🎙️ In episode 30 of the Crohn's & Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Pamela from Latina, Italy, who spent more than a decade experiencing rectal bleeding before finally being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 32. After years of being told she had hemorrhoids, undergoing unnecessary surgery and receiving inadequate treatment, her symptoms became so severe that she was rushing to the bathroom up to 30 times a day, losing weight and struggling to live a normal life.

💊 Pamela opens up about the devastating consequences of a delayed IBD diagnosis, losing trust in doctors and eventually finding a gastroenterologist who transformed her care. She shares how she continued working as a teacher during a severe flare, sometimes wearing adult diapers to get through the school day. From prednisone side effects and chronic fatigue to body image struggles and the uncertainty of future treatments, Pamela discusses the physical and emotional toll of living with ulcerative colitis.

💜 Today, Pamela is learning to put her health first, set boundaries and rebuild her confidence with the support of her husband, family and therapist. She talks candidly about mental health, fears surrounding motherhood, self-advocacy and the importance of finding the right medical team.

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

🎙️ In episode 29 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Mason, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 17 after experiencing severe abdominal pain, significant weight loss and difficulty eating. Already diagnosed with autism at the age of nine, Mason suddenly found himself navigating two very different conditions, with doctors, teachers and even those closest to him sometimes struggling to understand his needs.

💊 Mason talks about growing up with autism, the challenges of mainstream education and how his Crohn’s diagnosis changed his confidence and outlook on life. He reflects on a frightening reaction to an infliximab infusion that left him struggling to breathe, his ongoing treatment with Humira, and the difficulties of managing inflammatory bowel disease alongside autism.

💜 Today, Mason uses his voice to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease, autism and invisible disabilities through his podcast, advocacy work and social media. He speaks openly about misconceptions, losing friendships, the importance of supportive communities and why better understanding in schools and healthcare is essential.

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

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🎙️ In episode 28 of the Colitis Unfiltered podcast, I speak with Dana, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just 15 after developing severe diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting. By the time she saw a gastroenterologist, her iron levels were dangerously low, requiring hospitalization and a blood transfusion before a colonoscopy finally confirmed her diagnosis.

💊 Dana talks about spending the next decade cycling through steroids, immunomodulators and multiple biologics as she battled severe inflammation and strictures. At 26, after years of treatments failing to control her Crohn’s disease, she chose permanent ostomy surgery; a decision that ultimately gave her back much of the life IBD had taken away.

💜 Now living with an ileostomy and finally feeling healthy again, Dana opens up about body image, relationships, ostomy life, diet, surgery fears and learning to accept a permanently changed body. She also shares practical advice for anyone newly diagnosed with IBD and challenges the misconception that Crohn’s disease is simply a “bathroom disease,” showing that surgery doesn’t have to mean the end of your life.

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