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Community members battle Crohn’s disease
Kim Williams - staff photos
Lou Anne Bottone and her granddaughter prepare fresh vegetables out of her garden to make for a healthier lifestyle while she fights Crohn’s Disease.
By Kim Williams, kwilliams@acnpapers.com
Crohn’s disease can affect anyone at anytime, but there are things that hinder the effects of the illness. Plano resident and Frisco police officer are just two in Collin County who are battling the disease.
Both are taking different approaches to dealing with the symptoms, and both are still winning their battle.
Dedicated to his department, he has worked many nights when he is not feeling up to par. Frisco police officer, Dan Bardwell, battles Crohn’s Disease every day of his life while he is a public servant and family man. He never thought he would be in a sickly state, and though his illness haunts him daily, he still has a super-hero attitude.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition.
“There are times when I double over from the pain,” Bardwell said. “And it can come at anytime.”
The inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue and can be extremely painful and debilitating which sometimes leads to life-threatening complications.
“I used to have more freedom in the beginning stages,” Bardwell said. “I was in my late teens and the pain wasn’t as big of an issue, nor was the negative effect on my body.”
Bardwell believes he couldn’t get through the tough times without the support of his family.
“My wife is the best woman in the world,” Bardwell said. “She stays on me about eating the right food and takes care of me even when I try to be tough and need to take it easy.”
He feels that she has been the strength of the family.
“Most of time you hear about the man being center of the home, but really my wife is a rock for our whole family,” Bardwell said.
“When we first were married, I only had to worry about fixing spicy meals and dealing with his need to run to the bathroom on a moments notice,” said his wife, Jill Bardwell. “The small hospital stays are concerning and difficult to explain to the girls. It can be challenging trying to take care of both the girls and Dano while he is in the hospital.”
Jill has become Dan’s advocate in terms of dealing with hospital staff.
“I truly believe that anyone in the hospital needs to have a family member or close friend in the room with them as much as possible, so they can listen to the doctors and nurses,” Jill said. “Dano was on pain meds and didn't always remember what the staff said. This is why our family members often keep the girls for a few days, so I can spend time with him.”
Jill thinks the long hospital stays with surgeries are the most difficult for the family.
“At one point, two years ago, I wasn't sure if he was going to make it,” Jill said. “It was emotionally draining to think about and hard to put on a happy face for the girls and Dano.”
She feels the pressure of knowing that he will always suffer with the disease and that the hospital stays will continue.
“One thing that is hard for me to remember is when he comes home from the hospital, he can make his own decisions and can do things for himself,” Jill said. “I tend to treat him like he is a child the first few days he is home.”
The Bardwell’s believe they have a better understanding of what is important in life.
“The struggles of Chron’s families are all going to be a little different because the disease is different for everyone,” Jill said. “For the first eight years of our marriage, he had no Chron’s related hospital stays, and in the last three years, he has spent approximately 130 days in the hospital.”
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease range from mild to severe in intensity. It can come about gradually or come on suddenly, without warning. There are many times where there are periods of time with no signs or symptoms.
“The disease will act up at a moments notice; it may show up in one week or it may be two years before it acts up,” Jill said.
According to Mayo Clinic staff, there is no known medical cure for Crohn’s disease and therapies can greatly reduce the signs and symptoms of the disease which can bring about long-term remission. With these therapies, many people with the illness are able to function well.
Plano resident, Lou Anne Bottone, was diagnosed over 10 years ago with Crohn’s, but she believes she had it long before that.
“Passing blood got me to finally see a doctor,” said Bottone. “A colonoscopy was immediately scheduled, and it was then that I found out that I had Crohn’s. As long as I can remember, I was irregular. I would have bouts of what I thought was stomach flu or eating something wrong. Even in college I would have flair-ups. It was a way of life for me. I thought that was the norm, so I never mentioned it to my doctors.”
At age 20, Bottone had her first battle with kidney stones, a condition that goes hand in hand with intestinal problems.
“Four years before being diagnosed with Crohn’s, I started having trouble with Iritis [inflammation of the eye],” Bottone said. “They tested me for everything that could cause Iritis, except for having a colonoscopy to see if I had any intestinal problems because I never mentioned that I had an issue in that department. There again…me not mentioning anything about my irregularity because I truly thought it was the norm.”
Treatment for Bottone has been rocky, like many Crohn’s patients.
“In the beginning I was on steroids and an anti-inflammatory,” Bottone said. “The steroids caused drug induced diabetes along with other terrible side effects, so my doctor weaned me off that and later prescribed some Remicade treatments; all of which, I hope to never have to take again, especially the steroids!”
While the symptom seemed to controlled by medications, she fought to find a cure even though she knew there wasn’t a ‘true cure.’
“After the Remicade treatments, I knew there had to be a better, more natural way to combat this disease,” Bottone said. “I was referred to a chiropractor that does holistic health. Immediately, he had me remove wheat and dairy from my diet. He put me on probiotics as well and within a month, I felt better than I had in years.”
Bottone was a patient with the holistic doctor for two years. The trial with probiotics was six years ago and the last 4 years she has managed the illness on her own by following a strict natural approach.
“Carefully watch what I eat – limit the red meats, little, if no wheat and dairy, consume more fresh/organic fruits and vegetables, etc. A great book to help you get started is ‘Eat Right for Your Bloodtype’,” Bottone said. “Keeping my acid/alkaline balance in check, control my stress level and consistently take probiotics.”
Since Crohn’s is believed to be an autoimmune disease, Bottone believes the disease sees the normal intestinal tissue as an invader and attacks it.
“So in addition to having a healthy diet, it is crucial that you have beneficial intestinal bacteria to keep your immune system healthy,” Bottone said. “I take a good Probiotic that has 8 species of good bacteria.”
Bottone believes that what she eats plays a huge factor in her health and has a direct effect on the disease.
“Eating high alkaline foods most of the time and keeping high acidic foods at a minimum has helped me tremendously,” Bottone said. “Fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains are the best. I very seldom eat red meat…mostly lean chicken and fish. I don’t eat fast food and haven’t had a soft drink in well over 10 years. What I don’t grow [vegetables], I try to purchase organic.”
Though Crohn’s affects everyone differently, Bottone is positive about her future and her battle with the disease.
“After my most recent colonoscopy my doctor said that he had to look really hard to see any trace of Crohn’s,” Bottone said.
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