Wrestling the Octopus (IBD)
Episodes
#36 Living With IBD: Real Patient Stories, Procedures, Prep & The Future of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care
14 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn this candid episode of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast, Rachel and Nigel dive deep into the lived reality of IBD (in...
World IBD Day 2026 - Reflecting on Our Efforts in IBD Patient Education
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn honour of World IBD Day 2026, Nigel has curated his "best bits" from our Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast o...
#34 Nigel talks about the reality of managing multiple health conditions as part of his Crohn's
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 34 of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, the tables are turned. This time, Rachel asks Nigel about his battery of recent tests and ...
#33 Rachel talks candidly about the return of IBD symptoms after years of drug-free remission
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 33 of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, Rachel chats with Nigel about her feelings on getting inflammatory bowel disease symptoms ...
#32 How to find resilience in chronic illness: IBD and cancer patient, Neil Barker shares his story
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 32 of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Patient Podcast, we meet Crohn's disease patient, Neil Barker. Neil recounts his ...
#31 Understanding Blood Clots and IBD - with Professor Beverley Hunt OBE
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailBlood clots are not the first thing most people think of when they hear Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis - but they should be o...
#30 Top tips for living with a stoma in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (IBD)
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textFor Episode 30 of Wrestling the Octopus: the IBD patient podcast, we are joined by Lead Stoma Care Nurse, Natasha Rolls at University Hospi...
Understanding Liver Disease in IBD - with Dr Sree Kotha and Dr Phil Berry
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textDid you know that up to 30% of people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will have abnormal liver tests at some point?In this epi...
#28 Wrestling the Octopus IBD is one year old! An anniversary episode of thanks and reflections
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textWe can hardly believe it's been 12 whole months since we started this podcast on patients' reflections on living with inflammator...
#27 Understanding colorectal cancer risk in IBD - with Professor James East
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textThe fear of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) when living with inflammatory bowel disease can weigh heavily on our minds as patients.So Ni...
PREdiCCt Study Results - What IBD Patients Need to Know
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWelcome to Episode 26 of Wrestling the Octopus IBD!After 10 years studying IBD patients in remission, the first results from the PREdiCC...
#25 Medical cannabis use in IBD - with Dr Jami Kinnucan from Mayo Clinic, Florida
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe've seen a shift in mood around conversations on medical cannabis in inflammatory bowel disease.While it's most definitely a...
#24 Understanding IBD surgery - with consultant colorectal surgeon, Raj Mankotia
03 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, Nigel and Rachel talk with Mr Raj Mankotia, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at S...
#23 Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) in IBD - with Dr Gauraang Bhatnagar and Dr William Blad
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn episode 23 of Wrestling the Octopus IBD, Nigel and I welcome consultant radiologist, Dr Gauraang Bhatnagar (Frimley Health NHS Founda...
#22 IBD Then & Now: Patients' Reflections for Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Episode 21 of Wresting the Octopus IBD! A reminder of our new email address if you'd like to get in touch: wrestlingtheoctopusibd@gmai...
#21 Nigel’s A–Z of Crohn’s: Biopsies, Blowtorches & Burnt Bananas
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can now email us at [email protected] - we'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas and feedback on our IBD patient podcast! And if...
#20 Nigel reflects on 15 years post-Crohn's op, and a life-changing experience
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#19 Rachel reflects on staying in Crohn's remission, four years after stopping infliximab
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this anniversary special, Nigel interviews me about my decision to stop taking medication (infliximab, aka Remicade) for my inflammatory bowel dise...
#18 When long-term stability on a Crohn's drug meets a curveball: an IBD patient's story
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 inv...
#17 Understanding the gut-brain axis in IBD - with clinical psychologist, Dr Gita Robson
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we gaze deep into the gut-brain axis with Dr. Gita Robson, a clinical psychologist who specialises in gastroenterology. Our brains ...
#16 Learning the basics of diet in IBD - with dietitian Dearbhaile O'Hanlon
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#15 Understanding bile acid diarrhoea / malabsorption in IBD with Professor Julian Walters
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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: Bi...
#14 Iron Deficiency and Anaemia: What Every IBD Patient Should Know
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 diseas...
#13 Nigel and Rachel Reflect on Recent Life with IBD...
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back, folks!Think of this episode as a commercial break between our interviews with patients and healthcare professionals. In Episode 13, Nige...
#12 Mental Health and IBD with Clinical Psychologist, Dr Stacey Boardman
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#11 Author Vicky Ball Discusses Life With IBD - Plus Her Famous Viral Moment!
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Vicky Ball has lived with mild inflammatory bowel disease since 2021. She has published two teen fiction books, with a third adult fiction boo...
#10 IBD and Ageing - Gastroenterologist, Dr Adam Faye Tells Us What We Need to Know!
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Getting older with inflammatory bowel disease - be that Crohn's or ulcerative colitis - comes with specific challenges and tailored decision-maki...
#9 Travelling With IBD - Our Interview With IBD Passport Founder, Kay Greveson
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Going on your summer holidays? Travelling with Crohn's or ulcerative colitis? Join us on our latest episode of Wrestling the Octopus: The IBD Pa...
#8 From Birkenhead to Philadelphia - an IBD Patient's Story
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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!R...
#7 Having a Colonoscopy - Top Tips and Musings from Two Veteran IBD Patients
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 doubtles...
#6 Part 2 - More IBD patients' questions answered by Dr Mark Samaan
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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&...
#6 Part 1 - IBD patients' questions answered by Dr Mark Samaan
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#5 Good Medicine in IBD - Through the Eyes of Patients
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 - a...
#4 World IBD Day special - Shooting the breeze on IBD
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 come...
#3 Advocating for yourself as an IBD patient - what it means and how to do it!
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#2 How Do You Like Your IBD Medication Served... Oral, IV or Injection?
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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: ...
#1 To start or stop IBD medication? We debate this hot topic!
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 me...