CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, March 22, 1996
3A
Stomach disease affects lifestyle
KU student confronts illness one day at a time
By Heather Kirkwood Kansan staff writer
When Beth Goldstein, Lawrence junior, was 6 years old, it became clear to her parents that something was wrong. Her appetite had disappeared, she had stopped gaining weight, and she had stopped growing.
For the next two years, doctors tried to find out why Goldstein could eat only small portions that made her stomach cramp, why blood began to appear in her stool and why wearing clothes with a tight waist caused pain.
Finally, when Goldstein was 8 years old, doctors told her parents that she had
Croup's disease, a disorder that can cause inflammation in the small or large intestine as well as other parts of the digestive tract.
Crohn's affects two million Americans, and every year there are 30,000 more cases, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The disease usually first appears in young adults between 18 and 30, but cases in children are becoming more frequent, said Marjorie
crick, assistant director of research and professional education for the foundation.
Goldstein's doctors began to treat her with 80 mg of prednisone, a steroid often used to treat inflammation in the bowel.
the symptoms began to appear again.
"You can learn to deal with pain. It's all in your mind,to a point."
Goldstein began to sleep 18 hours a day, ran a low-grade fever, and bumps began to appear on her buttocks.
By the time she was 9 and 1/2 years old, the disease had been knocked into remission. The remission lasted until Goldstein was 16. She dramatically lost weight and began to have stomach cramps once again.
She went to Watkins Memorial Health Center where she was told that she had an external yeast infection. But three weeks later the bumps were the size of silver dollars.
"it struck so hard and so fast I had to go directly into surgery," she said.
"I couldn't sit down and I could only get up a couple of hours a day," she said.
The doctors removed 18 inches of Goldstein's small intestine and 4 inches of her large intestine, leaving a giant scar from her chest to her groin. "It looks like a big zipper," she said. "So much for bikini."
It was then that she checked into Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., for next-day emergency surgery.
By 17, however, Goldstein once again was in remission, which lasted until her sophomore year at the University of Kansas when
Goldstein found recovering from surgery easy.
She has been symptom-free until this February when she developed kidney stones, a side effect of Crohn's.
However, Goldstein is beating the disease.
She takes eight different kinds of nails every
Beth Goldstein
Lawrence junior
day and gives herself a vitamin B-12 shot once a month.
"Things could be so much worse," she said. "I could have cancer or about a hundred and one worse things. Crohn's is beatable. You can learn to deal with pain. It's all in your mind, to a point."
There is no known cause for Crohn's, although certain factors may aggravate the disease such as stress, too much caffeine, alcohol or certain medications, said Charles Yockey, chief of stam at Watkins Medical Center.
Early symptoms include cramping in the naval or on the right side of the abdomen, diarrhea often following a meal, joint pains, lack of appetite, weight loss and fever. The severity of the symptoms can vary greatly.
Early treatment can minimize the effects of the disease so it is important to see a physician if symptoms develop, Yockey said.
Crohn's is not a life threatening illness, Merrick said.
"It does affect the quality of life, but the mortality rate is very slim, virtually the same as the general population," she said.
Crohn's can be treated with medication or surgery, but there is no cure yet, Merrick said.
Noah Musser, Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
Goldstein, Lawrence junior, has Crohn's disease, an illness that affects the digestive tract. Goldstein takes medication every day and one shot of B-12 a month.
Watkins promotes safe and fun break
By Teresa Veazey
Kansan staff writer
Don't come back from vacation filled with regrets and guilt.
"Spring break should be fun and full of laughs, but your decisions could lead to totally the opposite," said Janine Gracy, coordinator of health promotion and education at Watkins Memorial Health Center.
Warning students about the dangers of alcohol, unprotected sex and other health topics has been the focus of Safe Break Week, sponsored by Watkins and its department on health promotion and education.
But Watkins staff didn't always have Safe Break Week to encourage students to use everything from sunscreen to condoms.
