4 ti IBD page 89 tors in different locations. "Your dentist is in one building; your doctor is in another. You don't normally go to see them in the same day." Dr. Sklar said that while all patients may not need the center immediately, it is a valuable re- source to have for previously di- agnosed patients should complications arise or should a second opinion be necessary. "In the future, he (John) may require a second opinion or he may want psychological help or Your Dad has cancer. . . • He's always been there for you, helping you through hard times, sharing your dreams. Now he has cancer. And it's your turn to he there for him. Will he ask you for the help he needs? , . • • • GI Blues • Two diseases strike mostly young, Jewish people. JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER Don't make him ask. Call the Cancer AnswerLine and get the facts. Find out about treatment options and second opinions. Ask us what you're afraid to ask him. T Feeling helpless is no help at all. Call us today. Cancer AnswerLine 1-800-865-M5 Call 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Comprehensive Cancer Center MIL ANIIMININIP•1•11111• immoommo. rvonal Am.. University of Michigan Health System TAKE OFF FREE ON us!!! RECEIVE 5 Northwest Miles SAVE 40% For Each $1.00 Spent' FACTORY DIRECT (limit 25,000 miles) WALL UNITS BEDROOMS HOME OFFICE TABLES, CHAIRS MARBLE AND MORE! CPTIO\' Factory Showroom. 1950 S. Telegraph Rd., on west side of Telegraph, 1/2 Mile North Of Square Lake Rd. Bloomfield Hills Hours: 11-5:30 Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri. & Sat. Closed Sundays & Tuesdays 810.332.8855 Wall Unit As Shown $ 1 488 Offer expires 5/25/96 Prior purchascs excluded he may need nutritional help. We could help him with that," Dr. Sklar said. "Patients can have any one or all of those services through the center." A one-price plan will be avail- able to patients who are looking to utilize the comprehensive menu of services offered; indi-_1 vidual services can also be used. Proceeds of last year's Sinai Heritage Ball helped to fund the start-up costs of the center in ad- dition to over $100,000 in dona- tions. ❑ Compare at $2950 includes 7500 Northwest miles • wo million Americans suffer from one of two irritable bowel diseases (MD) that attack the gastrointestinal tract, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The cause of IBD is elusive to researchers. One theory is that a virus or bacteria in the intestine causes an immunological re- action that subsequently causes inflammation; another suggests the inflammation is caused by a bacteria or virus that attacks the intestinal wall. Another theory suggests the disease is genetically passed from one generation to another. Recent studies indicate that roughly one- quarter of IBD patients may have a close relative with the dis- ease. Although IBD can strike anyone, patients disproportionately fall into two categories: young and Jewish. The diseases are diagnosed mainly in people under the age of 30; 200,000 of the afflicted are under the age of 18. But that is not to say that the disease is entirely pediatric; many individuals have been diagnosed past the age of 60. The risk of developing the disease is four to five times greater among American and European Jews; Jews in Israel have lower rates. Ashkenazi Jews have higher rates than Sephardic Jews. IBD rarely occurs among Asians, Asiatic Indians, Native Amer- icans and black Africans. Black American females have almost iden- tical rates of incidence as their white counterparts; black American males have a lower rate than their white counterparts. While individuals with the two diseases appear to be drawn from the same pool, the diseases themselves are different. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease that causes the inflamma- tion and ulceration of the lining (mucosa) of the colon, also known as the large intestine. Patients with UC generally experience diar- rhea, with or without rectal bleeding, which often accompanies abdominal pain or cramping. Other symptoms can include skin le- sions, joint pain, and in children, a failure to grow properly. Although colitis can be controlled by medications that reduce inflammation or modulate the immune system response, sometimes surgery is required. In this surgery, the colon and rectum are re- moved, thereby curing the disease. A hole in the abdominal wall or ostomy is sometimes created; in other instances an ileostomy is avoided by creating an internal pouch using the small intestine, which is then attached to the anal sphincter muscle. Crohn's disease is a much more expansive disease in that it can attack the entire thickness of the intestinal wall. In addition, it can appear anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum; most patients, however, experience it in the lowermost portion of the small intestine (terminal ileum) or the colon. In addition to the abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding experienced with ulcerative colitis, patients with Crohn's disease can experience fever, joint pain, loss of appetite and weight. Unlike ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease has no known cure. Anti- inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids, antibiotics and immune- system modulating drugs are used to suppress inflammation and relieve the symptoms of fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Surgery is necessary when drug therapy does not work or when a bowel obstruction or other complication arises. A common surgery for Crohn's patients, called a resection, removes the diseased por- tion of bowel and then joins the healthy ends. ❑ c_\