COVID-19 – Page 2 – lights camera crohn's

UPDATE: Since this story was shared on March 30th, Jadyn’s COVID-19 test came back. After two weeks of waiting, the test came back positive.

Imagine your 14-month-old baby being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. That was the reality for Anna and Jon Richt of Georgia. Fast forward a few years and their daughter, Jadyn, is now five years old and thriving with IBD. This past week though, the Richt family had quite a scare. Jadyn woke up with a fever and a slight cough. Given the craziness of the times we live in right now, they immediately called the COVID-19 hotline. Once the person on the other line heard about Jadyn’s health history and the fact she is immunocompromised, they agreed, Jadyn needed to be seen. In urgent care, Jadyn was tested for the flu, strep throat, and COVID-19. The Richt’s were told they would have a test result in five days, it’s been more than a week now, and still no result.

Prior to all the discussion on social distancing and sheltering in place, Anna and Joe had traveled domestically. Family members who had been staying in their home had recently traveled internationally. Anna says, “The strep test came back positive, which gave us a sense of relief. But it didn’t cancel the possibility of COVID-19. We have been watching her closely, ready to sound the alarm at any sign of health deterioration. Thankfully, she is feeling much better and I believe she is bouncing back to her normal self.”

What’s it like to raise a daughter with IBD from such a young age? Jadyn has a G-tube, and Anna is passionate about spreading awareness about feeding tubes to educate others. I’ll allow Anna to take you back to the beginning, so you can have a better grasp of their ongoing journey and how it’s brought them to where they are today.

Seeing blood when my baby was six months old

I started seeing blood in Jadyn’s stool when she was around six weeks old and immediately called her pediatrician. He chalked it up to a couple of things, mostly related to breastfeeding issues and didn’t seem too concerned. When she was eight months old, my husband’s job moved us far away from family and her symptoms worsened. Her new pediatrician was concerned about her weight loss and sent us to the hospital for further testing.

A colonoscopy showed lesions all throughout her GI tract. Crohn’s disease was mentioned but the gastroenterologist was hesitant to diagnose it because of Jadyn’s young age. I did exactly what they say not to do and Googled Crohn’s Disease. The symptoms were spot on: “Bloody stools, persistent diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss.” I’m not sure I’ve ever told anyone this, but deep down, I knew.

Dealing with the diagnosis

The diagnosis eventually came when Jadyn was 14 months old. The first couple years were nothing short of a dog fight. I remember sitting in my sister’s living room after an appointment when all of the sudden the doctor’s number popped up on my phone. She was calling to say that Jadyn’s lab results didn’t look good and we needed to head to the hospital right away.

My sister and I sat there in disbelief and cried. I remember her saying through her tears, “I feel like you are under attack.” We were. But we fought back. There have been countless doctors’ appointments, feeding tubes, eating therapies, procedures, you name it. She has been a trooper through it all and I am so happy to report that her current medication is working. Thankfully, she is a normal 5-year-old for the most part, which I don’t take for granted.

What has the journey been like for me as her mother?

It’s by far the hardest thing I’ve ever faced in my life. At the beginning I assumed it was something we could easily get under control and move on. I now know it is a marathon race, not a sprint. Watching my child suffer, and not being able to fix the problem despite my best effort made me feel like I was failing her.

It’s been lonely at times. Don’t get me wrong, we have the most amazing family and friends. They have supported us unconditionally every step of the way. But because she was diagnosed so young, we’ve never met another child her age with Crohn’s. I couldn’t call one of my mom friends and ask, “What anti-TNF drug worked for your child?” or “How are you potty training your two-year-old who is flaring?” Instead, we’ve pioneered this head-on, and I’ve completely relied on my faith to get me through. People often say how strong I am, but honestly, I believe it’s God’s strength in me that they see. When I look back on these past five years, I know without a doubt He has carried us. I can honestly say I am proud of the mother I have become due to this disease. I am brave and empathetic. I’ve developed grit and survive on grace.

