Month: January 2026

From Ulcerative Colitis to College Football: Nick Zecchino’s Comeback and the Birth of Carna Nutrition

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In 2016, Nick Zecchino was living the dream. After years of relentless dedication, he signed a Division I football scholarship to the University of Connecticut. For a young athlete who had poured his heart, body, and soul into the sport he loved, it was validation that every sacrifice had been worth it.

“I was on top of the world,” Nick recalls. “It was the proudest day of my life to that point. Then, one month later my health started to decline out of nowhere. It was scary, there were a lot of questions and uncertainties with what my future was going to hold.”

This week on Lights, Camera, Crohn’s a look at Nick’s remarkable journey and his comeback story both on and off the football field that left me in awe.

When a Dream Collides with a Diagnosis

Like many of us, Nick’s health issues blindsided him out of nowhere. He lost his appetite. Crushing fatigue set in. Blood appeared consistently in his stool, and his bowel movements increased dramatically. In March 2016, a colonoscopy confirmed what he had never even heard of before: ulcerative colitis.

At first, Nick assumed it would be manageable. Get it under control. Heal up. Be ready for UConn by June.

“I didn’t know the long road ahead,” he says.

Weeks turned into months, and instead of improving, his symptoms worsened. During his senior year of high school, Nick missed most of his baseball season due to a constant flare. Maintaining weight and building muscle, which are essential for a college football player, became nearly impossible. By April, the fear crept in: What if this costs me football?

Playing Through the Unthinkable at UConn

Nick arrived on campus determined to push through. But ulcerative colitis never truly loosened its grip.

From the first game of his freshman season to the last, his health declined sharply. Between September and November alone, during his first college football season, Nick lost more than 50 pounds! By the final game, he weighed just 145 pounds and looked visibly ill. He used the bathroom 20 to 25 times a day, often passing only blood and mucus.

“There really wasn’t any managing it at that point,” Nick says. “I just had to deal with it and the consequences.”

He tried to hide his illness from coaches and teammates, unwilling to show vulnerability or weakness. He timed bathroom breaks to the last possible minute before kickoff, rushed off at halftime, and avoided eating on game days altogether. Even then, the urgency never stopped.

Years of Medications and No Relief

Nick’s treatment history reads like a roadmap of severe disease. After initially trying mesalamine and Lialda, his doctors escalated to stronger therapies as his condition worsened. Over time, he was on Remicade, Humira, Entyvio, 6-MP, prednisone, and antibiotics like Cipro. He even tried multiple biologics still in clinical trials for ulcerative colitis.

Nothing worked to wrangle his IBD under control.

At one point, doctors administered the maximum dose of Remicade possible, at the shortest interval allowed. It still wasn’t enough.

A Turning Point

Eventually, Nick’s dad made the hardest call of his life.

“My dad picked me up from UConn because I couldn’t go on like that anymore.”

A few days later, they were sitting in a doctor office at Mount Sinai in New York with Dr. Arthur Kornbluth, an IBD specialist who would change the course of Nick’s life.

“Going to Mount Sinai saved my life,” Nick says simply.

Dr. Kornbluth tried everything. Every possible medical “trick in the book” to try and get Nick into clinical remission. But despite his efforts, Nick couldn’t achieve lasting remission. Finally, they faced the reality neither wanted to confront: surgery.

“It was terrifying,” Nick admits. “But it was the only way I could get my life back and maybe still have a chance to play football again after my future was put on hold for over two years. Making the decision to go to Mount Sinai and get surgery completely changed the trajectory of my life. It will always be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Three Surgeries. One Unbreakable Goal.

Nick had a total colectomy (which removed his entire colon and gave him a temporary colostomy bag, followed by Takedown surgery and a J-pouch). After the three surgeries in six months, Nick finally began to feel like himself again. In January 2019, he returned to the gym for the first time.

He was weak. Deconditioned. A shell of the athlete he once was. But his motivation never wavered.

“Football was my one and only motivation,” he says. “I spent nights in the hospital bed thinking about how I could get back on the field.”

By June 2019, Nick arrived at Purdue University. At this point, he was not just healthier, but also confident that his dream was no longer out of reach.

A Second Chance at Everything

Walking onto Purdue’s campus felt surreal. Nick felt like a freshman again, even though he wasn’t. In many ways, it was a new life.

