Live from FOCUS GI- A GI Nurse And A Young Patient Show How IBD Can Still Be A Full Life

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An 11-year-old looks a microphone in the face and calmly explains ulcerative colitis, colonoscopies, and anxiety like it’s a skill she’s been training for. Penny joins us live to share what diagnosis felt like in fourth grade, what she’s learned about still living a full life, and why the prep can be harder than the procedure. Her honesty about nausea, fear of vomiting, and the way anxious thoughts snowball will sound painfully familiar to a lot of people with inflammatory bowel disease.

We’re also joined by Penny’s mom, Sonia, a registered dietitian with digestive health training and an eating disorder specialty. We talk about food labels, restaurant unknowns, and finding a healthy balance that protects both the gut and the mind. Sonia shares what it’s like to be both a clinician and a parent, how mental health support helps, and what it took to advocate for the right testing and the right IBD specialist.

Then, still live from the Focus GI conference, we sit down with Grishelda and Rony Valme. Roni is a GI nurse, a creative on the conference media team, and an IBD patient himself. He tells his diagnosis story, breaks down how urgency reshapes travel, and gives the most practical “where do I go” bathroom advice you’ll hear all week. We also dig into a message every new GI provider needs: believe patients, even when scopes and labs don’t match the symptoms.

If you want real-world ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease coping strategies, patient-to-provider empathy, and practical IBD travel tips, hit play. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs to feel less alone.

Links: 

• FOCUS GI
• Rony and Grishelda Valme's business!- Valme Photography and Design
• Sonia's practice- Colibri Nutrition Therapy

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