Moderator Team, IBS Self Help and Support Group Options

[Jeffrey Roberts]

We are very fortunate to have such talented and dedicated volunteer moderators for our forums. Please feel free to contact anyone of the moderators or myself about questions or issues related to the forums.

No experience is necessary in order to become a moderator other than you must have reached the "Prolific" ranking (100 posts) on our forums and have a passion for helping others, particularly in the forum for which you have an interest in becoming a moderator. Please email ibsbb@ibsgroup.org along with a short bio and explain why you would like to become a moderator.

(sorted by Member name)

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Ashley
Member name: Ashers86
Moderator for: Technical Help
Member since: 2007

Ashley has been dealing with Depression & Anxiety issues since being a teenager and was recently (2006) diagnosed with IBS-D as well as GERD. She has dealt with both diarrhea & constipation, and continuously suffers from pain as her primary symptom. Although she learned to manage her IBS right away, Ashley quit her full-time work due to a significant flare-up. With aid in support and accomodation from her municipal disability office, she now successfully works from home part-time as a Virtual Assistant.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys playing video games, as well as reading and writing. She is also an avid animal lover, and volunteers for a local Animal Rescue. Ashley tries to enjoy each moment and lives day by day, but currently struggles with IBS, Depression and Social Anxiety. She is very open to questions though, and does like to give advice; one day she hopes there is a "break through" for the world to see IBS for what it really is.

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Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D
Member name: BBolen Ph.D
Ad hoc Moderator
Member since: 2000

Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who writes extensively about IBS. She is the author of Breaking the Bonds of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the co-author of IBS Chat: Real Life Stories and Solutions along with Jeffrey D. Roberts, M.S.Ed . Dr. Bolen currently serves as the Guide to IBS for the web site About.com. She maintains a private psychotherapy practice on Long Island, New York. Dr. Bolen has been associated with the IBS Self Help and Support Group website since 2000 on an ad hoc basis with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

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Lee
Member name: BQ
Moderator for: IBS Diarrhea (IBS-D)
Member since: 2000

Lee was diagnosed with IBS-D in 1989 though she also struggles with severe abdominal pain. She arrived at the IBS Group website in 2000 during a bad flare up following Gall Bladder removal and a subsequent intestinal infection. She was seeking ways to manage her daily symptoms and feels she has learned a lot from the IBS Group over the years. Lee understands the huge impact that IBS can have on a person and their loves ones. She strives to get the most out of life despite suffering with IBS. She possesses much understanding and empathy for fellow sufferers.

Lee enjoys spending time with her loved ones. Her interests run from cooking to music to reading and history.

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Cheri, MA
Member name: Cherrie
Moderator for: Dealing with Relationships
Member since: 2006

Cheri was diagnosed with IBS late 2006. She stumbled upon this site a few months before her diagnosis and have found trememdous support ever since. After her initial struggles and despite the ongoing ups and downs, she is now finally able to keep most of her symptoms under control. She has also learned to accept what is as she keeps trying to stay as healthy as she possibly can. What she has learned the most in this process, however, is how to communicate with her family and close friends about her IBS and how to help them understand more and become more supportive in coping together with her.

She is very enthusiastic and sociable and would like to share experiences, bounce off ideas, speak comforting words, and give big hugs to whoever needs them. She has a Masters degree in languages and cultures education, specializing in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Learning Communities in high tech online environments such as blogs and discussion boards. She has a passion for cross-cultural communication and is also interested in art and craft, poetry, psychology, and philosophy. Working as a freelance translator, she has been exploring her career directions since her recent graduation.

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Marilyn, BA, MS, CCC-SLP
Member Name: cookies4marilyn
Moderator For: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hypnotherapy, Teens and Children’s Issues, General Discussion, Managing Anxiety and Depression
Member Since: 2000

Marilyn received a double Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and also Speech and Language Pathology from the former College of St. Teresa, Winona, Minnesota, which was affiliated with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She also holds a Masters of Science from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and completed further post-graduate work encompassing diagnostic testing and remediation for learning disabled and mentally handicapped individuals.

Having had IBS symptoms since 1983, Marilyn was initially diagnosed in 1988 and again at the Mayo Clinic in 1993. As a result of seeing marked improvement with the clinical hypnotherapy sessions of the IBS Audio Program 100® discussed on this IBS Group website, she became an IBS patient advocate. She has been interviewed for a national magazine about her experiences with IBS, and speaks with IBS patients and gastroenterologists all over the United States and Canada. She has also given presentations from the IBS patient perspective for hospital community wellness seminars.

