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Your view on New Ads Depicting Crohn's

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Posted 1/8/2013 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All, I haven't been around for several months but was curious about how other IBD sufferers feel about the depiction of Crohns and Colitis in the new CCFA awareness campaign. Here is a link to an article about them:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/business/media/crohns-and-colitis-foundation-begins-new-campaign.html?adxnnl=1&smid=fb-share&adxnnlx=1357683975-3SxQOsz6prCOcq+IQrVmmA

Personally I am all for trying to find the humor in things and showing a variety of people but the idea of using a bathroom stall is annoying to me. If Crohn's was just about running to the bathroom frequently I could deal with that. But to me its more about the pain and uncertainty and knowing that there is damage being done inside of me. I have yet to see any public service announcement really make clear to people what the emotional and physical toll of Crohns is. Would love to here your opinions on whether it is effective or not!
Posted 1/9/2013 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Labradorite,

Crohn's disease goes so far beyond just having to make use of a bathroom or being aware of where one is.
While the diarrhea, the frequency of how many times a day someone with Crohn's may have to go to the bathroom, is only the tip of the iceberg.
The frequency of having to go to the bathroom, the diarrhea can be painful in itself, very sore backside, dreading of having to go to the bathroom again, again, more pain in regards to that alone.
Then there's the dreaded abdominal cramping, pain that is surreal, a pain that others that don't have Crohn's cannot fathom.
The weight loss, the frustration, the anger, the emotional factors when it comes to having Crohn's disease. The medications we're prescribed that can be life threatening themselves, complications, side effects, long term exposure and damage they can cause. The surgeries that many of us will face at some point in our lives.

I am in agreement with you, I have yet to see any public service announcement that even comes close to going into more detail and the impact Crohn's disease can cause to someone. The physical and mental toll it can cause, it truly can and commonly does impact us physically and mentally.
Poor choice of wording or the ad in general, a day she'll never forget. I understand it's about a wedding day but they're attempting to address an issue that is chronic, an ad or announcement should definitely illustrate that it is in fact a chronic disease that goes well beyond a bathroom stall, imo.
Posted 1/9/2013 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
I'm so bored of seeing Crohn's represented as a bathroom issue. Personally I literally could not agree more with this sentence:

If Crohn's was just about running to the bathroom frequently I could deal with that.

I would happily return to a time when Crohn's was nothing other than running to the bathroom a few times a day. No pain, no fevers, no strictures, could eat anything I wanted, still felt well in myself. Absolute doddle compared to nowadays.

I'll describe my last flare-up briefly. It involved many, many visits to the bathroom, but much of the time I barely passed anything. However, whether I passed a lot or a little or virtually nothing, each BM would leave me doubled up in agony from anything from 10 minutes to an hour. Then, oh dear god, the burning backside pain. I think I must have developed anal fissures, because it got to a point where it literally felt like a million minute glass shards were embedded in my rear end and I would have flecks of blood on the tissue paper: that also was sheer agony.

Previously, I also have had obstructions, fevers (even low-grade ones are debilitating; higher ones make you feel like death), overwhelming fatigue. I have been lucky to have not yet experience the dubious joy of fistulas and abscesses. But I did develop an overwhelming fear of eating, to the point of developing an ED; I can thank the Crohn's for that. I can also thank it for robbing most of the joy of eating for me; I no longer give a crap about going out to restaurants, and that used to be literally my favourite thing in life. It took years but Crohn's finally did it, it finally stopped me caring about food. These days I'd take a frikking pill 3x a day, if it ensured me my daily 2000 calories and be done with it.

So yeah... Running to the toilet is a really, really, really minor aspect of Crohn's for me. The debilitating fatigue, pain, and upcoming ileostomy weighs far more heavily on my mind than a bit of pain-free diarrhoea which is over in 2 seconds.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 1/8/2013 6:45:44 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/9/2013 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
PS: Don't even get me onto the meds.
Posted 1/9/2013 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with NCOT. It is much more than a bathroom issue. For me it encompasses pain, blood transfusions during severe flares, pancrea***, heart issues, extreme fatigue and much , much more.
Posted 1/9/2013 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
Yep. The crappy side-effects, either from extra-intestinal manifestations of the disease or the meds, are a bundle of laughs in themselves. My main EI issues have been anaemia and fevers. Anaemia is not as easily correctible as it might seem; I had a blood transfusion when I was in hospital last September, and I'm already anaemic again. I have 'thick' blood, ie blood more prone to clotting, thanks to the Crohn's as well. I can barely walk without pain in my legs and breathlessness these days, let alone anything more active or sporty. I feel as unhealthy as unhealthy can be.