“I was just so grateful,” he says. “I had a completely different outlook than anyone else my age.”

When game day arrived, the nerves hit harder than they ever had before. But the moment he took his first snap, they vanished.

“I felt like myself again,” Nick says. “It was one of the best feelings in the world.”

From that point forward, confidence replaced fear. He had already survived more than most people ever would.

Life After UC—and Living Medication-Free

During his four years at Purdue, Nick dealt with recurring pouchitis every couple of months. Antibiotics like Cipro helped, but he grew tired of relying on medication.

Determined to find another way, Nick dove into research on gut health, inflammation, and natural support. Supplements like L-glutamine made a noticeable difference. Eventually, the pouchitis stopped coming back.

One day, his dad noticed the growing lineup of supplements on the kitchen counter.

“If this works so well for you,” his dad asked, “why not create something that could help other people too?”

That conversation sparked the creation of Carna Nutrition and its flagship product, GUT R3BU1LD—a gut health formula inspired by Nick’s own journey.

The name Carna comes from Roman mythology: the goddess of health, vitality, and protection of the internal organs, while helping with digestion.

“I created the full spectrum formula of our product with the help of a health & wellness professional that has been in the industry for 25+ years,” explains Nick. “We also used the access to the manufacturers’ scientists that they have in-house to help us understand the way that the pharmaceutical grade and clinically studied dosages of the ingredients that we have in the product all work together synergistically in a beneficial way for every major gut healing pathway during digestive stress.”

“He Was on His Death Bed. It’s Incredible What He Did.”

Nick’s comeback left a lasting impression on everyone who witnessed it, including his football coaches.

Former UConn head coach and Purdue defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Bob Diaco, recalls:

“I remember watching him and trying to figure out how to stop it. My wife hadn’t seen him for a few months, and she was distraught. He was on his death bed for real. It was bad. It’s incredible what he did.”

“He’s the kind of kid that makes you better,” Diaco continued. “He’s been the underdog at every turn. He always comes out on top. He’s always making an impact on the people around him in a positive way.”

A Message to His Younger Self and to Young Athletes Today

If Nick could speak to his 2016 self, he knows exactly what he’d say:

“Your journey isn’t going to look anything like you imagine, but it’s going to be the most rewarding path for you. Trust it.”

And for young athletes with IBD who are scared their diagnosis might end their dreams?

“Your diagnosis is not the end of your story,” Nick says. “You’re allowed to struggle. You’re allowed to take time to heal. But don’t lose hope. Most of the battle is mental. Stay strong, stay supported, and keep chasing your dreams.”

Where to Find Nick and Carna Nutrition

Nick’s story is a reminder that even when IBD takes everything, it doesn’t get the final word. Sometimes, it forges something stronger than before. Whether you’re a young person living with IBD or a caregiver worried about what the future will hold for your child, I hope Nick’s incredible story of resilience serves as inspiration to show all that’s possible despite the difficult diagnosis of IBD. I found it interesting that Nick wouldn’t trade all he’s endured to be where he is today, as I always say the same. As time passes and hindsight is 20/20 so many of us experience a transformation that shapes who we are today, all because of the struggles that took us to get here.

A New Study Suggests Crohn’s Disease May Be Detectable Years Before Symptoms Begin

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New research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology offers a glimpse into what Crohn’s disease may look like before it officially begins and the findings could have major implications for how we understand, monitor, and potentially prevent the disease in the future. As an IBD mom of three kids ages 8, 7, and 4, research like this always feels a bit bittersweet. While I’m grateful for the strides in research, I’m apprehensive about the burden and grief I would feel if I was able to know if my children would one day receive the same diagnosis.

As someone diagnosed with Crohn’s at age 21, I’m grateful for my two decades of blissful, perfect health. Had I known a complicated chronic illness would one day riddle my body, I’m not sure how I would have coped and dealt with that news.

This week on Lights, Camera, Crohn’s a look at what the latest research discovered, the complicated emotions IBD parents may feel, and what the future may hold for us all as a community.

Why This Matters: Crohn’s May Start Long Before Diagnosis

The study found that certain immune responses in the blood, specifically elevated IgG antibodies targeting a conserved region of bacterial flagellin (a protein found on gut bacteria) were present years before people were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. In other words, the immune system appeared to be reacting to gut bacteria long before symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, or weight loss ever showed up.

