Athletes with Crohn's Disease

It has been a while since I have posted and wioo start posting my own experiences again. In the meantime, its also been a while since I posted a list of athletes (past and present) who live with Crohn's Disease. So here you go:

David Garrard - Retired NFL Quarterback - Garrard suffers from Crohn's disease and has appeared in television commercials regarding treating the illness. He has spoken to children at the Painted Turtle Camp, a camp for children with disorders about living with Crohn's disease.

Carrie Johnson - Olympic Kayaking

George "The Animal" Steele - Wrestler - Maybe he got it from eating the turnbuckles

James Morrison - British Golfer

Kevin Dineen  and Theo Fleury - NHL Hockey Players with Crohn's (Thank god for pads)

Matt Light - NFL Football with Crohn's Disease - Go Patriots! The three-time Super Bowl champion had surgery to remove more than a foot of his intestine. Now retired from football, the athlete shares his story with others to raise awareness and educate the public about Crohn's disease.

A New David Garrard Crohn's Disease Article

From thetelegraph.com

When David Garrard was 5 years old, he fell in love with football. After watching older brother Quincy practice with his team, David knew that’s what he wanted to do when he grew up.

Garrard became a star quarterback for Southern Durham (N.C.) High School, and earned a scholarship to East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.

While at ECU, he led the Pirates to consecutive bowl berths, including the memorable GMAC Bowl in 2001.

The Pirates blew a 38-8 halftime lead over Marshall, and its quarterback Byron Leftwich. The Thundering Herd stormed back for a 64-61 double-overtime victory – still the highest scoring bowl game in NCAA history.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Garrard in the fourth round of the NFL draft, his childhood dream had become a reality.

He was the No. 3 quarterback, behind incumbent starter Mark Brunell and his GMAC Bowl game nemesis, Leftwich.

Garrard played in just six games during his first two seasons. Then in the spring of 2004, his NFL career nearly came to an abrupt end.

Garrard had been complaining of stomach pains, but figured it was just an upset stomach. When the pain persisted, he saw the team doctor.

The diagnosis he received was an unexpected one.

Garrard had Crohn’s Disease, an ailment he didn’t fully understand.

"A lot of times it takes an individual many years to figure out what it is," Garrard said. "If you’re not having true signs or symptoms you can kind of write it off as irritable bowel. Luckily for me, I was able to get treatment right away."

Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract because of an overactive immune system. It’s an often-misdiagnosed disease, and if left untreated can become fatal, as the body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to function.

Garrard approached his battle against Crohn’s like any other opponent.

"I wanted to defeat it," he said. "I couldn’t let Crohn’s take over my life. A lot of pro athletes think they’re invincible. This brought me back to reality. It gave me a gut check, literally."

His family was also confused, and began researching the illness immediately.

"They were very shocked and concerned because I’ve always had a clean bill of health," Garrard said. "Then I get diagnosed with Crohn’s, a disease they had never heard of. They tried to figure out everything they could do, research-wise."

Garrard, his two older brothers, Anthony and Quincy, and their younger sister, Adrian, had lost their mother to breast cancer in 1992, and were not going to let this disease take another member of their family.

Along with Garrard’s wife, Mary, his siblings found spiritual treatments, holistic treatments and all natural herbs as remedies for their brother.

"They were like, ‘We’re going to throw as many things at this that we can,’" Garrard said. "Maybe there’s something out there than can work. To already have lost one family member as important as our mother was, they just didn’t want to go through that again."

Garrard had a painful flare-up in April of 2004, and noticed blood in his stool. He required surgery to remove some of his intestines, which were blocked because of scar tissue.

"It can be very painful, especially in a full-blown flare-up," Garrard said. "Nothing passes through. You’re not able to get nutrients, and have to get a feeding tube. With that scarring, it’s hard for it to be removed without surgery. Some people have to resort to colostomy bags if it gets too bad."

