I Special Report

ON THE COVE

Living With Crohn's from page 13

MICHAEL
RUBENSTEIN'S

1st ANNUAL

FUNDRAISE

ero

'7.3enefit

CROWS &COLL

f MIND kl ION Of AMC

Michael Rubenstein, part of a new generation of Crohn's patients, with Bernie Riker,
executive director of the CCFA Michigan Chapter.

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America Michigan Chapter has honored Harriett
and Sheldon Fuller for their tireless efforts to raise money for research.

14

February 8 2007

IN

the different symptoms because they're
similar to other things that are wrong
with you. I told him from the time he was
diagnosed not to be embarrassed about it
or ashamed?'
The symptoms of IBD can range from
moderate to severe. Patients can experi-
ence persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain
or cramps, rectal bleeding, fever and
weight loss. Crohn's disease may attack
anywhere from the mouth to the anus,
while ulcerative colitis inflames only the
large intestine (colon).
There is no medical cure for either dis-
ease, but a colectomy (surgical removal of
the colon) cures ulcerative colitis.
Dr. Jason Bodzin of Southfield, a senior
surgeon at Henry Ford Hospital in West
Bloomfield, has operated on more than
3,000 Crohn's and colitis patients. He says
in addition to genetics, environmental fac-
tors often play a role in who gets IBDs.
"It has a lot to do with the personali-
ties of the people, their diet, whether they
smoke; a lot of external factors seem to
affect it," Dr. Bodzin said. "Populations like
Jews and Chaldeans seem to be predis-
posed to these diseases?'
Dr. Bodzin will be actively involved in
the development of a new IBD center at
Henry Ford Hospital patterned after simi-
lar centers in New York and Chicago. It's
expected to open some time next year.

Hope For The Future
New treatment centers, new medications
and important scientific discoveries are
offering hope for the future. Last October,
researchers found a major genetic link
to the development of Crohn's and coli-
tis. The study, published in the journal
Science, involves a gene called the inter-
leukin-23 (IL-23) receptor, a trigger in the
development of inflammatory diseases.
Other genes linked to Crohn's have also
been identified.
"There hasn't necessarily been a single
gene identified — so, we're not quite there
yet," said Farmington Hills gastroenterolo-
gist Dr. Alan Cutler. "But we've come a long
way.
Dr. Cutler explained that treatments
for the illnesses have progressed from
steroids and a type of non-absorbed
aspirin to reduce inflammation, to the
use of immuno-modulators like Imuran
and 6-MP, medications originally used as
anti-rejection drugs for people who've had
organ transplants.
"They seem to work well, but we're
lowering the immune system so it does

increase the risk of infections:' Dr. Cutler
said.
Doctors are also using new biologic
therapies, like infliximab (Remicade),
which are given in two-hour intravenous
infusions every two months.
"They suck up the antibodies that dam-
age the gastrointestinal tract. The anti-
bodies get absorbed so they don't attack
things," Dr. Cutler said. "It may be an
inconvenient treatment, but it's done won-
derful things for so many patients."
"There's a lot of research going on,
especially in the way of new drugs that are
in the final stages of clinical trials, which
will hopefully get final approval with the
Food and Drug Administration in the not
too distant future," added Bernie Riker,
executive director of the Farmington
Hills-based CCFA Michigan Chapter. "This
year, the CCFA has expanded its research
budget. We hope to contribute nearly $14
million for clinical and scientific research
programs — that's an all-time high."
Said Michael Rubenstein, "Every day
I wake up, we could be one day closer to
finding a cure."
That belief spurred the teen to start his
own fundraiser two years ago at Champp's
Americana Restaurant in West Bloomfield.
Each year, his event has raised more than
$3,000 for the CCFA. The third annual
fundraiser, during which a portion of each
person's dinner bill is donated, will take
place Mar. 27.
Rubenstein hopes to become a Crohn's
researcher one day. "We're always going to
be one step closer if people donate money
and the money goes toward research," he
said.

Continuing The Fight
While research continues, so does daily
life for the thousands of people living
with IBDs. For Tom Berman, 27, of Keego
Harbor, the hard part is over. The attorney
with the Farmington Hills Law Offices
of Harold Wolkind was diagnosed with
colitis at the age of 6 and underwent three
major surgeries to remove his entire large
intestine. He's been medication-free and
symptom-free for the last 15 years.
"From the ages of 6 to 12, I was in and
out of hospitals and on numerous medi-
cations," Berman said. "It was difficult to
deal with — being a kid and not knowing
other kids that had a similar type of situ-
ation. You just kind of feel different and
scared, I guess."
When Berman was diagnosed, in 1986,
children's programs like Camp Oasis, held