Crohn's disease: Big Brother star's personal battle
Big Brother star Peter Timbs tells his story of his ongoing battle with Crohn’s disease, the inflammatory bowel disease that has affected his life.
‘I was losing blood and heaps of weight, which was making me really grumpy,’ said Peter Timbs, 29, referring to his personal battle with Crohn’s disease. Peter's condition and the impact it has on his life was recently made public during his 7-week stint on Channel 10’s Big Brother programme.
‘My health was fine until week 5 in the house, when I had a relapse and couldn’t hide it. Christina (Peter’s in-house girlfriend) was copping it hard from me. So I made a decision to tell her and all of the house mates,’ Peter confessed.
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is life-long, incurable, non-contagious, inflammatory bowel disease of no known origin that affects more than 10,000 Australians, most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30. The disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. The last part of the small bowel, the ileum, is the most common site of Crohn’s disease.
Australian Crohn’s and Colitis Association managing director Angela McAvoy said: ‘People with Crohn’s disease experience chronic pain on and off throughout their lives, often in conjunction with diarrhoea and/or rectal bleeding.
‘Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight, constipation and nutritional deficiencies.
‘Other symptoms that may appear outside of the bowel can result in problems of the skin, joints, eyes or liver. One of the most painful major complications involves abscesses and fistulas, abnormal channels [particularly around the anal area] that burrow from the bowel to the skin and constantly weep faeces.’
The impact of Crohn’s disease
Peter has been living with this debilitating disease for 13 years. During this time, Crohn’s has had a significant impact on his quality of life.
‘When I was 22 years old, I applied for the Fire Brigade. But I wasn’t even given the opportunity to undergo a medical, because I wrote on my application form that I had Crohn’s. I was distraught. But you can’t let it get you down. You can’t just sit around waiting for Crohn’s to happen. You’ve got to get on with your life,’ Peter said.
‘Crohn’s is something to be lived with and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. It’s important to tell people close to you that you’ve got Crohn’s. By going public, I hope to help other people feel more comfortable with Crohn’s, so that they too can talk openly about this debilitating disease,’ he said.
Peter discovered he had Crohn’s when he was 16 years old. He was diagnosed within 3 months of his first flare-up.
‘I was cramping and had lost 10 kilograms in one week. So, together with my doctor, we jumped on it quickly,’ he said.
Peter experienced another flare-up 4 years later, when he was at work: ‘I was rushed into casualty and placed on a drip. I was put on steroids for 5 months and became very bulky. It took me 8 months to return to my normal size. Although I personally experienced bad side effects from the steroids, I would rather use them than undergo an operation that may involve having to use an ileostomy bag.’
Fortunately, after this relapse, Peter’s employer accepted him back at work. But, according to Mrs McAvoy, not all employers are as accepting or understanding as Peter’s.
Mrs McAvoy said: ‘Some employers can reduce availability of work or make it so uncomfortable that people are forced to leave or resign. Even though Australia has a national anti-discrimination law, employers can use subtle strategies to force people out if they wish to.’
What treatments are available?
There is a range of treatments available to people with Crohn’s that are tailored to suit the individual, including drugs and surgery.
The primary aim of treatment is to control inflammation, correct nutritional deficiencies and relieve symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea and rectal bleeding. Among the treatments are corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, rectal foams or enemas.
Treatment may also include nutrition supplements, surgery or a combination of all of these options throughout a person’s lifetime. Treatment depends on the location and the severity of the disease, complications and response to previous treatment.
‘Not everyone’s disease responds to drug treatment and complications can often occur, leading to surgery. Because surgery is not a cure, the disease can reoccur. So for some people, multiple surgery may be necessary, which can result in a short bowel and/or a stoma (an abdominal bag to collect faeces),’ said Mrs McAvoy.
‘Mum keeps me up-to-date with the latest treatments,’ Peter said. (Peter’s mother has also recently been diagnosed with Crohn’s.)
‘I’ve tried prescription medications, homoeopathy, naturopathy and changed my diet. Different combinations at different times work well for me. But everyone is different and, unfortunately, there are many people with more serious Crohn’s who are not so lucky.’
For further information about Crohn’s disease, please contact the Australian Crohn’s and Colitis Association on 1800 138 029 or visit its website (http://www.crohnsandcolitis.com.au).
Last Reviewed: 27 August 2001