Since his diagnosis, Garrard has become a spokesman for the battle against the painful disease, and the drug company Centocor began donating $10,000 for every Garrard touchdown last season. Centocor is the manufacturer of Remicade, the medication Garrard said has kept him symptom-free since 2004.

Garrard has six touchdowns this season following 17 a year ago. To date, Centocor has donated $230,000 through Garrard’s "In the Zone for Crohn’s" foundation to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA).

"We need to increase that, and keep it going," said Garrard, whose Jaguars play host to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. "Hopefully we can get a cure to this disease. It affects a lot of kids, and the kids are the ones who are having the hardest time because in school, they have to deal with a lot. Other kids don’t understand what they’re going through. I’m trying to do as much as I can."

Garrard said the stomach pain associated with Crohn’s is much worse than anything he’s felt on the football field.

"It’s not like aches and pains of a football game," the eight-year veteran said. "Those I can deal with. The Crohn’s pain is definitely tough."

Garrard has also taken an active role in raising awareness of the disease, educating the public, and increasing funding to find a cure. He has traveled across the country, visiting Camp Oasis regional camps for children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He has also started a local chapter of the CCFA in Jacksonville.

Garrard saw action in just four games in the 2004 season, but considers himself fortunate that his flare-up occurred in the offseason. He said the disease drained him of his energy because his body wasn’t utilizing the food he had eaten.

When the Jaguars decided to name Garrard as the starting quarterback before the 2007 season, it raised some eyebrows.

Leftwich had been the team’s No. 1 quarterback since the end of the 2003 season, and remained as such entering 2006.

But when Leftwich went down with an ankle injury in week six of that year, Garrard took over. He was not flashy, but efficient in guiding the Jaguars to a 5-5 split the rest of the year.

Then came 2007, when Garrard threw an NFL-low three interceptions, was third in pass efficiency, and the Jaguars went 11-5 to earn a playoff berth.

Garrard missed four games that season with an ankle injury, but came back in 2008 to start all 16 games. He became just the second Jaguars quarterback to start all 16 games in a season. The Jaguars saw their wins dip from 11 to five, but Garrard said being on the field for every game allowed him to prove his durability.

"It actually felt good because I had heard that no Jaguar quarterback other than Mark Brunell had ever started all 16 games," Garrard said. "I’ve never really been a guy who’s had a lot of injuries, and I wanted to show that I can go through all 16 games, and lead the team. But I’d take a few games off for a winning season."

The Jaguars are in the same position they were a season ago, sitting at 2-3 after five games. They beat Denver in week six of the 2008 season, and will try to even their record Sunday against St. Louis. What Garrard hopes to avoid this year is the tailspin that sent them to a 2-8 finish last season.

"I wish I could put a finger on what happened," Garrard said of last season. "We just didn’t play as well as we could, and our record showed it."

Coming off what Garrard called an "ugly" 41-0 loss to Seattle, the Jaguars now prepare for the winless Rams. He said it’s business as usual.

"It’s just like any other work week," Garrard said. "It’s the NFL. You’re not going to dominate a team, and you have to be prepared. No team wasn’t to be another team’s first win. Every team is going to fight you tooth and nail to the end. We have to show up prepared and execute our game plan."

Sunday’s start will be the 22nd consecutive for Garrard, whose career nearly ended before it ever really began.

Keywords: NFL quarterback with Crohn's Disease, NFL players with Crohn's Disease, David Garrard Crohns, David Garard Crohn's, chrones, crones, cronhs

David Garrard - CBS Interview - 3:30 - Crohn's Focus?

CBS is doing a special on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (and wife Mary) at 3:30. It will be about his "remarkable journey", and I assume it will focus on or at least highlight the football player's battle with Crohn's Disease.

Stay tuned for details and possibly a link to the inverview. As you know, I am a big football fan, and am dissapointed that I can't really cheer for my favorite athlete with Crohn's disease today...on account of them playing my team....the New England Patriots. Search my blog for several articles detailing David Garrard's Battle with Chron's.

