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a political candidate with Crohn's!

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/25/2010 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
And he's being open about his illness and campaigning on health issues!

I heard about this fellow on the radio, and thought people here might find him interesting:

http://www.abc.net.au/elections/vic/2010/guide/mord.htm

Scroll down until you find Brandon Hoult.
Posted 11/25/2010 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Very interesting. Best of luck to him. Hope he does well with this and is able to help others.



John F. Kennedy had some form of IBD.
Posted 11/25/2010 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
I thought JFK had Addisons?

I doubt he'll do well, but I rejoice whenever someone comes out in public and makes a serious political point about the long-term physical, emotional and financial impact of chronic illness, as this person has done. I think we all need to have our problems taken much more seriously.

Ivy.
Posted 11/25/2010 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
ps. I wouldn't like to juggle Crohn's and politics, would you? I wonder how he'll manage all the travelling and the stress and the late-night sittings?
Posted 11/25/2010 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
Eisenhower had Crohn's too... I think while in office he had a resection. I sure wouldn't want to juggle the two either!
Posted 11/25/2010 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
I think JFK had colitis as well.
Posted 11/25/2010 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
Ivy- Not sure I'll have to google that. When I was diagnosed someone told me that JFK had some form of IBD. Just googled it and he had colitis and addisons.

HAHA No I wouldn't at all. I can't even juggle every day normal life. Too much time away from home, no time with family and friends. Plus I'm sure the job would be pretty boring. It would put me to sleep.
Posted 11/25/2010 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Wow thats really interesting. I think if his disease is under control he could do the job pretty well. I wish him well.
Posted 11/26/2010 8:27 AM (GMT 0)
JFK really sufferred from chronic pain from his disease and I watched a documentary once on the history channel that talked of his colitis and the pain that it caused him. They actually said in the documentary that he most likely had Crohn's disease because it had an effect on how entire bowel. He had a physician with him at all times that gave him several pain medication injections daily. Sorry, I am huge JFK fan and watch everything that I can on his life.
It is actually surprising how many famous musicians and actors have had this disease and still had great careers. There are a couple websites that are about famous people with Crohn's disease and have interviews about their disease. It is very inspiring to know that maybe one day I will be able to resume my career and give back to society. There are others here that have motivated me in similar manners.
Posted 11/26/2010 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, all! You're right: very inspiring.
Posted 11/26/2010 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
The Mayor of Boston, MA has Crohn's. He was just re-elected for I think his 5th term (could be 4th) he was diagnosed while in office many years ago. Not the same as president, but Massachusetts politics being what they are, the Mayor of Boston gets treated like he's really something and is always on the TV and at every event going. He's had a couple of short hospital stays and they are always big news around here.
Posted 11/26/2010 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Wasn't he just in the hospital this week? He had some infection from a cut and needed IV antibiotics or something. I didn't know he had it. Learn something new everyday!
Posted 11/26/2010 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
For these reason I think it makes those of us needing SSDI hard since they see other people who have this DD able to work in high stress situations i.e in the music business (guitarist from pearl jam, and singer anastacia), football and hockey players, actors (such as shannon doherty), and political figures. I think what those without the disease and even those with a mild version just dont get how utterly debilitating this DD can be. I know for many years after my Dx I had mild CD then in 07 I am now classified as sever and what a difference. It is only flaring mild to moderate at this time but still there is such a large span for those with it that is just hard to grasp
Posted 11/26/2010 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
Agreed.
Posted 11/27/2010 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
dennis kucinich has crohn's, he's apparently treating it with a vegan diet (not sure if he's on meds)
Posted Today 11:47 AM (GMT 0)
This is a really interesting thread.

I think I have done a lot of growing up this year, my 24th of life.

I have always been driven and motivated, and wondered how much of it is good and how much bad.

I have launched myself into an exciting, dream-job, after studying communications, pr, journalism...

Working in the media department of one of Australia's most prominent and well-respected art galleries.

I despised my old job for its lack of challenge, and mundane nature... same thing, day in day out, nothing exciting, nothing challenging, nothing creative...

now I am over the moon, I beat 390 applicants to win the position!! But absolutely petrified. I have had to work some 12 hour days. And that's 12 hours of running after camera crews, back and forth from galleries, in here and over there, on the phone, schmoozing, liaising, running back and forth... our new exhibit launches 17 Dec, which is going to mean three 15-hour days in a row. I was told recently by my boyfriend that sometimes I give more than I take, and I need to take a little more.

..Since starting 2.5 months ago, my Crohn's has deteriorated.

I'm getting a food phobia due to obstruction/stricture issues, gurgling gas and pain. And I am always tired. I now nap in the bathroom each lunch time.

I am going day to day at the moment, 'surviving' until the end of the month: Christmas, when I can rest and recover.

But I am realising what I face in my life, and I am not happy with it. What I am happy with, is seeing people succeed. I hear too many sad stories about people giving up work. This would KILL me. More than the illness. I am going to read up about JFK now :) thanks for sharing
Posted Today 1:08 PM (GMT 0)

Yes Ike's surgery was for "regional ileitis" which is what they tended to call Crohns back then.

Actually Crohns is no more of a hindrance for life in politics than for any other job. I am on staff for a member of Congress who just got elected Governor and worked for a past Governor as well. Both knew I had CD and took an interest in it. Unfortunately no legislation has yet been invented to abolish IBD . . .

Posted Today 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
In my humble opinion it is usually the citizens not the politicians that end up dealing with all the crap that takes place in government . Maybe this guy will have a better handle on it.
Posted Today 10:04 PM (GMT 0)

dragonfly137927 said...
For these reason I think it makes those of us needing SSDI hard since they see other people who have this DD able to work in high stress situations i.e in the music business (guitarist from pearl jam, and singer anastacia), football and hockey players, actors (such as shannon doherty), and political figures. I think what those without the disease and even those with a mild version just dont get how utterly debilitating this DD can be. I know for many years after my Dx I had mild CD then in 07 I am now classified as sever and what a difference. It is only flaring mild to moderate at this time but still there is such a large span for those with it that is just hard to grasp

This reminded me of a guy a few years ago who posted me examples of professional athletes with Crohn's. His attitude was: if they could do it, anybody with Crohn's could do it, and I was just being lazy. (I don't even remember how it started now, but he was [and still is] a gym nut and was probably trying to get me to hit the weights.) Any attempt to explain that Crohn's affected people differently was dismissed as an excuse.

People's personalities also make a massive difference of course. I'm sure a driven person in my shoes would be out there working 12 hours a day, or whatever, until they physically collapsed on the spot. My brain simply isn't wired that way. I'm lazy, a daydreamer, unmotivated. Doesn't matter to me what anybody else with Crohn's does since a) the manifestation of their disease and b) their personality is bound to be so different to mine as to make their situation irrelevant to mine. My brother (who also has Crohn's) alone is proof of that.

I'm probably alone in this, but I do not want to know which public figures have Crohn's disease or have them campaigning on "my" behalf. I feel no sense of connection to these people whatsoever.
Posted Today 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
No offence, NCOT, but from what you've said about your brother (here, on the forums), he has an much milder case of Crohn's than you do. No wonder he is able to be more active than you are.

PLEASE stop putting yourself down!

Ivy.
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