Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Crohn's Disease, a poll

Crohn's Disease, ...

  • I have it.

    Votes: 7 4.8%

  • I am related to someone with it.

    Votes: 18 12.3%

  • I know someone with it.

    Votes: 54 37.0%

  • I have heard of it.

    Votes: 38 26.0%

  • I have never heard of it.

    Votes: 29 19.9%
  • Total voters
    146
yellow

yellow

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Oct 21, 2003
16,018
6
Portland, OR
I suffer from Crohn's disease, and there are a few others around the Forum that do as well.

10 years ago, I'd never heard of it. Now, my older sister, me, my cousin, and possibly my nephew all suffer from it. I meet more and more folks who have siblings/friends/relations/significant others who suffer from it, so I started to wonder what percentage of readers might be aware of it.

So here an informal poll on the subject..
 
My wife's sister-in-law has it, and a girl I used to work with has it, but I never found out much about what it actually is, so I'm aware it exists, but not really aware of the effects of it.
 
Ah, in the interest of full disclosure:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn's_disease

That wiki article states that "Crohn's disease affects between 400,000 and 600,000 people in North America", which would put it around 1 in 600 (assuming 500,000 sufferers). It seems to me that, statistically speaking, that the estimate is waaaay off.
 
Poor Katie's problems got you thinking eh? :(

I've known about Crohn's disease for about 10 years now (spelling aside) when my cousin became mysteriously ill. He was slow at getting to a doctor and the late diagnosis meant that surgery was needed to remove damaged intestine, so it was particularly rough on him. I remember visiting him and being shocked at how much thinner he was and how gray his skin colour was... He's ok now, but I think he needs daily medication and needs to watch what he eats.
 
yellow said:
Ah, in the interest of full disclosure:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn's_disease

That wiki article states that "Crohn's disease affects between 400,000 and 600,000 people in North America", which would put it around 1 in 600 (assuming 500,000 sufferers). It seems to me that, statistically speaking, that the estimate is waaaay off.
Click to expand...

What makes you think that the estimate is very far off? Do you think it is more common than 1 in 600, or less? 1 in 600 seems like a reasonably believable ballpark to me.
 
motulist said:
What makes you think that the estimate is very far off? Do you think it is more common than 1 in 600, or less? 1 in 600 seems like a reasonably believable ballpark to me.
Click to expand...

It seems unlikely that I've met enough people to account for 1 in 600 number. I think the number of people who have it is a much higher number. Even accounting for '6 degrees of separation', I just haven't met enough people to account for all the folks I know who have or know someone who has Crohn's. Of course, it may be like when you get a new car.. you suddenly start seeing them on the road all the time..
 
My cousin was diagnosed with Crohn's a few years ago; however, no one else in our family has ever been diagnosed with it.

Shortly after being diagnosed, she encountered some complications resulting in a surgery to remove her colon. For a long time she had to have a temporary colon which wasn't the most glamorous thing. The disease is now controlled but she has succumbed to much larger issues and has been in and out of rehab due to the large amount of drugs she had to take over the years.
 
yellow said:
It seems unlikely that I've met enough people to account for 1 in 600 number. I think the number of people who have it is a much higher number. Even accounting for '6 degrees of separation', I just haven't met enough people to account for all the folks I know who have or know someone who has Crohn's. Of course, it may be like when you get a new car.. you suddenly start seeing them on the road all the time..
Click to expand...

I think it may be the latter. Until my sister developed Crohn's (I'm trying to think when it was - it was sometime between 8 and 10 years ago), I'd never heard of it.

Even afterwards, I didn't hear much and would get kind of excited whenever I heard that someone else had it - the more famous the better. It seems that it takes someone well known developing a disease before it gets much press. I was hoping what's-his-name (not Eddie) from Pearl Jam (I think) would be useful, but I think he developed it (or revealed it) a few years too late for his celebrity to count for much. In the last few years I have noticed it more and more, but I don't know if I would have just ignored it had she not developed it.
 
yellow said:
It seems unlikely that I've met enough people to account for 1 in 600 number. I think the number of people who have it is a much higher number. Even accounting for '6 degrees of separation', I just haven't met enough people to account for all the folks I know who have or know someone who has Crohn's. Of course, it may be like when you get a new car.. you suddenly start seeing them on the road all the time..
Click to expand...

you also have to think about the people who have it, but have not been diagnosed..my bro had it for a while and it took an emergency room visit due to severe pain which resulted in his diagnoses.. he had no symptoms prior to the ER visit
 
My dad and aunt both have it. There is a genetic element to it that skips a generation. So, I guess if I were (god forbid :)) to have kids, they would be at increased risk for developing it.
 
In terms of you not hearing about people who have it, it's not exactly the type of thing people want to advertise. And a stomach disease is not the type of thing you can spot like a missing leg or bald chemo head. I'm sure that you know a lot more people who have crohn's (and other disease) than you're aware of.
 
A guy I knew during college had it. The only thing I noticed that was different was that he couldn't drink alcohol. I don't know if he had daily medication or not. After reading the wikipedia article it does not sound like any fun :(
 
Bro in law has it, and so does his uncle, it cuts me up to see how ill he is, as hes only 28 :(
 
Was diagnosed with CD when I was sixteen (and I'm 37 now). After you've had CD for awhile, you begin to acquire some interesting new skills, such as a sixth sense for being able to quickly find the restrooms in any building.
 
I don't have it and I don't know anyone (in RL) with it. Is it less common in the UK?
 
I am "related" to someone with it. My sister-in-law has it. I swear I've never heard about anyone talk about their pooping habits so openly.
 
I've heard of it and I know someone on a different forum with it, just not anyone in real life.
Is it the one that gives IBS-like symptoms, or am I thinking of something else?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back