Before it was called Safe Break Week, Watkins participated in National Collegiate Drug Awareness Week, a promotion that was met with little enthusiasm, Gracy said. After other universities began changing their program's format, Watkins did the same in 1990 and focused on issues such as alcohol and sex.
"I just wanted to get our students back safe," Gracy said. "The Monday after spring break I hope and pray that none of our students got hurt or killed."
Safe Break information tables ane free items such as pencils and sunscreen were one way to get students' attention, said Julie Francis, health educator at Watkins. But even with all of the promotions, some students still won't get the idea.
"People don't really appreciate what's being said until it affects them some way," Francis said. "The information we have may not make them think, but at least it puts the idea in their heads."
Having unprotected sex or drinking and driving are behaviors that can have devastating consequences, but Gracy said she would rather students be impacted in some other way than to experience these things firsthand.
"Would you want your little brother and sister to act the same way?" she said. "Students should look at it that way."
Students migrate south this week
Warmer destinations more exotic locations draw the largest crowds
By R. Adam Ward Kansan staff writer
Spring break is finally here, and some students have trips planned for exotic locales. Mexico is one popular destination.
Ward Cook, Mission Hills sophomore, said he was taking a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with his parents.
Cook said his parents were planning the trip and offered to take him along.
He plans to spend his week golfing, snorkeling and fishing.
"But relaxing is the main thing," he said.
And Cook isn't the only KU student headed to Mexico.
Carolyn Schumm, Lawrence senior, said she wanted to go south of the border to practice her Spanish.
Schumm started planning a trip in January. She and her friends picked out five locations.
Acapulco offered the best travel package, and it has a more mature crowd than some other tourist resorts in Mexico, she said.
She said another reason she and her friends chose to go to Mexico was because of the cultural opportunities it offered.
"It's not going to be the most cultural trip, but there will be some culture experiences," she said.
Mike Enenbach, Overland Park senior and Student Union Activities travel coordinator, said 40 students were signed up to go on SUA's spring break trip to Panama City, Fla.
He said students were responsible for providing their own transportation to Panama City, which is 18 hours away by car.
The trip starts tomorrow and lasts one week.
Students also will have a chance to visit Club La Villa, the biggest nightclub in North America, Enenbach said.
There are two openings left for the SUA trip.
It will include dinner, a night cruise, parties at bars and clubs and volleyball.
Residence hall elections draw larger crowd
By Eric Weslander
More residents than usual voted in this week's residence hall elections. But many who voted didn't know anything about the candidates.
By Eric Weslander
Kansan Correspondent
Nicole Stockdale, Wichita freshman, who worked at McCollum Hall's voting table last night, said she had to provide factual information on candidates to many of the voters.
"People are voting because peoples' names sound good," she said. "Some have asked for my opinion."
Although residents didn't always know who they were voting for, they did vote in increased numbers.
In the past, the elections have had a low voter turnout. Randy Timm, assistant director of student housing, estimated that 25 percent of residents actually voted during last year's election.
He said he projected higher numbers during this year's election, which took place last night and Wednesday night. Timm said that 25 percent of residents had already voted on Wednesday.
In hopes of getting more people to vote, some candidates tried to reach residents personally.
Stevie Case, who ran for re-election as president of Association of University Residence Halls, sent e-mail to more than 100 residents.
"A lot of times you spend so much time campaigning that you forget to tell your friends," said Case, Olathe sophomore. "I tried to e-mail people I thought would be interested."
Ryan Hodapp, Overland Park sophomore, received e-mail from Tammera Penn, a candidate for president of McCollum Hall.
"I just kind of ignored it when I saw it a political announcement," he said. "I was mildly annoyed."
Case handed out filers in front of Ekdahl Dining Commons on Wednesday night.
"When you talk to residents face to face and you hand them something, they get a better idea of who the candidates are." Case said.
However, many residents don't vote because they plan to move off campus. Timm said 74 percent of residents will not return to the residence halls next year.