This study followed 381 first-degree relatives of Crohn’s patients, 77 of whom went on to develop the disease. Among them, 28 (more than a third) had elevated antibody responses.

One of the most important takeaways from this research is the timing. Most Crohn’s biomarkers are identified after the disease is active. This study, however, suggests that immune dysregulation may begin well in advance of clinical disease. This supports the idea that Crohn’s develops gradually rather than suddenly.

That distinction matters. If Crohn’s truly has a long preclinical phase, it opens the door to earlier monitoring and potentially earlier intervention, especially for people who are already at higher risk, such as first-degree relatives of those living with Crohn’s disease. A first degree relative is a parent, child, or sibling.

According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, 36% of children born to two parents with IBD will develop the condition at some point during their life. The risk is substantially less when only one parent has IBD, with The National Human Genome Research Institute sharing there’s a 7-9% chance.

A Potential Blood Test for Risk, Not Diagnosis (Yet)

It’s important to be clear: this is not a diagnostic test and it’s not something patients can request from their doctor today. But it does raise the possibility that, one day, blood-based immune markers could help identify those who are more likely to develop Crohn’s before symptoms begin.

For families affected by IBD, this kind of risk stratification could be meaningful. Instead of waiting years for symptoms to escalate, or for damage to occur, high-risk individuals might one day be monitored more closely or offered early preventive strategies. As an IBD mom, I feel as though I would struggle with knowing whether this was something I wanted to dig deep for, while also not wanting to get in the way of stopping disease progression. It’s not a black and white situation by any means. If these types of blood tests are available when my kids are teenagers, and I were to get results that broke my heart, I’d feel obligated to be transparent and share—would I really want my kids, who have witnessed me living with Crohn’s their whole lives, to know this would one day be part of their own story? It stresses me out just trying to imagine it.

What This Could Mean for Prevention Research

Another compelling aspect of the study is that the immune response was directed at a conserved portion of bacterial flagellin. This means it’s shared across many gut bacteria. That finding has sparked discussion about whether future therapies or vaccines could target these immune pathways in people who are high risk for Crohn’s.

While prevention remains a long-term goal rather than a current reality, this research reflects a broader shift in IBD science: moving upstream to understand why Crohn’s starts, not just how to treat it once it’s already established, and as an IBD mom I am certainly grateful for that.

What This Doesn’t Mean (Yet)

As exciting as this research could be, it’s not a crystal ball. Not everyone with these immune markers will develop Crohn’s, and many people with Crohn’s were never tested years before diagnosis. Larger studies are still needed to validate these findings across diverse populations and to determine how predictive these markers truly are.

For now, this study adds another piece to the puzzle, one that reinforces what many patients already know intuitively: Crohn’s disease doesn’t start the day you’re diagnosed.

The Bigger Picture

Our community often experiences years of delayed diagnosis, misattributed symptoms, and unanswered questions, so research like this matters. It shifts the narrative from “why didn’t we catch this sooner?” to “how early can we understand and intervene?”

While we’re not there yet, this study represents an important step toward a future where Crohn’s disease is identified earlier, monitored more thoughtfully, and one day possibly prevented altogether.

For parents living with IBD, research like this can carry an added emotional burden. The idea that Crohn’s disease may be detectable years before symptoms begin can stir complicated feelings, especially for those who worry about whether they’ve passed on a genetic risk to their children. Some parents may want every possible tool to protect their child’s future health, while others may find the thought of early testing anxiety-provoking or guilt-inducing. There’s no right or wrong response. I get it and struggle with how I’d handle this, too. Living with IBD already requires navigating uncertainty, and this research underscores how deeply personal decisions about risk, knowledge, and monitoring can be for families. As science moves forward, it will be just as important to support parents emotionally as it is to advance early detection tools.

Additional Research

Crohn’s Disease May Be Detectable Years Before Symptoms

Familial and ethnic risk in inflammatory bowel disease – PMC

Targeting Disease Prediction and Prevention: The New Frontier in IBD

Deciphering the different phases of preclinical inflammatory bowel disease | Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

The GEM Project – The GEM Project – Crohn’s and Colitis Canada