Living With Crohn's - Liz Elliot's Story

Talking about inflammatory bowel disease is tough.

Living with the chronic, painful and unpredictable condition of the digestive system is even tougher.

Kitchener's Liz Elliott suffered with the illness for decades before she had drastic surgery to remove the diseased part of her large bowel.

"Half of my life I spent trying to struggle with inflammatory bowel disease," said the 56-year-old. "After surgery it was like I had to learn how to be healthy again."

Elliott was finishing her first year of university when she first started having trouble.
She was overwhelmed with flu-like symptoms -- vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea -- but she chalked it up to exam stress.

But the symptoms lingered for weeks, then began worsening and Elliott's weight dropped.
She was admitted to hospital with a high fever and a gastrointestinal specialist diagnosed her with inflammatory bowel disease -- a condition Elliott and her family had never heard of before.
"Once the diagnosis was made, that kind of scared me," Elliott said.

She heard only two things the doctor told her: there is no known cause and no cure.
"I was terrified that I was going to die."

There are two types of inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn's disease which can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, and ulcerative colitis which is in the large bowel.
Elliott was diagnosed with Crohn's colitis, which is Crohn's disease in her large bowel.
Immediately she was put on heavy doses of steroids and anti-inflammatories.

"I had been really healthy up until then," Elliott said.
That changed with Elliott's diagnosis. Suddenly socializing was tough for the teenager, and she felt different from everyone else her age.

"You can't eat the same things as your peers and I was always looking for washrooms," said Elliott, who later trained as a nurse and now works as a clinical manager.

For many years, Elliott did her best to cope with the disease. Medication helped, along with a careful diet to avoid foods that aggravated the condition.

She was careful about doing too much because that could cause symptoms to flare up.
And people weren't always understanding or sympathetic. Some thought the problem was in her head, and Elliott had to explain the disease wasn't imagined.

"On the outside the person looks normal, but on the inside the pain is real," Elliott said.
Tired of the chronic illness, Elliott decided to have surgery about 14 years ago to take out her entire large colon.

Such an extensive surgery is uncommon for the condition, but only removing a bit may have worsened things for her.

"They removed it all, so the symptoms are gone," she said.
Elliott does have to always wear an ileostomy bag, which collects waste material from the small intestine.

But she has gained so much -- both health and freedom.
Suddenly she was able to eat what she liked, go out without worrying about accidents, travel and enjoy being active. Even something as simple as taking her two dogs for a long walk was no longer impossible.

And now she has the energy to volunteer with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, helping to raise money for research to find a cure for the debilitating disease.

Ahh, I am such a kid, but I Heart Poop Jokes! Work Poop Survival Guide

This is an oldie but goodie, I love this joke about work poop. Work poop jokes are good for so many of us with Crohn's Disease. Humor helps! Have a great memorial day weekend all. I have to go Crop Dust! (see below).

Work Poop Etiquette We've all been there but don't like to admit it. We've all kicked back in our cubicles and suddenly felt something brewing down below. As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORK POOP is inevitable. For those who hate pooping at work, the following is a Survival Guide for taking a dump at work.

CROP DUSTING: When farting, you walk really fast around the office so the smell is not in your area and everyone gets a whiff, but doesn't know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the smell has left your pants.

FLY BY: This is the act of scouting out a bathroom before pooping. Walk In and check for other poopers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave And come back again. Be careful not the become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may become suspicious if they catch you constantly going to the bathroom.

ESCAPEE: This is a fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal Or forcing a poop in a stall. This usually is accompanied by a sudden wave of embarrassment. If you release and ESCAPEE, do not acknowledge it. Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an ESCAPEE. It is uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both parties feel uneasy.

JAILBREAK: When forcing a poop, several farts slip out at a machine gun pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhea or a hangover. If this should happen, DO NOT PANIC. Remain in the stall until everyone has left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just occurred.

