Choosing Ostomy Surgery With Hannah Martin-Spencer

Is it surprising to learn that some people living with IBD choose to have ostomy surgery? Hannah, a 24-year-old woman, shares her journey through the initial symptoms of IBD at the age of 15, to getting a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. She describes how her symptoms worsened after diagnosis, including bleeding, bowel urgency, and fatigue, which led to multiple hospitalizations. Hannah advocated for surgery to treat her pancolitis, despite an initial difference of opinion with her medical team. After surgery, Hannah's symptoms were significantly improved and she regained a sense of normalcy in her life. Hannah discusses the pros and cons of choosing an ostomy over a J-pouch, the importance of quality of life, and how surgery could impact her future fertility. Concepts discussed on this episode: Yang X, He M, Tang Q, et al. Assessment of anti-inflammatory efficacy of acupuncture in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2023;74:102946. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102946. Bao C, Wu L, Wang D, et al. Acupuncture improves the symptoms, intestinal microbiota, and inflammation of patients with mild to moderate Crohn's disease: A randomized controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2022;45:101300. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101300. Bae JH, Kang SY, You SE, Jeong HI, Jang S, Kim KH. The Effects of Acupuncture on Crohn's Disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pharmacopuncture. 2023;26(3):211-226. doi:10.3831/KPI.2023.26.3.211. Find Hannah Martin-Spencer on: Instagram: @hans_colitisjourney Find Amber J Tresca at: AboutIBD.com: About IBD Verywell Health: Verywell Health Facebook: @aboutIBD Twitter: @aboutIBD Pinterest: @aboutibd Instagram: @about_IBD YouTube: @AboutIBD https://www.threads.net/@about_ibd Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at: Facebook: @maccooneycomposer Instagram: @maccooneycomposer YouTube: @MacCooneyComposer Web: Cooney Studio Theme music, IBD Dance Party, is from ©Cooney Studio. Episode transcript and more information at: https://bit.ly/AIBD159 These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.