Telling your Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis story is powerful. It can be freeing but it can also come with some unexpected side effects.

Welcome back Rosanne Mottola, who originally intended to talk over receiving her second dose of the Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine. She told her ulcerative colitis story and about receiving her first dose on Episode 87, "COVID-19 Vaccination With UC Patient Rosanne Mottola." She gives her experience on her second dose, how it affected her, and what her family's plans are now that she's vaccinated.

Additionally, Rosanne had another part of her journey that she wanted to share. She listened to her first About IBD episode (something a lot of guests don't actually do), as did her family. Reflecting on her ulcerative colitis journey brought things back in a fresh way. She tells me how revisiting some parts of her life in this way was both troubling and healing. It's an important part of the disease journey, especially for those who tell their story publicly, that doesn't often get discussed.

Concepts discussed on this episode:

• Clostridium Difficile Infection With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Dependent Coverage for Young Adults
• CDC: COVID Vaccine Doses Can Be Spaced Up to 6 Weeks Apart
• You Got Your COVID-19 Vaccine. Now What?
• CDC: Fully Vaccinated People Don't Need to Quarantine After COVID-19 Exposure
• Yes, Social Distancing Does Lower Your Chance of Contracting COVID-19
• Here's Why Your Symptoms May Be Worse After Your Second COVID-19 Shot
• 5 Ways To Prepare for Your COVID-19 Vaccination

Find Rosanne Mottola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party," is from ©Cooney Studio.