-Scott

More info on his Crohn's (from jacksonville.com interview)
One test came in 2004, when he had surgery for Crohn's disease, a painful inflammation of the intestines. He takes medication every eight weeks, a 3?-hour procedure; his next appointment is Tuesday, three days after playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs tonight.

"It's a horrible disease, something that a lot of people are affected by," he says. "But I think the Lord blessed me with it, so I could talk about it."
To Mary Garrard, her husband's Christian faith is a key to both his personality and his playing style. "About 95 percent of his temperament comes from his faith," she says. "We're both Christians: There's a higher power, God is in charge of everything, there's no reason to worry about anything."

From IBD site:
David Garrard has been fighting Crohn's disease since 2003. He was sidelined from playing football for the NFL and lost 35 pounds. This season he is back in full force, and the Jaguars have won 6 of his last 7 starts. He credits the turnaround in his health to Remicade. With starting quarterback Byron Leftwich possibly sidelined for the rest of the season, Garrard is now likely to start for the Jaguars for the rest of the year.
Most of us with IBD just struggle to get through a day, or a week, at a time. Sometimes a simple everyday activity like a shopping trip or a night out seems like an impossible task, rather than a pleasure. People with IBD such as David Garrard, Pearl Jam Guitarist Mike McCready, and San Diego Chargers legend Rolf Benirschke are good reminders for us--a productive and fulfulling life is possible with IBD!

Original Story of his Crohn's (From USAToday.com)
Jaguars backup quarterback David Garrard will have surgery next week to alleviate symptoms of Crohn's disease and hopes to be back in time for training camp. Garrard will have diseased tissue removed from where his colon meets his small intestine.
Jacksonville Jaguars' second string quaterback David Garrard will have surgery for Crohn's disease.

Crohn's causes blockage in the intestines, resulting in chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. There is no known cause or cure, and it afflicts more than 500,000 people in the United States.

Garrard, 26, said he will have surgery next Thursday at Baptist Medical Center, and be sidelined until mid-July. He hopes to get himself ready for training camp in late July or early August.

Although the surgery will not cure the disease, Garrard said patients sometimes go 15 to 20 years without symptoms after the surgery.

"I'll be done with football by that time," Garrard said. "There shouldn't be any problems. I could have lived with it if I was a normal person."

Garrard decided to have the surgery after he was hospitalized last weekend when he was in constant pain because his intestines had swollen and were pressing on his bladder.
Garrard stared feeling sick in January and was diagnosed in March.

He completed nine of 12 passes last year for 86 yards and a touchdown. Although the Jaguars signed undrafted rookie Bryson Spinner to give them a fourth quarterback, coach Jack Del Rio said he will await Garrard's return.

"Get healed and come back," Del Rio said. "We're not rushing anybody."

David Garrard Story I found Detailing His Crohn's, Surgery and Remicade

(From December 2005)

A vertical scar begins just below David Garrard's navel. He can see it when he lifts up his shirt, when he gets in and out of his Jaguars uniform, when he prepares for bed.

"It's not that bad," Garrard, Jacksonville's new starting quarterback, said Tuesday at Alltel Stadium. "I've seen people with scars all over their stomach. Mine is just about three inches."
Garrard's blemish is a reminder of the Crohn's disease he has fought for two years and of how he is approaching the biggest start of his pro career on Sunday, when the Jaguars (9-3) are host to the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (12-0).

"Even keel," said Garrard, 27, who will make his second consecutive start since Byron Leftwich broke his left ankle Nov. 27. "We're out here playing a game that can be taken away at any time. With me, that almost happened."

If the Colts' Peyton Manning is the best-known quarterback in the N.F.L., Garrard may be its least known, although he faced Manning in his only start as a rookie in 2002. (The Jaguars lost, 20-13.)

Garrard, who was born in East Orange, N.J., and grew up in Durham, N.C., is remembered primarily for being the East Carolina quarterback in a 64-61 double-overtime loss to Leftwich's Marshall team in the GMAC Bowl in 2001.

