Caroline ’s life-changing backpack

Caroline at a recent appointment getting her height and weight checked When it comes to being active, there is no stopping Caroline Spaulding. Whether speaking on behalf of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) legislation on Capitol Hill, performing in a ballet recital or lacing up her cleats for a soccer game, Caroline, 13, is a force to be reckoned with. Her strong sense of determination is what carried her through her Crohn’s disease diagnosis and the 12-week, formula-only treatment plan — exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) — that followed. “When I was nine years old, I stopped growing and started losing weight,” Caroline recalls. “I wasn’t experiencing any pain or diarrhea, which made it so much harder to diagnose my Crohn’s disease.” With Caroline’s fragile weight in mind, she and her mother, Erin, made frequent trips to their Connecticut-based pediatrician and saw numerous local specialists. “We were referred to every ‘ologist’ imaginable — we saw a rheumatologist, nephrologist, psychologist, oncologist,” Erin recalls. “Gastroenterology was our last stop.” A year and a half after the onset of her symptoms, Caroline was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. “I had a colonoscopy and they found inflammation in my small intestines,” she says. “That’s when they found the Crohn’s.” Once diagnosed, Caroline’s local specialist recommended steroid medications to reduce her intestinal inflammation. Unfortunately, the 11-y...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Bridget Hron Crohn's disease Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center Jocelyn Silvester Naamah Zitomersky Source Type: news