Every month, an amazing group of IBD advocates gets together to talk about issues within the inflammatory bowel disease community and to share their insights on Google Hangouts. They are part of the IBD Round Table and I have really enjoyed each episode of the Round Table that they put on every month.
And this month, I had the incredible honor to be asked to be a part of the IBD Round Table. It was a great experience getting to meet all of the panelists, some of which I’ve followed online for a very long time and have received a lot of encouragement from in the past. These are people who I really admire, so it was very humbling for me to have been asked to be a part of it.
You can watch the entire Round Table on YouTube or download it on iTunes – just search for “IBD Round Table,” this was episode 7. (Fair warning: it’s 2 hours long.)
We talked about topics ranging from advocacy and our eulogies (not as morbid as it sounds), flu shots and things that we do to cover up when we’re not feeling so great.
It’s kind of funny to watch yourself back on a recording like this. I find that my voice is a lot deeper that I think it is and I became hyper aware of how often I touch my face. But it is kind of fun to go through the video and find silly pictures of yourself!

The IBD Roundtable consists of – from left to right – Christina Matthies who has been through three small bowel resections in the past four years due to Crohn’s disease and now blogs on The Crohn’s Diaries.
Sara Ringer has lived with Crohn’s disease for many years and, like me, also does not have a colon. She, however, has had her bowel reconnected and has a j-pouch. She writes at Inflamed and Untamed and also has some great YouTube videos of her own!
Sarah Choueiry has had Crohn’s for over 17 years and started The Crohn’s Journey Foundation as a place to bring people living with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis together. They just had their first retreat on the West coast, which she talks about during the Round Table.
And finally, the mastermind behind it all, Frank Garufi, Jr., whose 8-year-old son, Domenic, started showing Crohn’s disease symptoms at just 2-months-old. (I can’t even imagine!) You can find Frank at The Crohn’s Colitis Effect.
So thank you to my new friends for letting me join in on their hangout. I look forward to getting to hangout again in the future. And everyone else, I hope you enjoy Episode 7 of the IBD Round Table!