More than Garrard's ability to escape pressure and make plays with his feet, having Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammation of the intestines, has earned him respect, affection and trust in the Jaguars' locker room.

In January 2004, Garrard began to have severe stomachaches after meals. The pain would subside and reappear, including once when he and his wife, Mary, visited Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady and his wife, Kristi, in St. Augustine, Fla.

"In the off-season one weekend, we went out and had a real nice meal, went back to the place, and he was throwing up all night," Brady said of Garrard on Wednesday. "We were there for some moments that were kind of down and dirty. We saw all of that happening."
Garrard described it as "the most excruciating pain that I have ever felt."
"It knocks you on your knees," he said.

Garrard's 6-foot-1, 244-pound frame began shedding weight at the onset of Crohn's, one of several inflammatory bowel diseases that affect 1.4 million Americans, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.
"I had never heard of it until he got it," Leftwich said. "We'd ask him every day: 'What is it? How do you get it?' "

[In a telephone interview on Friday, Dr. James F. Marion, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, said: "We don't understand the essential nature of the disease, which is quite frustrating for the patients and makes it difficult for doctors as well. The symptoms can be subtle or extreme."

He said the inflammation caused by Crohn's could lead to swelling and ulceration of the intestines as the body tries to heal itself. Obstruction and a narrowing of the intestines can occur, as it did with Garrard.]

"Once it starts to scar up, food has a hard time passing through," Garrard said. "It's like a four-lane highway coming into a two-lane highway and bottlenecking. And that's where you get your pain."

"I just thought I had a stomach virus," he added. "It was three months before I asked anyone to check me out."(SAME HERE SAYS SCOTT)

Garrard bottomed out at 215 pounds, his weight as a high school freshman. When a colonoscopy and other tests determined that he had Crohn's, doctors placed him on various drugs, but the sharp pains returned.

He didn't participate in several spring minicamp practices last year, but he sometimes showed up. His teammates saw a gaunt man whose head suddenly looked too big for his body.
"What he went through went beyond football," said Leftwich, leaning on crutches in the locker room. "It was something that dealt with life."

Garrard knows about life, death and divorce. His parents split up when he was 7, and his mother, Shirley Ann, died of breast cancer when he was 14. Garrard then lived with an older brother but was close to his father, Wilmer, until his death two years ago.

Then in May 2004, doctors at the Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville removed 12 inches of Garrard's intestines, entering just below his navel. The doctors prescribed yet another new drug, Remicade, to try to keep the disease in remission. Garrard began to put on weight.
"I was supposed to take six to eight weeks off, but I was back out in four or five," Garrard said.
He was able to make two starts during the 2004 season - the Jaguars split the games - and doctors monitored him as he prepared for this season.

Every eight weeks, he takes Remicade through an intravenous drip that takes three hours. In August, doctors performed another colonoscopy.
"I didn't have anything in there, any symptoms or any discoloration," Garrard said. "I was totally clean."

[Marion, the Mount Sinai professor, said: "There are other pro sports players who have Crohn's disease that do not necessarily come forward. People don't like to talk about their bowels or bleeding from the rectum. It's taboo to bring this up. But if somebody is able to get the disease under good control and get transitioned into a maintenance regimen, which it appears that David has, there is every reason to expect that they will be entirely themselves."]
It's too early to classify his style as a quarterback, but Garrard has been compared to Steve McNair and Daunte Culpepper, players who can run and throw.

Garrard preserved a victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 27 and won as a starter last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Coach Jack Del Rio said Garrard had stepped in with poise and "has an opportunity to play big time for us right now."
But the Jaguars know him best as the teammate who shared their locker room, disappeared, and shared their locker room again.

"I know how good he is," said Leftwich, standing near Garrard's locker.
Defensive end Paul Spicer looked in Garrard's direction.
"We see that man every day," he said. "We know what he can do. When he gets out there, watch what happens."

-Just thought it was interesting story of an athlete with Crohn's Disease - Scott