May 31, 2013
May 28, 2013 – Patients, families, friends and physicians from all around Oregon and SW Washington have formed walk teams to take part in the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s Portland TAKE STEPS Walk on June 15th, 2013 at Willamette Park. Registration begins at 3:00pm with the Walk starting at 4:30pm. Like thousands of other Americans across the country who will be participating in more than 158 Take Steps Walks, the Portland community is helping raise much needed funds and awareness for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Each year CCFA designates an Honored Patient to recognize their dedication and support of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. This year, 2013, we are pleased to announce our Featured Patient, Kristin Applegate. Kristin was diagnosed with Crohn's disease just before her 38th birthday, shortly after beginning a new career as an oncology nurse. At first she was oblivious to, or perhaps in denial of symptoms she never would have overlooked in my patients. The biopsy confirming her diagnosis catapulted her into a frightening new reality: she was seriously ill with a disease that has treatments, but no cure. Her husband and young son watched helplessly as she struggled with intense pain and weight loss. Over the first year, she sought the help of a gastroenterologist and a naturopath. Kristin went on a gluten-free diet, had acupuncture, and tried multiple medications. She eventually became stable enough to maintain my full-time nursing job, but was always fatigued, often in pain or running to the bathroom, and occasionally rushed to the ER by her terrified husband. Under the supervision of both her doctors, Kristin started a new way of eating & living: The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The SCD is a diet that allows no grains, no refined sugars, no processed foods of any kind. It is a lifestyle that requires unfaltering commitment. Within 2 weeks, her symptoms were gone. Within 6 months, Kristin had tapered off all her meds. Kristin’s monthly labs were proof that she had finally reached remission. Following the SCD, she feels healthier than ever .And yet, she knows that I am not "cured" and that Crohn's symptoms could return again, despite my best efforts. Kristin has dedicated the last two years volunteering for a week to serve as one of the RNs at CCFA’s Camp Oasis. She finds tremendous inspiration from the kids & teens that are living and thriving with IBD. Her dream for all of us is for a cure. CCFA Portland Take Steps would like to thank our event sponsors – The Oregon Clinic, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, Gastroenterology Specialist of Oregon, Hilltop Produce Farms, Salix Pharmaceuticals, UCB Inc., Rite Aid, Northwest Pediatric Gastroenterology and Dairy Queen.
