10353" * 5 r 130' * -&
Kristina Bercier enjoys her little miracle
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
become almost a hermit, reluctant at going outside of the confines of the home for fear of humiliation and embarrassment in case of a public «accident». «You tend to keep yourself to yourself,» Kristina said. «You don’t want to show your- self to others. A lot of the times, it’s bloating, and cramping, and running to the wash- room.» The physical discomfort becomes an al- most daily reality. Most of the time, Kristina noted, she was able to deal with the pain she felt in her bowels. «I learned to just breathe,» she said, «just breathe, and no one would know how I felt.» The cause of Crohn’s Disease is still un- known. It may be hereditary, or there may be environmental factors that serve to trigger it. What medical specialists know is that its main targets are children and young adults. But the disease has no respect for age.There are some Crohn’s Disease patients stricken with the condition at a very senior age. One of the initial problems confronting someone suffering Crohn’s Disease is get- ting an accurate diagnosis at first. Kristine recalled that she first began to experience some of the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease when she was 18. But it was ten years before she at last got an accurate diagnosis from someone who was familiar with the disease. «My (regular) doctor tried every pill for anxiety, ulcers, you name it, I’ve tried everything,» she said. «I’ve been diagnosed for celiac (disease) and depression.»
Kristina Bercier has three words to describe her firstborn daughter, Amelia. “My first miracle.” She smiled as she looked down at her three-year-old daughter, someone Kristina never thought she would have ever seen, when she first learned that she had Crohn’s Disease. «I’ma stay-at-homemomnow,» she said, adding that her second-oldest daughter, Mianna, is now two. «I’m expecting my third (child) now. Which, at one point, I would never have thought I would be healthy enough to have a child.» Crohn’s Disease, also known as ulcerative colitis, is what doctors call «an inflammatory bowel condition», which means that one or more parts of the gastrointestinal tract, from themouth itself down to the anus, may become inflamed and swell up to the point that normal digestion and bowel movements can be difficult at best, or almost impossible at worst. When the disease is in either the acute or chronic stages, it can be painful, debilitating, and often embarrassing for the person afflicted. «When it’s at its worst,» Kristina said, «you’re in pain, and you’re embarrassed, and you’re alone. I was alone in the sense that I would go to work, then I would come home, and I wouldn’t go out at all otherwise.» Besides the physical pain and discom- fort, Crohn’s Disease can force a person to
Miracle child andmiraclemother Amelia and Kristina Bercier share a little quiet time at the Scotiabank branch in Russell following their participation in theMarch 6 official launch of the annual Ladies Night Gala campaign of the Russell Agricultural Society. Ms Bercier is a Crohn’s Disease survivor and the most valuable things she has in the world now are her children, memories of the time she has had to enjoy with them, and hope now that she will have even more time and memories with them in the future.
At one point in her life, her condition had worsened to the point where she could not eat and keep anything down. She just kept vomiting up food until her stomach was empty and the dry heaves began. She was taken to hospital for another examination and another round of treatment for whatever diagnosis resulted. «There, I met a wonderful doctor,» she said, «who did a CT scan and then treated me properly. Now I’m in remission. After two surgeries.» Surgery is often the final resort for treat- ment of Crohn’s Disease.The damaged por- tions of the bowel system responsible for the discomfort and the symptoms are removed. Afterwards, careful attention to diet, use of certainmedications may be needed to deal with any inflammation flare-ups or other symptoms, and regular exercise can allow a person with Crohn’s Disease to live their life outside of house and home again. Which is what Kristina went out and did. «I got married, I had two kids, and now I do know what to avoid and what to do,»
she said, then laughed when she revealed a «mother’s little helper» secret about dealing with Crohn’s Disease that puzzles doctors. «Pregnancy is a wonderful way for deal- ing with Crohn’s Disease,» she said, adding that during pregnancy a woman’s immune system is suppressed a bit and that seems to help keep Crohn’s Disease in remission also. Crohn’s Disease itself targets the body’s immune systembut a woman in a pregnant state has a natural barrier to the condition. Which amuses Kristina, as she keeps busy chasing after her two little daughters in between everything else she now feels able to do. That includes serving on this year’s Russell Agricultural Society’s organization committee for the annual Ladies Night Gala. Profits from this year’s event, which will be held on May 1, will support Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. «Now I feel great,» she said. «I have a small business of my own where I make wedding invitations, banners and such. I do lots of crafts. I find themall very therapeutic and calming.»
En route vers les éliminatoires en impro
L’équipe d’improvisation les Dynamos de l’École secondaire catholique de Casselman, a remporté le tournoi d’impro du Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est Ontarien (CSDCEO) à Alexandria, le 12mars dernier. Fabien Provost, Patrick Racine, Alexandre Lalonde, Caleb Séguin, Kassandra Dignard, Émilie-AnneThéoret, Maxence Racine et Marc-André Courville se dépasseront une fois de plus, le 25 mars prochain, lors du tournoi éliminatoire qui se tiendra à l’École secondaire catholique de Plantagenet.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker