You can now email us at wrestlingtheoctopusibd@gmail.com - we'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas and feedback on our IBD patient podcast! And if you like what you hear, please spread the word to others with an interest in Crohn's disease an...

The tables are turned in this episode! Now Rachel interviews Nigel about his life-changing bowel surgery in 2010. Fifteen years on, Nigel reflects on the symptoms that led to his Crohn's surgery, the emotional and practical preparations, and th...

In this anniversary special, Nigel interviews me about my decision to stop taking medication (infliximab, aka Remicade) for my inflammatory bowel disease, and what reflections I have on staying in remission four years later. Discuss...

Meet Olie Bosley.Olie is an IT and cybersecurity expert from Oxford, UK who has suffered from Crohn's disease symptoms for nearly 30 years.We invited Olie to join us for this episode as he has an important story to share: what hap...

In this episode, we gaze deep into the gut-brain axis with Dr. Gita Robson, a clinical psychologist who specialises in  gastroenterology. Our brains and guts chatter in both directions constantly, and we wanted to understand if this had an...

In Episode 16 of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast, we're talking a perennial favourite with Crohn's and UC patients: diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease. Our expert guest is Dearbhaile O'Hanlon, principal gastr...

In Episode 15 of Wrestling the Octopus: the IBD Patient Podcast, Nigel and I cover a topic that receives not nearly as much attention as it should: Bile Acid Diarrhoea (BAD) / Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) in Crohn's disease. Our expert ...

Every IBD patient will have likely had a run-in with iron deficiency or anaemia at some point while living with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. And for many of us it’s a constant problem.So in this episode of Wrestling the Octo...

Welcome back, folks!Think of this episode as a commercial break between our interviews with patients and healthcare professionals. In Episode 13, Nigel and I shoot the breeze about our lives with inflammatory bowel disease... ...

Ask anyone living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis what their main concerns are and you'll find the topic of mental health in IBD right up there, top of the list.So Nigel and I were delighted when we found out a mental health e...

Author Vicky Ball has lived with mild inflammatory bowel disease since 2021. She has published two teen fiction books, with a third adult fiction book in the works.In this episode of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient ...

Getting older with inflammatory bowel disease - be that Crohn's or ulcerative colitis - comes with specific challenges and tailored decision-making with our healthcare teams.This includes considering drug safety as we age, other conditio...

Going on your summer holidays? Travelling with Crohn's or ulcerative colitis? Join us on our latest episode of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast as we chat with Kay Greveson, Kay is the founder of IBD Passport - a brill...

In this episode of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast, Nigel and I are delighted to welcome Rob, our first IBD patient guest on the show!Rob talks to us about his diagnosis of Crohn's as a Brit in the USA. We absolutely loved...

Who can believe we've notched up 7 episodes already?!But indeed we have!If you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you will doubtless have had (or are due to have) a colonoscopy or three.In this episode, we reflect ...

In Part 2 of Episode 6 of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, we put some more IBD patient questions to consultant gastroenterologist, Dr Mark Samaan from Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital in London.This time we're asking what is the definition of ...

Nigel and I had the pleasure of recording a two-part podcast for Episode 6 of Wrestling the Octopus with consultant gastroenterologist, Dr Mark Samaan.Dr Samaan treats IBD patients at Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital in London - where the...

In Episode 5 of Wrestling the Octopus, Nigel and I discuss our definition of "good medicine". What does this term mean to us as patients - and how might it differ from how healthcare professionals define it?Should "good medicine" take in...

In our fourth episode of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, recorded to mark World IBD Day, Nigel and I busk our way through various IBD topics. Whatever comes to mind - in whichever order - that we think merits discussion. Some serious, some silly.

Welcome to Episode 3 in our 8-part podcast series on living with inflammatory bowel disease. In this episode we're talking about how to advocate for yourself (and others, if you're a carer) to give your health the be...

Welcome to Episode 2 in our 8-part podcast series on living with inflammatory bowel disease. We’re talking how we take medication in this episode: IV infusions, self-injectables (sub-cut) and oral tablets.&nbs...

Welcome to the first in our 8-part podcast series on living with inflammatory bowel disease.Two IBD patients. Both in remission. One used to be on medication, but isn't anymore. The other didn't used to be on medicat...