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Thursday, April 13, 2006
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Crohn's comeback kid Sports-loving Luke Surma won't be defeated by disease Staff Writer Luke Surma isn't a kid who lets life pass him by.
The Forestview seventh-grader loves to sail and enjoys board sports like kiteboarding in the winter and wakeboarding and surfing during the summer months. He recently joined the golf team and has participated in cross-country running and downhill skiing.
But the outgoing 12-year-old from Cushing suddenly became so ill last winter that he missed weeks of school. He suffered from bad headaches, fevers, stomach problems and extreme fatigue. Doctors tried to figure what was wrong with Luke. They initially thought he had a bad case of strep throat or Giardia, an illness caused by a parasite.
Luke lost 20 pounds when he became ill from November 2004 until his illness was diagnosed in February 2005. He missed more than 20 days of school. His parents, Bridget and Dan Surma, were understandably alarmed.
"I couldn't eat solid foods," said Luke. "Sometimes I could only drink."
"We were really scared," said Bridget Surma, a third-grade teacher at Baxter elementary. "When he was really sick we didn't know what to do."
In early February 2005, after undergoing a colonoscopy and endoscopy while seeing a Twin Cities specialist, Luke was diagnosed with a moderate to severe case of Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. His Crohn's disease, which attacks the digestive system, begins in his esophagus.
While the four months it took for Luke to be diagnosed with Crohn's disease may seem lengthy, it can be hard to diagnose in children because the initial symptoms may be nonspecific weight loss or delayed growth. According to the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Inc., the average delay in diagnosis is three years from the onset of symptoms in children.
What is Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases. They are chronic and painful disorders that affect the intestinal tract.
Ten percent, or 100,000, of the estimated 1 million Americans who suffer from IBD are under 18.
About 20 percent of patients have another family member with IBD.
Symptoms range from mild to severe and life-threatening and include any or all of the following:
Persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramps.
Rectal bleeding.
Intermittent fever, inflammation of the joints (arthritic-like symptoms).
Inflammation of skin or eyes.
Skin nodules and ulcers.
There is no cure for Crohn's disease. The surgical removal of the colon is the only cure for ulcerative colitis.
Information provided by the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Inc.
If you go
The annual Strike Out Crohn's and Colitis Bowl-a-thon is planned for 7-9 p.m. April 21 at Jack's House in Brainerd.
The bowling event is sponsored by the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Inc.
Individuals and groups of any skill level or age can participate in the event. No bowling experience is required.
For more information call the chapter office at (888) 422-3266 or register online at http://ccfa.kintera.org/minnesota/bowl.
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Luke now takes nine pills a day and receives intravenous Remicade infusions every couple of months at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. He also has his blood drawn every month to make sure his medications are working properly. The seventh-grader also has to watch what he eats and cannot eat raw vegetables, fruits, nuts or seeds which his body can't tolerate. He also has to limit his sugar intake.
Right now, Luke feels fine and has gotten ill only on rare occasions since he started treatment for Crohn's disease.
"I was just glad I got diagnosed and it was finally over," said Luke of his illness. "Every once in awhile I'll get a headache and not feel very good but it's only when I'm stressed."
When Luke and his family learned about the annual Strike Out Crohn's and Colitis Bowl-a-thon in Brainerd, Luke and his friends created a team of bowlers. Their "Got Guts?" bowling team raised more than $1,000 last year, more than any other bowling team at the benefit. This year Luke will again have a bowling team, hopefully two teams. Luke has been asked to be the lead participant in this year's event.
Third-graders in Bridget Surma's class at Baxter are forming a bowling team, as are first-graders in Karen Schroeder-Stave's classroom at Baxter elementary.
Luke is open about his battle with Crohn's disease and explains to his friends that he basically has "messed up intestines." While he has adjusted well to living with Crohn's, Luke is hoping by participating and raising money for Crohn's disease and colitis research, a cure will be found.
"I really want to find a cure or better medicine," said Luke when asked why he participates in the bowl-a-thon. "And it's just really fun."
Bridget Surma said Luke has had a positive attitude during this entire ordeal. He rarely complains and doesn't pity himself, she said.
"He's always just been a talker and it seems to go along with his personality to be open about this," said his mom.
"If God wanted me to be this way, that's fine," said Luke with a shrug of his shoulders.
Luke hopes to one day become a surgeon or gastroenterologist. He wants to help others like he has been helped by his own doctors.
Those who wish to sponsor Luke at the April 21 bowl-a-thon may do so online at http://ccfa.kintera.org/minnesota/bowl. Click on the link to sponsor a bowler and enter his name.
JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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