Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The smart young 35 year old career-oriented Divya’s (name changed) problems started two years ago with what appeared as an usual intestinal infection: cramping abdominal pain, loose stools and feverishness. She took her regular antibiotics, and although the symptoms improved slightly, they lingered and persisted.
Over the next 6 months, she had four major bouts, lost 6 kilograms of weight, became anaemic and weak, and passed blood in her stools a few times. She finally consulted a gastroenterologist who performed a colonoscopy, a test in which one passes a periscopic tube into the large intestine, and diagnosed her to be suffering from Crohn’s disease.
Like most of her age, she had never heard of Crohn’s disease. It is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune cells normally primed to target and kill invading germs, get misdirected and start attacking intestinal cells of its own body.
Her husband, a TV channel manager, was shocked too. The questions that seemed to flow endlessly in their minds were: How did it happen? Why did it happen? What is the cure? How long will it take? Will it impact her career? What about their plans for a baby?
To be rudely woken up into the world of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the generic name for Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, cannot obviously be pleasant.
Most answers initially appear to be in the negative. The exact cause is not known. The disease does not have a “cure” except removal of the large intestine by surgery for ulcerative colitis, that comes with its own baggage of problems.
How long to take the medicines? Lifelong !! Are you serious? And can it turn cancerous? Yes (it may after many years). OMG.
Divya, who is now well and back to her job but on medications, will tell you how bad it had got. Initial disbelief led to anger and then to frustration. It was several months later, after several consultations, opinions and reading up on the net, that she and her husband finally accepted the reality and decided to fight on.
Thanks to a new group of medicines called “biologicals”, the treatment has become much better. Steroids, once the mainstay of therapy, are no longer a must. Remissions are easy to achieve and one can lead near normal lives with monthly shots.
Divya did take these injections with which she quickly on her feet and back into her job. They are pretty costly though, almost one lac for one dose, and she needed three for the initial induction. Luckily she had a health insurance which made it possible for her.
This week is IBD week. Every organisation has some or the other staff who suffer from this group of conditions. It is time we united and created awareness about this disease so that anyone afflicted does not have to suffer in isolation or shame. And we can bring help and information to their doors.
The smart young 35 year old career-oriented Divya’s (name changed) problems started two years ago with what appeared as an usual intestinal infection: cramping abdominal pain, loose stools and feverishness. She took her regular antibiotics, and although the symptoms improved slightly, they lingered and persisted.
Over the next 6 months, she had four major bouts, lost 6 kilograms of weight, became anaemic and weak, and passed blood in her stools a few times. She finally consulted a gastroenterologist who performed a colonoscopy, a test in which one passes a periscopic tube into the large intestine, and diagnosed her to be suffering from Crohn’s disease.
Like most of her age, she had never heard of Crohn’s disease. It is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune cells normally primed to target and kill invading germs, get misdirected and start attacking intestinal cells of its own body.
Her husband, a TV channel manager, was shocked too. The questions that seemed to flow endlessly in their minds were: How did it happen? Why did it happen? What is the cure? How long will it take? Will it impact her career? What about their plans for a baby?
To be rudely woken up into the world of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the generic name for Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, cannot obviously be pleasant.
Most answers initially appear to be in the negative. The exact cause is not known. The disease does not have a “cure” except removal of the large intestine by surgery for ulcerative colitis, that comes with its own baggage of problems.
How long to take the medicines? Lifelong !! Are you serious? And can it turn cancerous? Yes (it may after many years). OMG.
Divya, who is now well and back to her job but on medications, will tell you how bad it had got. Initial disbelief led to anger and then to frustration. It was several months later, after several consultations, opinions and reading up on the net, that she and her husband finally accepted the reality and decided to fight on.
Thanks to a new group of medicines called “biologicals”, the treatment has become much better. Steroids, once the mainstay of therapy, are no longer a must. Remissions are easy to achieve and one can lead near normal lives with monthly shots.
Divya did take these injections with which she quickly on her feet and back into her job. They are pretty costly though, almost one lac for one dose, and she needed three for the initial induction. Luckily she had a health insurance which made it possible for her.
This week is IBD week. Every organisation has some or the other staff who suffer from this group of conditions. It is time we united and created awareness about this disease so that anyone afflicted does not have to suffer in isolation or shame. And we can bring help and information to their doors.
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