Years after Crohn’s disease diagnosis, teen can now live a normal life
When local teen Abbi Tucker was 13, she first started experiencing severe migraines and stomach aches.
Her symptoms caused her to lose 50 pounds, miss at least one day of school each week, and struggle to keep up with her studies. She couldn’t hang out with her friends, play or teach piano, and lost her appetite.
After numerous tests and consultations with doctors, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.
To treat this condition, Tucker fi rst received onehour therapy every seven weeks at the hospital. Insurance issues arose, necessitating a switch to an infusion company.
Today, Tucker, now 16, receives infusion therapy treating chronic inflammatory disorders at Option Care Health in Troy. This option has significantly reduced her medical costs. With infusion therapy, medication and nutrition are administered intravenously, and this treatment is proven to have a decreased risk of infection.
“Once I started getting treatment, my life changed. I gained the weight back and could finally focus on school and having fun again,” said Tucker.
“The staff always makes me feel right at home and that my health is their number one priority. … Infusion therapy really has been lifechanging and now I can do what a typical 16-yearold would do every day.”
Now, with a treatment plan in place, Tucker is back to her activities, including band practice as a junior drum major, spending time with friends and playing music at her church.