help others with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) live better lives through healing and flavorful foods. In this podcast episode, she share’s her story, perspective, and tips for fellow IBD patients. From the show: Stephanie: What advice would you give to other IBD patients who might be in a similar position where they're having to face making a career change? Abigail: You know, I was so set on my dream of being a chef, but that's not the path that life took. And you know, you'll find another dream. Now my dream is working on my blog, doing SCD recipes and sharing with the community — sharing my story and advocating and raising awareness. You will find something else. I know it seems so devastating, but just trust that you're on the right path and that you'll find a new dream. Stephanie: What are some of the things you've found in your life to help manage stress? Abigail: I keep a gratitude journal. I do that first thing in the morning and right before I go to bed, and it really helps me get the right mindset for the day. I also do a daily meditation. It's not long, it's 10 to 12 minutes, but just having those 10 to 12 minutes to myself in the morning before my day starts has been really helpful for me. And then just practicing mindfulness, just trying to be in the moment. Chronic illness can be really scary, you don't always know what's around the corner, but you have this moment right now. So just trying to take yourself out of that worrying about the big picture. I also practice Qigong, it’s similar to Tai Chi, it's like mindfulness movement. I do that a few times a week for 15 or 20 minutes and that really helps me move stress through my body. Whereas the meditation and the gratitude journal are more for my mind. The mindfulness movement is more for the body. So balancing both of those, mind and body. Links from the show: Website - abigailmariethechefwithibd.com Contact - abigailmariethechefwithibd.com/contact/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/chefwithibd Facebook - www.facebook.com/abigailmariethechefwithibd * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ at www.crohnsfitnessfood.com Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 More at crohnsfitnessfood.com Want to share your story? Send me a message here or email [email protected] #crohns #crohnsdisease #ulcerativecolitis #ibd #podcasthost #healthpodcast #chronicillness #chronicillnesspodcast #ostomy

Enjoy this interview with Amber J Tresca, health content creator, writer, speaker, advocate, and host of the About IBD podcast. Amber was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 16, had a colectomy at age 26, and started writing about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other health conditions one year later! She’s been writing ever since, sharing both about her own journey and writing for a variety of health publications giving insight and technical information about IBD. In this podcast episode, she share’s her story, perspective, and tips for fellow IBD patients. From the show: SG: How important it is to get care, and the right care, right away? AT: …it’s so important. And it's important also to not get into that fatalistic state of mind that I was in, that I still don't know where it came from, but that I could only expect so much improvement and that it wasn't going to go further than that. I should have expected, I should have demanded more, but I didn't know what I didn't know. Today we have better treatments, we have a lot more understanding, there's better testing, etc. But you still, as the patient, have to be the one (or as a parent or a caregiver) you have to be the one to make sure that all of this is happening and you have to be the one to advocate for yourself or your loved one to make sure that you're getting what you need. And I've heard lots of stories about how people advocate for themselves and the ways in which they make changes…There’s always a workaround. There's always a way that you can make the situation work for your life, but you have to explain what that is to your healthcare providers and help them help you get to where it is that you want to be. SG: What are some of the top resources that you would recommend to people listening to go to for information? AT: …my first place to go is PubMed, but I know that's not for everybody. Not everybody wants to wade through all of that stuff to find what they're looking for. But I do often give talks or write about how you can find good sources of information. …government sites, educational sites, and patient advocacy group sites, so .gov, .org, .edu, is usually a good place to start and to find information. The second thing that I would look for in information is who wrote it. And I just told you that I write all kinds of stuff without a byline. But when you read something, there should be an identifiable entity, at least. Even if it says staff writer. It shouldn't just be a bunch of very clinical advice-sounding type stuff on a page and you don't know who wrote it. You should know who wrote it and how to get in contact with them. Three, would be looking at what the site that you are interacting with, or the app, I guess I should say, what they're getting out of it. Are they selling you something? And I'm not saying that someone who has something for sale is always off the table. I mean, if you sign up for my newsletter, I have discount codes in there too that you can go and purchase some of the things that I have vetted and that I use in my own life…But I will say it should be clear and you should have a clear understanding of if that person is selling something and then what they are selling. …So the fourth thing is, is that you want to see that the information that you are looking at, receiving, interacting with, goes back to some primary sources. So that's where it gets back to that PubMed thing…Did they get it from a source that is, for instance, someone interviewed a clinician, which is something that you and I do, you interview someone like that, they're a source. They link back to a clinical trial. Okay, they're talking about a medication. So they link to maybe a trial on that medication. That's great. Or they link back to, for instance, a patient advocacy group or an educational resource like an IBD center, which there are several across the country. That's good to know. Whenever I see something that says like 10% o

