by Dennis Dalman
Second-grade teacher Tiffany Heathcote of Sartell is one of the “Colitis Warriors” determined to fight – and to win – the battle against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The Colitis Warriors are just one team of many who will participate in the “Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk” Sunday, Sept. 17 at Lake George just south of downtown St. Cloud. Everyone is welcome, and anyone can join any of the teams as guest walkers. The check-in and preliminary festivities will begin at 2 p.m. The actual walk will start at 3 p.m.
The “Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk” is presented by the CentraCare Digestive Center.
Raised in Sartell (nee Tiffany Nies), Heathcote has been battling ulcerative colitis since she was 15 years old, from the moment when doctors first diagnosed her as having the debilitating disease. Thanks to medications, she managed to stay in remission for a few years. However, at age 18, she had to be hospitalized because the colitis had gone into what’s known as a “flare” stage. After several weeks at the St. Cloud Hospital, she was transferred to the Mayo Clinic to try another regimen of medications.
It was crushing news when, at the Mayo Clinic, a medical team determined she would have to have her entire colon removed. That drastic remedy is often the only “cure” for ulcerative colitis since there is no other surefire cure available. What doctors had to do was to take part of her small intestine and make what’s called a “j-pouch” out of the length and attach that onto the rest of her small intestine, the j-pouch serving as a makeshift large intestine.
“That was an extremely dark and difficult time in my life,” Heathcote recalled.
Despite the emotional and physical pains and the gnawing anxieties, she managed to graduate from college in four years.
The j-pouch surgery had gone fine, but the worry was that such a pouch can still become inflamed by colitis, causing what’s known as pouchitis. The disease’s ravages, almost beyond endurance, threatened Heathcote’s life, but she fought it bravely up to and into her marriage. After the birth of her second child, the colitis returned with a vengeance, and she had to be hospitalized once again.
During a routine check of the j-pouch in 2010, it was discovered the pouch was perforated, causing Heathcote’s entire system to turn septic. She was airlifted to the Mayo Clinic where they were able to repair the hole in the pouch, a life-saving procedure, although the pouch has never been the same since.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease cause far more issues than just having to go to the bathroom more often. They can cause extreme fatigue. The body cannot process nutrients the same as people who are free of the diseases. Inflammation can occur throughout one’s entire body and cause severe pain in the joints.
“It’s a mental struggle because there isn’t a day that goes by when I am not reminded I have this disease,” Heathcote said. “My immune system is weak so it’s harder to fight off things like the flu or a cold.”
What is IBD?
IBD stands for Irritable Bowel Disease, and there are two main types: Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. More than 1.6 million Americans suffer from IBD, and the fastest-growing patient population is children under the age of 18. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35.
Crohn’s disease can attack the digestive tract – any part of it or all of it – from the mouth all the way down. Ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon) and the rectum.
Symptoms of the so-far incurable diseases can include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, debilitating fatigue and extreme weight loss.
Up to half of people suffering from colitis will eventually require surgery to alleviate it to some degree, and up to 75 percent of Crohn’s sufferers will need surgical intervention.
Researchers do not yet know what causes IBD, but they now surmise it’s probably a combination of factors: genetics, the immune system or something in the persons’ environment. Foreign substance (antigens) in the environment may be the direct cause of the inflammation or they might stimulate the body’s defenses to produce an inflammation that continues on its own and does not “turn off” when it should. The persistent inflammation eventually damages the intestines. Regulating the patient’s immune system is extremely important in fighting the disease.
That is why Heathcote has become hyper-aware of her own body and its responses. She knows exactly which foods are good and which will cause pain. Many foods she completely avoids.
Many people have no idea what Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are, even if they have heard of the names.
“They aren’t diseases that are talked about a lot because not many people enjoy talking (or hearing) about digestion,” she said. “But they are very serious diseases. And we need to shine more light on them. We need to find a cure because they impact so many lives.”
That is why Heathcote and other members of the “Colitis Warriors” team are hoping for a good turnout and generous contributions during the Sept. 17 “Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk” at Lake George.
Those who cannot be present at the event can still contribute by visiting the following “Take Steps” website: online.ccfa.org/site/TR?team_id=200948&fr_id=7093&pg=team.
There is also good information and a way to donate on the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation website. Just google that name. Then click on “Donate Today.”
‘I am blessed’
Tiffany and her husband, Adam, who is also a Sartell high-school graduate, have been married for 12 years. They have two children – Jack, 12; and Sophie, 9.
“I am blessed,” Heathcote said, “to have an amazing support system of family, friends and coworkers. They truly help to make this disease more manageable.”
On Aug. 22, there was a fundraiser at Sartell’s Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill during which 20 percent of proceeds from sales were given to help in the fight against Crohn’s and colitis. Heathcote and others are grateful for such fundraisers because not only do they raise money for research but they also raise awareness of IBD.