There is no cure for Crohn’s, but the disease can be kept under control with diet and medications and sometimes surgery

What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease is a condition that causes chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (the digestive system). Chronic means it’s all the time; it doesn’t go away. Having an inflamed gastrointestinal tract causes uncomfortable symptoms, including stomach cramps, stomach pain, diarrhea, fever, constipation, an urgent need to use the bathroom, weight loss, and low energy.

There is no cure for Crohn’s, but the disease can be kept under control with diet and medications and sometimes surgery. The goal is to be free of symptoms for as long as possible. Some of the medications are taken orally (by mouth), while others need to be given via infusion (also known as an IV) over 30 minutes or up to several hours, usually in a hospital setting, every few weeks. Crohn’s disease damages the intestinal tract over time, so when people are first diagnosed, they are often on a very strict diet, and in some cases, are only allowed a special liquid formula instead of regular food.

Meet the Heroes

Aryeh

is the fourth out of six kids. There are three boys and three girls in his family. He likes playing football and swimming. His favorite color is orange; it reminds him of beautiful autumn leaves.

Shimon

is ten years old and loves reading comics and thrillers. He is the oldest of three brothers; he says that the best part of being the oldest is that he gets extra privileges. And can you believe that he and his youngest brother have the same birthday?

How did you find out you had Crohn’s?

Shimon: I was seven years old and was having lots of stomach pain. The first doctor my mother took me to said I had a virus and said to wait for it to get better, but it didn’t, so we went to a different doctor. He sent me for a blood test. When the results came back, he sent us to a gastroenterologist — a doctor who specializes in the digestive system.

The doctor sent me for a colonoscopy. They gave me anesthesia so that I wouldn’t feel anything, like during an operation, and then they put a camera into me to see my digestive system. Right after the test, the doctor told my parents that I had Crohn’s disease.

For the first few weeks after I was diagnosed, I wasn’t allowed to eat anything at all. The only things I was allowed to ingest were: my special formula, called Modulen, water, and flavored waters. I really wanted to eat. It was very hard. At first, I missed mostly sweets, but then I started missing real food, like chicken and rice. The first food I was finally allowed to eat again was potatoes. I was so excited; I was cheering when I came to eat supper!

Aryeh: It was summertime, and I was ten years old. I was having a lot of stomach pain, low-grade fevers, and headaches, and I didn’t have much energy. My mother saw that I wasn’t myself, so we went to the doctor, who sent us for testing that showed I had Crohn’s.