Enjoy this interview with Tim Parsons, a Crohn’s disease warrior, ambulance service chaplain, and author of the children’s book series Paramedic Chris. Through the Paramedic Chris children’s books, Tim aims to help develop children's reading skills and also offers support for important subjects such as anxiety, fear, and working together as a community. In today’s episode, he shares his story with IBD and how he balances life with Crohn’s. Social media & links from the show: Instagram:  https://instagram.com/paramedicchriskidsbooks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paramedicchriskidsbooks Website: https://timparsons.co.uk/ Books: Paramedic Chris Paramedic Chris A Helping Hand Paramedic Chris A Sorry Bully Paramedic Chris and the Runaway Chicken * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 More at crohnsfitnessfood.com Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Clemmie Oliver. Diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis in 1999, she had an ileostomy at age 11, was later diagnosed with IBS in addition to IBD, and is now focused on helping others improve their lives and find better health. After becoming a Registered Associate Nutritionist and Qualified Nutritional Therapist, she founded the Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in 2018 where she and her team support patients living with IBD in the UK and across the world to live a better quality of life.  She is passionate about empowering patients with IBD by providing evidence-based nutrition support to bring clarity around diet and their IBD, remove fear from food, optimize nutritional intake, and support symptom management, as well as being their patient advocate ensuring they are receiving the care they need. Links from the show: instagram.com/clemmieolivernutrition nalmclinic.com * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 More at crohnsfitnessfood.com  Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Sarah Campbell. She’s a Crohn’s warrior, the founder of @ibdheroes on Instagram, a mother of two, and a former beauty queen. In this episode, she shares her IBD journey, advocacy, and how she balances it all. Follow on social: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.may.campbell https://www.instagram.com/ibdheroes/ * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Kiley Petencin, an ulcerative colitis warrior diagnosed in 2014. Despite the flares battling IBD, she continued to pursue her graduate degree and is now an occupational therapist providing telehealth services to clients, many who have chronic illness. Four years ago, she started writing songs and found music to be a refuge and passion throughout her journey. Today she shares both her story with IBD and music! Listen until the end to hear her song "Brighter Days" that she released two years ago this week. Links & Social: Website - kileypet.com Instagram - www.instagram.com/kileypet Instagram - www.instagram.com/kileypetmusic * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Kelly Jenkins. She’s a chronic illness patient, certified yoga teacher and certified nutrition coach thriving in a modern world! After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, she spent the past eight years treating it with a combination of western and naturopathic medicine. Today, she’s on a journey to support healthier, happier, chronically WILLED warriors! Links from the show: Blog & Website: chronicallywilled.com/blog Instagram: www.instagram.com/chronicallywilled Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094712043821 * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Tom Wilding, a Crohn’s disease warrior and graphic designer who enjoys horror films, travel, wrestling, and sharing irreverent humor about body parts and his IBD journey! After battling Crohn’s disease for the past 16 years, he’s now just four months post surgery from a subtotal colectomy and he’s here today to share his story. Show links & Social: Instagram - www.instagram.com/intestinesareoverrated Designs - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TomWildingDesigns * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 Want to share your story? Send me a message here.

Enjoy this interview with Jackie Zimmerman, an IBD warrior, author, patient advocate, and QUEEN of getting shit done (GSD)! She’s here to share her journey with IBD and how she channeled two chronic illnesses into a side career in patient advocacy, founded a nonprofit for women with IBD and ostomies, and runs a successful business inspiring small business owners to dream big. Links from the show: Jackie Zimmerman - jackiezimmerman.com & www.queenofgsd.com Girls With Guts - girlswithguts.org “What Won’t She Say” podcast (Jackie’s full story) - www.podbean.com “Not Crazy” podcast - notcrazy.libsyn.com SheHive - theshehive.com Follow on social: Instagram - instagram.com/queenofgsd Instagram - instagram.com/jackiezimm Facebook - facebook.com/queenofgsd * * * * * Support the podcast ❤️ Get your copy of Crohn's Fitness Food and My Rocky Road to Health, Shop my favorite products, Read my favorite books, Subscribe to the podcast, Send a little love/coffee 😉 Want to share your story? Send me a message here.