/whingefest

I'm sure my issues aren't as bad as many with this disease. But they've still been enough to significantly impact my life...
Posted 1/9/2013 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
It's about time the foundation realizes they need to raise their voice. Because this excerpt does not hold true for me: "Chances are, you know one of the nearly 1 in 200 Americans who suffers from the debilitating pain and constant disruptions that come with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.” I only know of my cousin, and my 2nd uncle, and my uncle and aunt who share some form of celiac disease together.

Before 2011 I had no awareness of crohns and that anything of the sort even existed! I'm not going to lie though, I'll probably get a little red in the face if I'm with my family watching TV or a movie and these ads run...

I already flip channels when the Humira commercials come on. The newest one they've used for a while now is okay, but the ad they featured in 2011 (before being diagnosed) scared the crap out of me with the music and the man and women in a meeting room, not being able to hold their bowels. :( Still, the commercial made absolutely no sense to me.

So maybe this is a positive thing.
Posted 1/9/2013 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
I think the ads are good in that they are bringing awareness of the disease to the public. I think that using humor is a good way to defuse the not very pretty subject of frequent BMs and gas etc that we suffer. That said though they MUST delve a little deeper because many will not understand the level of pain, fear, depression, cancer, and general debilitation....
Posted 1/9/2013 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
I wonder why HW bleeped out pancrea titis? I broke it up into 2 words so it would post, LOL.
Posted 1/9/2013 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
I agree.the ads seem to make light of the worse parts of crohn's by just focusing on one part. For many of us the constant pain and exhaustion is far worse and is what causes most of us to be on and off disability. I am sure I will hear from some "friends" I saw that ad.....should you watch what you eat?
Posted 1/9/2013 6:15 AM (GMT 0)
I know of no way that they can depict pain in a TV commercial. How many of your coworkers and acquaintences are aware of your pain at the time you are experiencing it? And how often? Its just not something that is easily portrayed and one of the reasons doctors ask us to rate our pain on a scale of 1-10 or 1-5.

At least the current commercials will hopefully get across our need for access to a business's bathroom so there are no more "Old Navy" type of incidents!

Posted 1/9/2013 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
I feel the same exact way. I think those commercials just show everyone else that we are just always struggling to find a restroom because of the urgent and/or frequent bm's.
I know you really can't portray pain on camera especially fistulas or abscesses, fissures, hemmoroids, things like that. But those commercials of worryingly looking for a restroom makes Crohn's look like strictly a bathroom issue. What a dream that would be! Having BM's with no pain, no fissures, no skin tags, no fistulas or hemmoroids. That would be a dream! And Crohn's isn't just about the restroom, they never talk about the joint pain or eye pain and the fatigue than can go along with Crohn's.
Posted 1/9/2013 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
Every time I see the Humira commercial I want to throw something at the tv! While I agree there are limitations to what can be depicted on a commercial, I wish they wouldn't "dumb CD down". Finding a restroom is the least of my everyday struggles. And the know it all coworkers, tell you all you need to do is take that drug in that crohn's commercial. (Idon't sound bitter do I?)
Posted 1/9/2013 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I just recently growled at the TV to my husband because of the commercials---so I guess I am not a big fan :-). Like others said, frequent bathroom trips are the least of my worries. I guess commercials for drugs would never mention about the financial concerns of having the disease :-) and that is one of my big stressors. However, I think they could address the pain in the commentary...I am actress and I know I can portray pain in a 30 second commercial even on my best days. Heck walking around my office some folks said they can see the pain in my face or the way I walk. They should at least address the other effects of the disease if they are truly trying to promote the drug as a treatment for more than just running to the bathroom---I can see Immodium using these commercials as that is what they treat. Oh wait that is right---no commerical actually shows what it is selling any more---awww Lamb61 now I sound bitter too hehehehe.
Posted 1/10/2013 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
I think they are pretty dead on about how I feel when I'm walking around looking for a clean, private public bathroom stall. Most commercials don't get things right, so I don't take it personally. I don't think I'm an expert on yeast infections, Rheumatoid Arthritis or erectile dysfunction and I see those commercials all the time! I guess I just laugh it off and move on, however, I do like the fact that they are at least making people more aware of the disease! If someone is having symptoms, it may lead them to do some more research.
Posted 1/10/2013 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
I don't even really get D anymore. It was definitely a major symptom at first, but now it's mostly abdominal pain and small obstructions. And I agree with some posters - if it was JUST D I think I would be a lot happier! The pain and cramping and gas is the horrible part.
Posted 1/10/2013 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
imo, some commercials are better than no commercials, even if they don't portray things quite the way we'd like.

Besides, even a Grade A moron knows not to believe EVERYTHING they see on TV. If anyone tries to act like they know everything about you because they saw a commercial, you can pull the old "You believe everything you see on TV?" card.
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