COURTESY FLUSH: This is the act of flushing the toilet the instant the Poop hits the water. This reduces the amount of air time the poop has to stink up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF SHAME.

WALK OF SHAME: This happens when you walk form the stall, to the sink, and to the door after you just stunk up the bathroom. This can be a very uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts, it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. This can be avoided with the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.

SAFE HAVENS: This is a seldom used bathroom somewhere in the building where you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the opposite sex. This will reduce the odds of a pooper of your sex entering the bathroom.

TURD BURGLAR: This is someone who does not realize that you are in the stall and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and vulnerable moments that can occur when talking a poop at work. If this occurs, remain in the stall until the TURD BURGLAR leaves. This way you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.

ASTAIRE: This is a subtle toe‑tap that is used to alert potential TURD BURGLARS that you are occupying a stall. This will remove all doubt that the stall is occupied. If you hear and ASTAIRE, leave the bathroom immediately so the pooper can poop in peace.

WATERMELON: This is a poop that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a WATERMELON coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO‑COUGH.

CAMO‑COUGH: This is a phony cough that alerts all new entrants into the bathroom that you are in the stall. This can be used to cover up a WATERMELON, or to alert potential TURD BURGLARS. This can be very Effective when used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.

HAVANA OMELET: This happens with a case of diarrhea that creates a series of loud splashes in the toilet water. This is often accompanied by an ESCAPEE. Try using a CAMO‑COUGH with an ASTAIRE.

UNCLE TED: This is a bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. This individual spends extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the pot. An UNCLE TED makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper. You should always wait to poop when the bathroom is empty. This will benefit you as well as the others in the building.

New Genetic Marker for Crohn's Disease - Living with Crohn's Disease Research

FRIDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified new genetic markers for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in a study they say provides further evidence that people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are more likely to develop the conditions.
Up to 30 percent of people in the United States with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a family history of the condition, and about 25 percent of those families have histories of both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, according to background information in this multi-center American and Canadian study. People of Ashkenazi Jewish (eastern European) descent are at least twice as likely to develop a form of IBD and are more likely to have a family history of IBD.
Crohn's is most frequently characterized by inflammation of the final section of the small bowel and parts of the colon, while ulcerative colitis involves inflammation of the internal lining of the rectum and colon.
In this study, researchers looked for DNA variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 993 families (244 of whom were Ashkenazi Jews) with Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
Among those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, the researchers found evidence of genetic markers for familial Crohn's disease on previously identified areas of chromosomes 1 and 3. They also pinpointed a previously unidentified region of chromosome 13 in both Jewish and non-Jewish families with Crohn's.
The researchers also identified areas on chromosomes 2 and 19 that may be related to ulcerative colitis in both groups.
The findings were published in the March issue of Genes and Immunity.
Until now, no gene regions implicated in IBD were specific to Ashkenazi Jews, and there was no genetic evidence to explain why they were twice as likely to develop the disorder, said study senor author Dr. Steven R. Brant, a gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins.
"This increased risk for some Jewish people makes our study and results especially significant, since this is the first sample size of Jewish families, 244, that was large enough to identify novel gene regions for familial predisposition in this ethnic group," Brant said in a prepared statement.

Newly Diagnosed? You can beat Crohn's

I must say, 11 years ago as a healthy 21 year old, I was shocked to wake up from a colonoscopy, still heavily medicated, seeing about 5 versions of my doctor..to hear "You have Crohn's Disease" This all came about quickly, and I just heard "Disease" and started planning my own funeral. I look back on the past 11 years....No, nothing is normal, I crap several times a day (more than you do in a week), have constant cranky-ass, and have pain all the time. That being said, I play soccer 5 times a week (at 32 years of age), ran a marathon, and still run competitively. So, if you are newly diagnosed...drop me a line. Life with Crohn's is not a cake walk...but it can be quasi-normal! Stay tuned for the story of how I crapped my pants walking through Manhattan on a date...and stealthy cut my underwear off and dropped them through my pant leg without the lucky lady noticing!