For those of us born with sensitive stomachs, concern over finding a nearby toilet might be sporadic and fleeting. For someone afflicted with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (the classification for Crohn's Disease and its sister ailment Ulcerative Colitis), however, that concern is only the least of his or her troubles.
Junior Zach Gerber has suffered from Crohn's Disease since the age of 14. Given the sensitive nature of the disease, as well as his emerging role as an activist for the cause, Gerber has endeavored to learn as much as possible about the disease, sharing the information he has learned through his studies and through working at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).
According to Gerber, Crohn's is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its intestines, thinking there is some foreign body there when there is really nothing. The resulting symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, severe stomach pain and weight loss,due to an inability to eat and contain many foods.
Ultimately, if medicines are not working for a patient, then he or she must undergo surgery to remove the affected tissue.
"I had six inches of my small intestine removed when I was 16," Gerber said. His case is typical in the sense that the disease's onset took place around puberty, when most people with the disease first show symptoms.
"They think it's a hormonal trigger," Gerber said.
Doctors first believed that Gerber's symptoms were indicative of a bad case of appendicitis. His severe pain was situated by his appendix, and he was vomiting and exhibited a loss in appetite. The doctors did a scan that showed inflammation, which they assumed to be of the appendix. It was not until they had opened Gerber up for surgery that they realized their error.
"They took out the appendix anyway and just looked at me," Gerber said. "They took tests and dissected a section of my intestine that they removed. I had Crohn's."
That diagnosis was only the beginning: Gerber would not feel relief from his symptoms until his entrance to Tufts, four years down the road. Gerber began going to a gastroenterologist who was a Crohn's specialist and who prescribed him medication. Though it is possible to treat the disease using steroids, they have many side effects. Therefore, Gerber was put on a daily dose of Asocol acid and immuno-suppressant medication.
Though there is no proof that the immuno-suppressants weaken the entire system's ability to protect one from disease, Gerber feels that taking them has made him weaker.
"I think I am [more susceptible to illness]," he said. "I think I get more colds and it takes longer for them to go away than before, but overall I think it's positive because my quality of life has improved, and it's really given me a pretty normal life here."
Life wasn't so "normal" for Gerber in high school, though: his body took a while to acclimate to the medications, so he was in and out of school due to bouts of severe symptoms.
Crohn's no longer negatively affects Gerber's life with any great frequency, but his symptoms were potent and numerable in high school. In addition to having to take medication for the rest of his life barring any cures, he cannot eat nuts, seeds or popcorn, as they could potentially block his intestines.
In high school, in addition to the multitude of drugs he had to take to manage the disease, he had to deal with the nutritional effects. He lost a lot of weight, a typical occurrence as many kids suffering from the disease become malnourished and have their growth stunted. Gerber says he should have grown to 6'5", but he stopped at 6'1".
"In college, it's more about management and taking the pills," Gerber said. "Some days I'll have pain."
Gerber still has his disease in mind at all times, though: if he goes on vacation, he needs to bring more than enough medication, as well as make sure he is close to a hospital in case of emergencies. He is very careful not to drink the water in strange locales and to be cognizant of what is in his meals.
"In high school, I had a really bad infection caused by the Crohn's," Gerber said. "That's the reason why I had to have the surgery. One night I got rushed to the hospital with a 103 [degree] fever. Nowadays, every couple months you get a little problem, but you just modify your lifestyle for a couple days."
Gerber found that the college atmosphere has been more conducive to discussion of the disease than high school had been. "In college, because everyone shares a bathroom, it can make it more apparent," Gerber said. "It's hard to hide in college."
Gerber hopes that his efforts will raise awareness and encourage research.
"There's a lot of promise in stem cell research," Gerber said. "There is a positive outlook for a cure."
