Reflections on AIBD 2025

by Kaitlyn Niznik (New York, U.S.A.)

A photo of Kaitlyn & Lexi, smiling in front of an orange backdrop reading “AIBD Network: Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.”

In early December, I had the privilege of attending the Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (AIBD) conference in Orlando, Florida.  While trying to describe my experience, the words that keep coming to mind are “life-affirming.” I couldn't be more grateful to be in a space surrounded by doctors who were passionate about IBD treatment and driven to learn the newest research in the field. 

My entire experience with CCYAN has made me rethink my experiences as a patient and what I need from my doctors.  The thing I seemed to be missing most was the WHY behind their decisions and treatment recommendations.  I know appointments are brief, but knowing the reasoning behind the drugs prescribed or questions asked would have made me trust a few of my previous gastroenterologists a little more.  As someone diagnosed with Microscopic Colitis (MC) who was on steroids for years, it was incredibly validating to hear the experts at AIBD acknowledge that steroids are dangerous and should only be a short term solution as a bridge to another treatment.  They also recommended steroid use sparingly and tapering whenever possible.  It was also interesting to learn about which drugs are first or second line drugs in the treatment of IBD.  Sometimes, it can feel like doctors just throw drugs at us waiting for the right one to stick.  I liked being able to see that there was a set plan and procedure for treatment options in place.    

A refreshing update the conference covered was their take on anxiety and depression.  They said that all gastroenterologists should be asking their patients if they're experiencing anxiety or depression.  I learned that having one or both of these can affect medication compliance and drug effectiveness.  The conference speakers pushed the importance of prehabilitation - preparing the patient pre-op to optimize outcomes.  Prehabilitation does more than just help surgical outcomes, according to studies done by Dr. Gil Melmed, it can save hospitals thousands of dollars in the long run.  Another important note mentioned early on at AIBD was that vaping and e-cigarette use are a significant risk factor for post-operative recurrence and poorer overall outcomes.  Doctors also acknowledged that although IBD patients sometimes say they are doing “well," it may not necessarily mean “well" by normal standards.  It can mean a lot of things such as infrequent bouts of symptoms, symptoms that don't interfere much with their daily life, or symptoms that vary or subside after a while.  By digging deeper and having open discussions with their patients, doctors can gather more helpful information and set their patients up with the necessary resources.  

I also loved seeing the doctors’ personalities come out at the conference.  From showing powerpoints reading “weird sh@* happens with stomas” to hearing surgeons argue over their preferred method of stitching up a pouch, it was refreshing to see their passion and silliness.  Some speakers’ PowerPoints were more serious with surgical photos and case studies while others used fun slogans and humorous cartoon graphics to get their points across.     

On the left is a silly graphic (debating different techniques for chromoendoscopy), on the right is a photo of a slide that reads “weird sh@* happens with stomas.”

On a personal level, this was my first experience traveling independently across the country.  I flew to Florida, navigated the airports, took Ubers, and even took a solo trip to Disney for a day.  Despite a few hiccups along the way, (I’M LOOKING AT YOU BROKEN TOILET PIPE), this trip gave me an immense sense of accomplishment and confidence that I can figure things out for myself.  I'm hoping to take my newfound independence to new heights in 2026 and go on many more solo adventures.  I'm so glad I got the chance to meet Lexi, another CCYAN 2025 fellow, who has such a positive and lighthearted presence.  I love how she takes everything in stride and I hope to have her boundless energy one day.  I also met CCYAN alumni Mara and Grady (and of course Mara’s service dog Rooster) as well as CCYAN founder Sneha.  They were the best group I could have asked for and they were so supportive when I flared during the last day of the trip.  

Kaitlyn and Lexi smiling widely at the AIBD exhibition hall. Both are drinking from large coconuts, which have been hollowed out and filled with lemonade.

I can also definitively say that there will be more medical conferences in my future.  I’m not exaggerating when I say AIBD was more fun for me than Disneyworld.  Getting the chance to attend any and all lectures I wanted was a dream come true!  I went to every surgical track lecture, just for the fun of it.  I took pages upon pages of notes and came up with a very hefty list of vocabulary words to research for next time.  Being at the medical lectures just felt so right.  As a teacher, one of my top goals is to develop every child into a lifelong learner - someone who stays inquisitive and follows their passion long after they receive their diploma.  I hope I have successfully modeled that for my students and continue to do so.  It was amazing to be in a room of a thousand lifelong learners who all want to hone their practice and be better-informed when treating their IBD patients.  

Thank you again to CCYAN for this amazing opportunity and for connecting us all into one big IBD family.  I'm forever grateful.  As they say in Hamilton, “I wanna be in the room where it happens...I've GOT to be in the room where it happens”.  Until next time…

A notebook with some of Kaitlyn’s colon sketches, from her time at AIBD.