Patient reaches stable health, which leads to years of remission

There is a touch of wonder in Mavreen David’s voice when she talks about her toddler. Like any mother, she is immensely proud of her young son. Unlike many others, she did not think that pregnancy was in the stars for her, because of all the health issues she has had to deal with for the last 26 years.

“I started presenting symptoms at 12,” says David, adding that she was not diagnosed for more than two years after that. “I had rheumatoid arthritis as well as Crohn’s. Flare-ups came on pretty strong and pretty fast. I was misdiagnosed with ulcerative colitis first, so the treatment that I was given was not enough to combat the acute Crohn’s that was developing, and I deteriorated fast.”

Eventually, she was correctly diagnosed but, by then, she was severely anemic and her weight had dropped to just 76 pounds. “The deterioration in the most affected area of my colon had reached the point of no return,” she says.

She was scheduled for surgery but could not undergo it until her general health was good enough to withstand a major surgical procedure. “I was treated and tested for a year before the surgery and went through the gamut of drugs available at the time,” says David.

The colectomy (bowel resection) that followed was problematic. This caused her to have to have a colostomy — an operation in which a An effective treatment course has allowed Crohn’s sufferer Mavreen David to enjoy many life pleasures she thought were not available to her, including motherhood. small section of the large intestine (colon) is diverted to an artificial opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall and bodily excretion is collected and removed through a sterile pouch.

“I was devastated when I woke up from emergency surgery with a colostomy bag,” says David. “I was an active, self-conscious teenage girl to begin with and thought that this would impact everything. I was horrified and scared.”

On the contrary, the colostomy helped in her recovery. “I was lucky that it was only temporary,” says David. “I got healthy right away and the reversal [surgery] was successful and afforded me remission for a while.”

A few years later, the Crohn’s came back with a vengeance. “I spent my early twenties trying to manage it,” says David. Memories of this time in her life are of “a lot of hospitalization and a lot of the side effects that come along with Crohn’s disease, including kidney stones, weight gain, weight loss, skin issues and depression.”

Eventually, she became more proactive in managing her health issues, and was referred to a gastroenterologist, whose care has not only meant that her Crohn’s has been in remission for the last seven years but has also allowed the Vancouver resident to venture into motherhood.

Now on a treatment plan that is working for her, David says she had some reservations about taking this step. “In my history with Crohn’s, I always tended to be in the small percentage of people who react badly and have the potential side effects. I was fearful and tentative, but I put my trust in my doctor.”

“While I still suffer fallout from the chronic inflammation and the major surgeries I have had over the years, and my bowels will never function as they should, I’ve learned to live with the daily symptoms,” she says.

Although she wanted a child, she had never considered pregnancy a possibility because she had never been healthy for prolonged periods. It became a reality only after her health had stabilized for a few years.

“I had never had the option before,” she says. “It was quite stunning to realize that my wife and I could have a family.”

After an uneventful pregnancy, during which her Crohn’s was in total remission, she gave birth to a healthy baby. “My biggest fear is that I might pass the genetic component of the disease down to my son. But if he were ever diagnosed with Crohn’s, I feel a lot more confident about medicine’s ability to handle it now. There is certainly much greater understanding and better management of the disease now.”

“For 40 years, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, and its sister charity, the Gastrointestinal Society, have been serving individuals who have a whole range of gastrointestinal and liver conditions,” says Gail Attara, the society’s president and chief executive officer. “Our medical advisory council ensures our content is medically sound, and we respond to real questions. Our website, www. badgut.org (French language: www.mauxdeventre.org), has hundreds of articles on anything that can go wrong, from the gum to the bum.”

At this point, says David, life is good for her. “I have a super-supportive family, beautiful, understanding and compassion at home, a beautiful son and, considering my diagnosis, moderately good health.”

There are many options in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. All treatments have benefits and risks, some of which can be serious, and can vary by individual. If you are living with Crohn’s disease, talk to your doctor about treatment options that might be right for you.