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What I want to say to parents of children with IBD

Take care of yourself. I always think of the airplane safety guide. Secure your oxygen mask before helping others. You cannot fully care for your child if you don’t take care of yourself first. Some days that may mean a 30-minute workout and drinking plenty of water. Other days it’s meeting with a counselor to address the emotional toll the disease has taken.

Let others help. They really want to. Use that time to step away and catch your breath.

See your child for who they are. Your child is more than their disease. They are uniquely designed for a specific purpose.

You can do this. I firmly believe that you were handpicked by God to be your child’s mother. Continue to advocate and cheer them on. Take it one day at a time.

Jadyn and her little sister

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

You can follow Anna by checking out her blog: Grit to Grace

Anna’s Instagram: @grit.to.grace

Chances are by now your grocery store has instituted a designated hour each morning for the “vulnerable” population to shop. Vulnerable meaning the immunocompromised, the elderly, and the those who are pregnant. Target and Wal-Mart are on board with this too, one day a week. While in theory this is greatly appreciated, many people who are taking advantage of this option have been met with huge crowds and empty shelves.

As a 36-year-old with an invisible illness, Crohn’s disease, I was curious if I would be questioned or given dirty looks if I shopped during these hours. To the average person, I look healthy. I called two local grocery stores and my local Target to see if I would need a doctor’s note or a prescription bottle with my name upon entering the store. Everyone was extremely kind and said no questions would be asked and that it’s just an honor system. Still, as a young person I can’t help but assume I would be met with some eye rolls and attitude. I too was hopeful and a bit skeptical that the rest of the population would be honest and not try and to take advantage of the system.

So, after one week of isolation in my home, I strapped on one of two N95 masks my husband had lying around the house from some construction projects and a pair of surgical gloves we had on hand from when my son had Hand, Foot, and Mouth as a baby and ventured out to see just how it would be to utilize the shopping hours for the high risk. We were down to about five slices of bread and no meat, I figured shopping during this special time when the store opened would be our best chance at getting what our family needed.

Here is what surprised me

I was one of five people in the store wearing a mask. I was the only person wearing gloves. It felt like the day before Christmas when you are like a sardine walking in a slow line, aisle by aisle. The situation made me feel anxious and unsafe. I was the youngest person by far…and I’m not all that young, but it was mostly the 60+ crowd. I wasn’t questioned by employees or shoppers but feel as though my mask and gloves did the talking for me. While I was shopping, I wondered if it was more crowded than a random time of day…or if this is just how busy grocery stores are now around the clock?

The safety of shopping around other high-risk patients

I asked Dr. Neilanjan Nandi, MD, FACP, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center about whether there was any danger in putting all the high risk people together to shop, or if he felt it was safer to go first thing in the morning before all the crowds throughout the day. He said, “It may be safer to go early in the store when there are simply less absolute number of people around to contract the illness from. It is the shear number of people that ultimately contributes to the virus’ spread. Therefore, limiting the number of individuals that we come in contact with is among our best options in both preventing our own infection and slowing its spread to others.”

Dr. Nandi went on to say regarding IBD, it is patients who are on a high dose of steroids (particularly over a daily dose of 20 mg) that are of the greatest concern right now. “While good data is unavailable, the biologic class of IBD therapeutics were specifically developed to avoid the high risk of infection that steroids confer on magnitudes far greater. I encourage all IBD patients to maintain their current therapies. If on steroids, have a discussion with your primary IBD specialist about other options and of course maintain vigilant social distancing practices.”

If you are single or don’t have a choice but to do your grocery shopping, I would recommend utilizing the special hour that’s been set aside, but if you have the option to stay home and have another family member or friend do the shopping, do that. My husband has been doing all our grocery shopping and Target runs, I simply went to gain perspective and see firsthand how it would be for a young person, with a disease that isn’t visible, during these wild times. If I had been shopping without a mask and gloves on, maybe I would have been asked what I was doing there. It’s hard to say. Overall, I’m grateful businesses are recognizing the need to do all they can to try and protect those who are at greatest risk of catching COVID-19, your efforts are appreciated.

Click here for a list of major retailers offering specific accommodations for shopping.

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Tag: COVID-19