If you would like to learn more about intestinal diseases, or would like to help children and young adults afflicted with it, please visit the North American Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society at the link below.

My fight against IBS, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

I have always been a very active kid with lots of energy. In my youth, I was involved in many sports, both in and out of school and especially enjoyed camping, hockey, cycling and swimming.

Sadly, when I turned 12 and began high school, I started to get very sick.  At the time, I didn't know what the condition was.  My body was in turmoil and I didn't know why.  I began would experience severe abdominal pain and general fatigue, which resulted in a lot of trips to the bathroom!  Sometimes, as often as every 20 minutes. At one point, I was hospitalized and more tests were done to try and figure out what was happening to me.  It was determined that I had Crohn's disease.  I was put on medication, which was new to me, and unfortunately my body didn't react to it immediately and I continued to suffer.  Sometimes, the pain was so much that I would curl into a little ball and wait for it to pass.  I became afraid to leave home as I was worried about getting sick all the time. I quickly lost contact with most of my friends, and began to isolate myself. Things that I had enjoyed - like playing hockey - was too difficult for me to participate in.  Like many other kids who suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), I slowly began to isolate myself and cut the link with the real world.

At this time, I didn't have much help from my doctors and didn't really have support from other people suffering from the same thing. I was sure I was the only case in the world. I had missed a lot of days from school and didn't want to go back as I could not sit in a normal class for more than 20 minutes. Teachers weren't very understanding of my condition and would sometimes refuse me the permission to leave the class. It was an extremely stressfully time in my life and I didn't know what to do about it.

After trying many different medical and non-medical treatments, I realized that I would have to figure out this problem and solve it on my own. Being born in Quebec, I was like every other boy at that age - I would dream of playing in the NHL and be a professional hockey player. I wanted to get back on the ice with my friends and be able to play. A few years went by with a lot of painful learning about what I could and couldn't eat, what activities I could and couldn't do, and how much sleep I needed to feel good. It was also a learning experience in what medication could help reduce the illness.  I persisted, and made it back to the ice rink - although it was sporadic for a few months and I never really felt good.

At age 17, I got very sick again and had to have another series of tests.  This time, I was given a different diagnosis : Ulcerative Colitis. My first question to the doctor was : ''Can I still play hockey?'' . I was completely scared of the answer and the doctor told me it would be a great idea if I learned to listen to my body and choose non-physical activities that would be easier for me.  He said I should learn to live this way as it would be like this for the rest of my life.

At about the same time, I saw the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii on television. This insanely crazy event that required an athlete to swim 2.4 miles, ride for 112 miles and then run a marathon 26.2 miles, all on the same day under the hot sun of Hawaii. The event is considered to be the toughest one day endurance event in the world, and attracts the top athletes on the planet to compete at every October. It was clear to me that I wanted to become a Ironman.  I wanted to take on the challenge and regain confidence and control in my life.

It hasn't been an easy path, as I have had many flare ups and times of sickness, which resulted in a lot of visits to the hospital.  Persistence paid off and I finally became an Ironman in 1997, finishing Ironman Canada in 10h 46 minutes! I was on cloud 9! This was a turning point in my life where I realized that suffering from IBS should not hold you back, or keep you from having a normal life. Even more, finishing wasn't enough for me, I knew I wanted to become the best athlete in the discipline of triathlon and Ironman. I wanted to show others suffering from Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis that it was possible... I wanted to show MYSELF!

In the last 10 years, I have trained at the Canadian National Triathlon Training Center, taken part in the World Cup Triathlon Circuit, became the Canadian National Long Course Triathlon Champion and succeeded to achieve a podium finish at Ironman Canada coming in 2nd! I have realized my dream of being on the starting line at the most prestigious Ironman event - the World Championships in Hawaii - twice, as a professional athlete! There is still one title that is missing.... to be the World Champion in Hawaii.  This will hopefully come in a few years.  For now, I know that anything is possible if I work hard at it and surround myself with people who believe in me as well. It's important to be open to a challenge and know that if you have the right state of mind, your body will have the ability to overcome the challenges of competition and illness. If you strongly believe, and fight for what you want, it can happen.

I would say that I now live a pretty normal life, other than traveling around the world to race and train. I'm a full time athlete and consider myself very healthy. Of course, the occasional flare up will still happen and set me back, but I don't let it get to me. I know I need to listen to my body and rest when it's needed.  Living with Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis has made me a stronger, more determined person - nothing can stop me!

jonathan