Initially meeting through the IBS Group website, Marilyn now assists the author of the IBS Audio Program 100® and former IBS group member, Michael Mahoney of Cheshire England. She is responsible for authoring text for special projects, medical and corporate professionals and patient consultation. As part of this liaise, Marilyn had the opportunity to meet the Founder of the IBS Support Group, Jeffrey Roberts, when Michael Mahoney and she attended and exhibited at a past IFFGD symposium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Elizabeth Roberts, B.A.
Member name: IBD/IBS Author
Moderator for: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Member since: 2007

Elizabeth Roberts is a writer, editor, and public relations professional with nearly 20 years of professional experience. Among Elizabeth's writing and editing credentials are magazine and newspaper articles, screenplays, fiction & non-fiction manuscripts, city guides, corporate image enhancement projects, public service announcements, and news releases. She has professional and writing experience in both non-profit and for-profit organizations, with political newsletters, and corporate public relations firms.

Elizabeth is the author of the book, Living with IBD & IBS: A Personal Journey of Success (http://www.ibdandibs.com). Her book is a featured selection in the book store of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (www.ccfa.org) and in the educational library of Dr. Andrew Weil's Program in Integrative Medicine. She has spoken on numerous radio talk shows as an expert on how to successfully live with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ms. Roberts is a Patient Expert for the HealthCentral Network IBD web site (http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd), and a web site Moderator for www.ibsgroup.org where she also writes a blog related to living with IBS. She is a patient advocate for the Acoustic Neuroma Association (ANA), and a Reiki Master.

In March 2009, Elizabeth's next book, Freeing Tibet: 50 Years of Struggle, Resilinece, and Hope will be published. Her other writing credentials include such publications as Oxford Today; Best Bets Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment Guide for Washington, D.C.; American Guardian; The Washington Post; Women's Outlook; International Business; The Tahoe Daily Tribune; The Beachcomber; and, The Navarre Press.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Jeffrey Roberts, MSEd, B.Sc.
Member name: Jeffrey Roberts
Founder & President
Founded: 1987

Jeffrey Roberts is the President and Founder of the IBS Self Help and Support Group. He is a sufferer and a patient advocate for Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers. He launched the IBS Self Help and Support Group website in May 1995 after coordinating an IBS Support Group in Toronto since 1987. The IBS Group website was the first website about Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He has testified to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) several times on behalf of IBS patients. His testimony to the FDA Advisory Committee about Lotronex was instrumental in returning the drug to the market in 2002 for diarrhea predominant IBS sufferers. Jeffrey also provided testimony to the FDA in support of Zelnorm for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation and constipation predominant IBS.

Jeffrey has appeared on the Discovery Channel, National Public Radio and in Canadian Living Magazine, Maclean's Magazine, Today's Dietitian, the FDA Consumer Magazine and has been quoted by CBS Evening News, Washington Post, USA Today, United Press International (UPI), Reuters, Associated Press, New York Times, Globe and Mail, and CBC Online.

Jeffrey has a Master of Science in Education (MSEd) degree from Medaille College, Buffalo, New York. His thesis is entitled Awareness of Childhood Health Issues On Educational Outcome. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from the University of Toronto. He recently co-authored and published a book related to the IBS Self Help and Support Group, entitled IBS Chat: Real Life Stories and Solutions.

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Kathleen, B.A., MS, PhD.
Member name: Kathleen M.
Moderator for: General Discussion
Member since: 1999

Kathleen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Blackburn College, Carlinville Illinois. She went on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champain obtaining a Masters in Science in Biology and a Ph.D in Biology specializing in Genetics and Development and and Environmental Toxicology Scholar. She has worked at the USEPA and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in various projects from detecting cytogenetic damage in individual cell, to ammonia emissions from hog farms with environmentally superior waste management technology.

She developed IBS in 1996 and was able to go to the Functional GI clinic at UNC. She was a participant in a research study comparing a tricyclic antidepressant to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for IBS and over time has gone into remission of her IBS.

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Sarah
Member name: M&M
Moderator for: Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Member since: 2002

Sarah is an ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) patient and patient advocate. She has been an ME patient for about the past 8 years, and has been disabled for about 7. Being a severely affected patient, she is very passionate about encouraging other ME patients, and disabled people in general, to get as much as they can out of their lives even while living with a lot of limitations. She is involved (from home) with patient advocate groups who lobby for more research funds and recognition in the medical field.

Sarah is also a photographer, and currently some of her artwork is featured in an ME awareness book (Creative For a Second), and will soon be featured in an art exhibition in Australia sponsored by the ME Society.

Before becoming disabled, Sarah worked as an interpreter/translator for 10 years, primarily in the medical and legal fields. She is still involved in the translating field, and continues to love languages. She enjoys offering her expertise to volunteer organizations such as health groups, grief support groups and the like.

In her spare time Sarah enjoys writing music, translating poetry and working with an exotic bird rescue organization.